Coated article with low-E coating including tin oxide interlayer

• US 7,858,191 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2009
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Centre Luxembourgeois de Recherches pour le Verre et la Ceramique SA
• Inventors: Lemmer, Jean-Marc, Muller, Jens-Peter, Pallotta, Pierre, Ferreira, Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): McNeil; Jennifer C
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, LAUREN E
• Application Number:
  US12/385,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20090214880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.11, 428/426, 428/428, 428/432, 428/446, 428/697, 428/698, 428/701, 428/702, 428/704
• US Class Current: 428/428
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10229 Metallic layers sandwiched by dielectric layers
• 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 17/3639 Multilayers containing at least two functional metal layers
• 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 which may be heat treated (e.g., thermally tempered) in certain instances. In certain example embodiments, an interlayer of or including a metal oxide such as tin oxide is provided under an infrared (IR) reflecting layer so as to be located between respective layers comprising silicon nitride and zinc oxide. It has been found that the use of such a tin oxide inclusive interlayer results in significantly improved mechanical durability, thermal stability and/or haze characteristics. In certain example embodiments, a zinc oxide inclusive layer is provide over an IR reflecting layer in order to improve thermal stability. A zirconium oxide overcoat may also be provided in certain example instances.

Claims

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

a first layer comprising zinc oxide located over and contacting a first layer comprising tin oxide, so that the first layer comprising tin oxide is located between and contacting a first layer comprising silicon nitride and the first layer comprising zinc oxide;

an 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;

another layer comprising metal oxide comprising tin oxide and/or zinc oxide located over and contacting the contact layer; and

a dielectric layer comprising nitride located over at least the another layer comprising metal oxide.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said layer 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 coated article comprises a heat treated glass substrate which supports the coating, and when measured monolithically following heat treatment has a visible transmission of at least 75% and a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than or equal to 3.0 ohms/square.

5. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article comprises a heat treated glass substrate which supports the coating, and when measured monolithically following heat treatment has a visible transmission of at least 77% and a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than or equal to 2.5 ohms/square.

6. The coated article of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the coated article comprises a heat treated glass substrate which supports the coating, and when measured monolithically following heat treatment has a visible transmission of at least 80% and a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than or equal to 2.1 ohms/square; and

/or

(b) wherein the coated article is an IG window unit having a visible transmission of at least 60%, and a SHGC value of less than or equal to 0.40.

7. The coated article of claim 1, further comprising a layer comprising zirconium oxide which is an overcoat layer that is an outermost layer of the coating.

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

9. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the contact layer comprises an oxide of NiCr.

10. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said dielectric layer comprising nitride comprises silicon nitride.

11. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said another layer comprising metal oxide comprises tin oxide.

12. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said another layer comprising metal oxide comprises zinc oxide.

13. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said dielectric layer comprising nitride is located over and directly contacting said another layer comprising metal oxide.

14. The coated article of claim 1, further comprising another IR reflecting layer comprising silver located between said layer comprising silicon nitride and the glass substrate.

15. The coated article of claim 1, further comprising a layer comprising an oxide of titanium located between the glass substrate and said another IR reflecting layer.

16. The coated article of claim 1, further comprising a layer comprising silicon nitride located between the glass substrate and said another IR reflecting layer.

17. The coated article of claim 1, further comprising a layer comprising zinc oxide located directly under and contacting said another IR reflecting layer.