Coating glass

• US 6,716,323 B1
• Filed: 07/30/2001
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pilkington PLC
• Original Assignee: Pilkington PLC
• Inventors: Siddle, John Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): VERSTEEG, STEVEN H
• Application Number:
  US09/890,413
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.12, 204/192.15, 204/192.27, 427/162, 427/576, 427/250, 427/294, 427/404, 427/445
• US Class Current: 204/192.12
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/09 by deposition from the vapour phase
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3613 Coatings of type glass/inorganic compound/metal/inorganic compound/metal/other
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3642 the multilayer coating containing a metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3644 the metal being silver
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/366 Low-emissivity or solar control coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/256 Ag
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/151 by vacuum evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/154 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/54 Controlling or regulating the coating process

Abstract

A process for the production of a coated substrate, preferably glass, comprising depositing a reflective metal, especially a silver, layer by a low pressure deposition process performed in a coating atmosphere that contains a gasous oxygen scavenger. The presence of the gasous oxygen scavenger alleviates oxidation of the silver layer by any oxygen gas present in the coating atmosphere. The gaseous oxygen scavenger may be a hydrocarbon and is preferably methane. The coating process is preferably sputtering.

Claims

1. A process for the production of a coated substrate comprising depositing a reflective metal layer onto a substrate by a low pressure deposition process performed in a coating atmosphere, wherein the coating atmosphere contains a gaseous oxygen scavenger other than hydrogen.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the substrate is curved.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein each molecule of the gaseous oxygen scavenger is capable of combining with more than one atom of oxygen.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gaseous oxygen scavenger is a hydrocarbon.

5. A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein the gaseous oxygen scavenger is a C₁ to C₄ hydrocarbon.

6. A process as claimed in claim 5 wherein the gaseous oxygen scavenger is methane.

7. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coating atmosphere contains the gaseous oxygen scavenger in an amount that is sufficient to alleviate oxidation and/or degradation of the reflective metal layer.

8. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coating atmosphere contains a measurable amount of oxygen and contains the gaseous oxygen scavenger in an amount that exceeds 15 mol % of the amount of oxygen.

9. A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the coating atmosphere contains the gaseous oxygen scavenger in an amount that exceeds 30 mol % of the amount of oxygen.

10. A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein the coating atmosphere contains the gaseous oxygen scavenger in an amount that exceeds 50 mol % of the amount of oxygen.

11. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reflective metal layer is a silver layer.

12. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reflective metal layer has a thickness in the range 5 to 30 nm.

13. A process as claimed in claim 12 wherein the reflective metal layer has a thickness in the range of 7 to 18 nm.

14. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reflective metal layer has a sheet resistance which is below 12 Ω

/square.

15. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coating atmosphere contains a measurable amount of oxygen and the reflective metal layer deposited in the coating atmosphere has a sheet resistance which is below 12 Ω

/square.

16. A process as claimed in claim 15 wherein the sheet resistance of the reflective metal layer deposited in the coating atmosphere is below 8 Ω

/square.

17. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the low pressure deposition process for depositing the reflective metal layer is sputtering.

18. A process for the production of a coated substrate as claimed in claim 1 that additionally comprises depositing a metal oxide anti-reflection layer by a low pressure deposition process before depositing the reflective metal layer.