Low-E coated articles and methods of making same

• US 7,964,284 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Blacker, Richard, Boyce, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): XU, LING X
• Application Number:
  US12/654,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20100104840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 428/432
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3607 Coatings of the type glass/inorganic compound/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 17/3655 the multilayer coating containing at least one conducting layer
• 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 428/24975 No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less

Abstract

In certain example embodiments, low-E coated articles may be designed so as to realize a combination of good visible transmission (T_vis) and an excellent solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), thereby realizing an improved (i.e., higher) T_vis/SHGC ratio. In certain example embodiments of this invention, if heat treated (HT), the low-E coated articles may have approximately the same color characteristics as viewed by the naked eye both before and after heat treatment (i.e., a low ΔE* value) in certain example instances. Such coated articles may be used in insulating glass (IG) units, windows, and/or other suitable applications.

Claims

1. An insulating glass (IG) window unit comprising:

first and second substrates coupled to each so as to form an insulating space therebetween;

a layer system supported by at least one of the substrates proximate the insulating space, said layer system comprising an infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver located between at least first and second dielectric layers which comprise silicon nitride, the first layer comprising silicon nitride being closer to the substrate supporting the layer system than is the second layer comprising silicon nitride, wherein said layer system includes only one IR reflecting layer comprising silver;

wherein the IG window unit has a visible transmission (T_vis) of 47-60%, a SHGC of no greater than 0.36, and a T_vis/SHGC ratio of at least 140; and

wherein said layer system comprises the following recited layers with the following thickness ranges;

2. The IG window unit of claim 1, wherein the IG window unit has a T_vis/SHGC ratio of at least 145.

3. The IG window unit of claim 1 wherein the IG window unit has a T_vis/SHGC ratio of at least 150.

4. The IG window unit of claim 1, wherein the IG window unit has a T_vis/SHGC ratio of at least 153.

5. The IG window unit of claim 1, wherein the IG window unit has a visible transmission (T_vis) of 49-56%.

6. The IG window unit of claim 1, wherein the IG window unit has an SHGC of no greater than 0.35.

7. The IG window unit of claim 1, wherein the IG window unit has an SHGC of no greater than 0.34.

8. The IG window unit of claim 1, wherein the glass substrate with the layer system thereon is heat treated, and the heat treated glass substrate and layer system have a Δ

E* value (glass side reflective) of no greater than 3.0 after or due to heat treatment of the glass substrate with the layer system thereon.