Low-E matchable coated articles and methods of making same

• US 6,692,831 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stachowiak, Grzegorz
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Deborah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blackwell-Rudasill, G. A.
• Application Number:
  US10/310,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20030113549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 428/426, 428/428, 428/432, 428/433, 428/434, 428/409, 428/410, 359/585, 359/586, 359/359, 359/360
• US Class Current: 428/428
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3618 Coatings of type glass/inorganic compound/other inorganic layers, at least one layer being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3626 one layer at least containing a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3644 the metal being silver
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3652 the coating stack containing at least one sacrificial layer to protect the metal from oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/366 Low-emissivity or solar control coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3681 the multilayer coating being used in glazing, e.g. windows or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12542 More than one such component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12576 Boride, carbide or nitride component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12896 Ag-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12944 Ni-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less

Abstract

A heat treatable coated article including an infrared (IR) reflecting layer (e.g., of or including Ag), the coated article being able to attain a ΔE* (glass side) no greater than about 3.0, more preferably no greater than 2.5, and even more preferably no greater than 2.0, following or due to heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering). Accordingly, low-E (i.e., low emissivity) coated articles of certain embodiments of this invention appear from the glass side thereof visually similar to the naked eye both before and after heat treatment. Coated articles herein may be used in the context of insulating glass (IG) window units, vehicle windshields, or any other suitable applications. In certain embodiments of this invention, an exemplary layer stack includes: glass/Si₃N₄/NiCr/Ag/NiCr/Si₃N₄. Other materials may instead be used without departing from the scope and/or spirit of the instant invention which is a low-E matchable product.

Claims

1. A coated article comprising:

a coating system supported by a glass substrate, where the coating system includes at least first and second dielectric layers and at least one layer comprising silver; and

means for enabling the coated article to have a glass side reflective Δ

E* value no greater than 2.5 upon heat treatment in a manner sufficient for thermal tempering.

2. The coated article of claim 1, further comprising means for the coated article to have a glass side reflective Δ

E* value no greater than 2.0 upon heat treatment in a manner sufficient for thermal tempering.

3. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising silver is located between at least the first and second dielectric layers.

4. The coated article of claim 1, where the first and second dielectric layers each comprise silicon nitride.

5. The coated article of claim 1, further comprising at least one layer comprising NiCr located between the layer comprising silver and the first dielectric layer.

6. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is thermally tempered.

7. A coated article comprising:

a coating system supported by a glass substrate, where the coating system includes at least first and second dielectric layers and at least one layer comprising silver; and

wherein layers of the coating system are of respective materials and thicknesses so that the coated article will have a glass side reflective Δ

E* value no greater than 2.5 upon heat treatment in a manner sufficient for thermal tempering.

8. The coated article of claim 7, wherein layers of the coating system are of respective materials and thicknesses so that the coated article will have a glass side reflective Δ

E* value no greater than 2.0 upon heat treatment in a manner sufficient for thermal tempering.

9. The coated article of claim 7, wherein the layer comprising silver is located between at least the first and second dielectric layers.

10. The coated article of claim 7, where the first and second dielectric layers each comprise silicon nitride.

11. The coated article of claim 7, further comprising at least one layer comprising NiCr located between the layer comprising silver and the first dielectric layer.

12. A coated article comprising:

a coating system supported by a glass substrate, wherein the coating system includes at least first and second dielectric layers and at least one layer comprising silver; and

wherein the coated article has a glass side reflective Δ

E* value no greater than 2.5 upon heat treatment in a manner sufficient for thermal tempering, bending, and/or heat strengthening.

13. The coated article of claim 12, wherein the coated article has a glass side reflective Δ

E* value no greater than 2.0 upon heat treatment in a manner sufficient for thermal tempering, bending, and/or heat strengthening.

14. A coated article comprising:

a coating system supported by a glass substrate, where the coating system includes at least first and second dielectric layers and at least one layer comprising silver, wherein the layer comprising silver is located between at least the first and second dielectric layers; and

wherein the coated article has a glass side reflective Δ

E* value no greater than 2.5 upon heat treatment at temperature(s) of at least 593 degrees C.

15. The coated article of claim 14, wherein the coated article has a glass side reflective Δ

E* value no greater than 2.0 upon heat treatment at temperature(s) of at least 593 degrees C., and wherein the coated article comprises an IG window unit.