Coated article with tin oxide, silicon nitride and/or zinc oxide under IR reflecting layer and corresponding method

• US 7,087,309 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Centre Luxembourgeois de Recherches pour le Verre et la Ceramique SA
• Inventors: Kriltz, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): McNeil, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACKWELL, GWENDOLYN
• Application Number:
  US10/820,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20050042460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 428/34, 428/426, 428/432, 428/446, 428/448, 428/697, 428/698, 428/699, 428/701, 428/702, 428/704
• US Class Current: 428/432
• 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

Abstract

A coated article is provided that may be heat treated in certain example embodiments. A coating of the coated article includes a tin oxide inclusive layer, a silicon nitride inclusive layer and/or a zinc oxide inclusive layer located under an infrared (IR) reflecting layer of a material such as silver. It has been found that this may result in improved thermal stability upon heat treatment, higher visible transmission, desirable coloration, lower sheet resistance (R_s), and/or lower emissivity in certain example embodiments of this invention. In certain embodiments, a zinc oxide inclusive layer may be provided above a contact layer over the IR reflecting layer, again for improving thermal stability, coloration, sheet resistance and/or visible transmission.

Claims

1. A coated article comprising a coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising:

a first dielectric layer on the glass substrate;

a first layer comprising tin oxide which further includes nitrogen, located over the first dielectric layer;

a layer comprising silicon nitride located over and contacting the first layer comprising tin oxide;

a first layer comprising zinc oxide located over and contacting the layer comprising silicon nitride;

an infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver located over and contacting the first layer comprising zinc oxide;

a contact layer located over and contacting the IR reflecting layer;

a second layer comprising zinc oxide located over and contacting the contact layer;

another dielectric layer located over the second layer comprising zinc oxide; and

wherein the coating includes only one IR reflecting layer, said IR reflecting layer comprising silver.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second layers comprising zinc oxide further comprises aluminum.

3. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is heat treated.

4. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric layer comprises an oxide of titanium.

5. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said another dielectric layer comprises tin oxide, and another layer comprising silicon nitride is located over at least the another dielectric layer that comprises tin oxide.

6. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the another dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride.

7. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich so as to be represented by Si_xN_y, where x/y is from 0.8 to 1.4.

8. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is heat treated, and following heat treatment the coated article measured monolithically is characterized by the following:

visible transmission;

>

=85%

R_s (ohms/square);

<

=4.3.

9. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has only one layer comprising silver and is heat treated, and following heat treatment the coated article measured monolithically is characterized by the following:

R_s (ohms/square);

<

=4.0.

10. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the glass substrate and the coating are part of an IG window unit, wherein the IG window unit has a U-value of no greater than 1.25 W/(m²K).

11. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the glass substrate and the coating are part of an IG window unit, wherein the IG window unit has a U-value of no greater than 1.15 W/(m²K).

12. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a Δ

a* value (transmissive) of no greater than 1.0 due to heat treatment.

13. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a Δ

a* value (transmissive) of no greater than 0.7 due to heat treatment.

14. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a Δ

a* value (transmissive) of no greater than 0.5 due to heat treatment.

15. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the contact layer comprises an oxide of Ni and/or Cr.

16. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich and has an index of refraction “

n”

of at least 2.10.

17. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich and has an index of refraction “

n”

of from 2.15 to 2.25 prior to any optional heat treatment.

18. An IG window unit comprising the coated article of claim 1.

19. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric layer is in direct contact with the glass substrate.

20. A coated article comprising a coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising:

a first dielectric layer on the glass substrate;

a layer comprising tin oxide located over at least the first dielectric layer;

a layer comprising silicon nitride located over and contacting the layer comprising tin oxide;

a layer comprising zinc oxide located over and contacting the layer comprising silicon nitride;

an infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver located over and contacting the layer comprising zinc oxide;

a contact layer located over and contacting the IR reflecting layer;

at least another dielectric layer located over the contact layer; and

wherein the coating includes only one IR reflecting layer, said IR reflecting layer comprising silver.

21. The coated article of claim 20, wherein the layer comprising zinc oxide further comprises aluminum.

22. The coated article of claim 20, wherein the layer comprising tin oxide further comprises from 2–

25% (atomic %) nitrogen.

23. The coated article of claim 20, wherein the layer comprising tin oxide comprises from 3–

20% (atomic %) nitrogen.

24. The coated article of claim 20, wherein the coated article is heat treated.

25. The coated article of claim 20, wherein the first dielectric layer comprises an oxide of titanium.

26. The coated article of claim 20, wherein said another dielectric layer comprises one of tin oxide, zinc oxide and silicon nitride.

27. The coated article of claim 20, wherein the layer comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich so as to be represented by Si_xN_y, where x/y is from 0.8 to 1.4.

28. The coated article of claim 20, wherein the coated article is heat treated, and following heat treatment the coated article measured monolithically is characterized by the following:

visible transmission;

>

=85%

R_s (ohms/square);

<

=4.3.

29. The coated article of claim 20, wherein the coated article has only one layer comprising silver and is heat treated, and following heat treatment the coated article measured monolithically is characterized by the following:

R_s (ohms/square);

<

=4.0.

30. The coated article of claim 20, wherein the glass substrate and the coating are part of an IG window unit, wherein the IG window unit has a U-value of no greater than 1.25 W/(m²K).

31. The coated article of claim 20, wherein the glass substrate and the coating are part of an IG window unit, wherein the IG window unit has a U-value of no greater than 1.15 W/(m²K).

32. The coated article of claim 20, wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a Δ

a* value (transmissive) of no greater than 0.7 due to heat treatment.

33. The coated article of claim 20, wherein the contact layer comprises an oxide of Ni and/or Cr.