Methods and equipment for depositing hydrophilic coatings, and deposition technologies for thin films
First Claim
1. A method for depositing coatings onto substrates, the method comprising:
- a) providing a coater having a substrate transport system defining a path of substrate travel extending through the coater, wherein at least part of one or more lower sputtering target(s) are mounted below the path of substrate travel;
b) positioning a glass sheet on the transport system and conveying the glass sheet along the path of substrate travel, such that the glass sheet is conveyed over the one or more lower target(s); and
c) sputtering the one or more lower target(s) so as to deposit a coating upon a bottom major surface of the glass sheet, wherein the bottom major surface of the glass sheet once coated contacts at least one surface of the transport system, the coating comprising a desired film having a refractive index of between about 1.57 and about 1.8, wherein the desired film forms part or all of the coating on said bottom major surface, the coating having a total optical thickness of less than about 400 angstroms.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides certain embodiments that involve sputtering techniques for applying a mixed oxide film comprising silica and titania. In these embodiments, the techniques involve sputtering at least two targets in a common chamber (e.g., in a shared gaseous atmosphere). A first of these targets includes silicon, while a second of the targets includes titanium. Further, the invention provides embodiments involving a substrate bearing a hydrophilic coating, which can be deposited by sputtering or any other suitable thin film deposition technique. The invention also provides techniques and apparatuses useful for depositing a wide variety of coating types. For example, the invention provides thin film deposition technologies in which sputtering apparatuses or other thin film deposition apparatuses are employed.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for depositing coatings onto substrates, the method comprising:
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a) providing a coater having a substrate transport system defining a path of substrate travel extending through the coater, wherein at least part of one or more lower sputtering target(s) are mounted below the path of substrate travel; b) positioning a glass sheet on the transport system and conveying the glass sheet along the path of substrate travel, such that the glass sheet is conveyed over the one or more lower target(s); and c) sputtering the one or more lower target(s) so as to deposit a coating upon a bottom major surface of the glass sheet, wherein the bottom major surface of the glass sheet once coated contacts at least one surface of the transport system, the coating comprising a desired film having a refractive index of between about 1.57 and about 1.8, wherein the desired film forms part or all of the coating on said bottom major surface, the coating having a total optical thickness of less than about 400 angstroms. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for sputter depositing hydrophilic coatings, the method comprising:
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a) providing a sputter deposition chamber in which there is mounted a first sputtering target having a first sputterable target material and a second sputtering target having a second sputterable target material, the deposition chamber containing a gaseous atmosphere, the deposition chamber including a substrate transport system comprising a plurality of transport rollers defining a path of substrate travel extending over the first and second targets, the first and second sputterable target materials being of different composition, the first sputterable target material comprising atoms of silicon, the second sputterable target material comprising atoms of titanium; and b) providing a sheet-like substrate in the deposition chamber and positioning the substrate on the transport system and conveying the substrate along the path of substrate travel and sputtering the first and second targets upwardly such that a hydrophilic film having a refractive index of greater than 1.5 but less than 2.25 is deposited upon a bottom major surface of the substrate that contacts a plurality of the transport rollers while traveling along the path of substrate travel, the hydrophilic film comprising atoms of silicon, titanium, and oxygen, the hydrophilic film forming all or part of a coating sputtered upwardly onto the bottom major surface of the substrate, the coating having a total physical thickness of less than about 300 angstroms. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for depositing coatings upwardly onto substrates, the method comprising:
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a) providing a coater having a substrate transport system defining a path of substrate travel extending through the coater, the transport system including an intermediate transport roller, the intermediate transport roller being located between first and second coating deposition paths, the coater having first and second upward coating apparatuses mounted below the path of substrate travel, the first upward coating apparatus being adapted for emitting a different composition of coating material than the second upward coating apparatus, the intermediate transport roller serving as a divider member for separation of plumes from the first and second upward coating apparatuses; b) positioning a glass sheet on the transport system and conveying the glass sheet along the path of substrate travel, such that the glass sheet is conveyed over the first and second upward coating apparatuses; c) operating the first upward coating apparatus so as to emit a first flux of material upwardly along the first coating deposition path onto a bottom major surface of the glass sheet, thereby depositing a first partial coating on the bottom major surface of the glass sheet; and d) operating the second upward coating apparatus so as to emit a second flux of material upwardly along the second coating deposition path onto the partially-coated bottom major surface of the glass sheet, thereby depositing a second partial coating, wherein the first flux of material has a different composition than the second flux of material, the first partial coating and/or the second partial coating comprising film having a refractive index of greater than 1.55, wherein all the upward coating deposition apparatuses in the coater are upward sputter deposition apparatuses and the method is performed such that no more than a total physical thickness of about 300 angstroms is sputter deposited on the bottom major surface of the glass sheet, and wherein said bottom major surface once coated comes into direct contact with at least one surface of the transport system. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification