Blue colored coated article with low-E coating

• US 7,166,359 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guardian Europe S.A.R.L.. (Interguard Holding Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Centre Luxembourgeois de Recherches pour le Verre et la Ceramique SA
• Inventors: Kriltz, Uwe, Butz, Jochen
• Primary Examiner(s): McNeil; Jennifer C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACKWELL, GWENDOLYN
• Application Number:
  US11/166,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20060292381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 428/428, 428/432, 428/446, 428/448, 428/698, 428/697, 428/699, 428/701, 428/702, 428/704
• US Class Current: 428/428
• 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 17/3652 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: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal

Abstract

A coated article is provided with at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer, and is designed so as to realize good blue glass side reflective coloration in combination with desired solar control characteristics. In certain example embodiments, the coated is designed to realize rather negative glass side reflective b* values, in combination with fairly neutral glass side reflective a* color values and good sheet resistance and/or emissivity. The coated article may be used in the context of architectural or other types of window units in certain example embodiments of this invention.

Claims

1. A coated article including a multi-layer coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising at least the following layers from the glass substrate outwardly:

a first layer comprising silicon nitride;

a first contact layer comprising Ni and/or Cr;

an infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver located over and directly contacting the first contact layer comprising Ni and/or Cr;

a second contact layer comprising Ni and/or Cr located over and directly contacting the IR reflecting layer;

a second layer comprising silicon nitride on the glass substrate located over at least the IR reflecting layer, the contact layers and the first layer comprising silicon nitride; and

wherein the first layer comprising silicon nitride is from about 72.5 to 110 nm thick, and wherein the coated article has the following glass side reflective color values;

a* from −

4 to +4, and b* from −

15 to −

25.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprising silicon nitride is from about 75 to 105 nm thick, and wherein the coated article has the following glass side reflective color values:

a* from −

3 to +3, and b* from −

16 to −

23.

3. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprising silicon nitride is from about 80 to 95 nm thick, and wherein the coated article has the following glass side reflective color values:

a* from −

2 to +2, and b* from −

17 to −

22.

4. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the second layer comprising silicon nitride is from about 30–

70 nm thick, the coated article has a sheet resistance of no greater than about 10 ohms/square, and a visible transmission of from about 30–

60%.

5. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a sheet resistance of no greater than about 10 ohms/square, and a visible transmission of from about 30–

60%.

6. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is an insulating glass (IG) window unit.

7. The coated article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second contact layers comprises NiCr.

8. The coated article of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second contact layers comprise NiCr.

9. The coated article of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first and second contact layers comprises a nitride of NiCr and wherein the coated article is thermally tempered.

10. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coating includes only a single Ag based layer which is the IR reflecting layer.

11. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprising silicon nitride is in direct contact with the glass substrate.

12. The coated article of claim 1, wherein another dielectric layer is between the glass substrate and the first layer comprising silicon nitride.

13. The coated article of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second layers comprising silicon nitride further comprise aluminum.

14. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coating consists essentially of the layers recited.

15. A coated article including a multi-layer coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising at least the following layers from the glass substrate outwardly:

a first layer comprising silicon nitride;

a first contact layer;

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

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

a dielectric layer;

wherein the first layer comprising silicon nitride is from about 72.5 to 110 nm thick, and wherein the coated article has the following glass side reflective color values;

a* from −

4 to +4, and b* from −

15 to −

25.

16. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the first layer comprising silicon nitride is from about 75 to 105 nm thick, the dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride, and the coated article has the following glass side reflective color values:

a* from −

3 to +3, and b* from −

16 to −

23.

17. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the first layer comprising silicon nitride is from about 80 to 95 nm thick, and wherein the coated article has the following glass side reflective color values:

a* from −

2 to +2, and b* from −

17 to −

22.

18. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the coated article has a sheet resistance of no greater than about 10 ohms/square, a visible transmission of from about 30–

60%, and wherein one or both of the contact layers comprises Ni and/or Cr.

19. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the coated article has a sheet resistance of no greater than about 10 ohms/square, and a visible transmission of from about 30–

60%.

20. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the coated article is an insulating glass (IG) window unit.

21. A coated article including a multi-layer coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising at least the following layers from the glass substrate outwardly:

a first layer comprising silicon nitride;

a first contact layer;

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

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

a dielectric layer; and

wherein the coated article has a glass side reflective color value b* of from −

15 to −

25.