Heat treatable coated article with zinc oxide inclusive contact layer(s)

• US 8,226,803 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2010
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Neuman, George, Lingle, Philip J., Laird, Ronald E., Seder, Thomas A, Stachowiak, Grzegorz
• Primary Examiner(s): MCDONALD, RODNEY GLENN
• Application Number:
  US12/801,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20100276274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.26, 204/192.27, 204/192.28
• US Class Current: 204/192.26
• 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 17/3639 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
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/154 by sputtering

Abstract

A coated article is provided so as to have a fairly high visible transmission (TY or T_vis) to sheet resistance (R_s) ratio (i.e., a ratio T_vis/R_s). The higher this ratio, the better the coated article'"'"'s combined functionality of providing for both good solar performance (e.g., ability to reflect and/or absorb IR radiation) and high visible transmission. In certain example embodiments, coated articles herein may be heat treatable. Coated articles herein may be used in the context of insulating glass (IG) window units, architectural or residential monolithic window units, vehicle window units, and/or the like.

Claims

1. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:

providing a glass substrate;

sputtering a first lower contact layer comprising zinc oxide over a first layer comprising silicon nitride on the substrate using a first oxygen partial pressure;

sputtering a first layer comprising silver directly over and contacting the first lower contact layer;

sputtering a first upper contact layer directly over and contacting the first layer comprising silver;

sputtering a second lower contact layer comprising zinc oxide over a second layer comprising silicon nitride, wherein the second silicon nitride layer is located over at least the first layer comprising silicon nitride, the first contact layer, the first layer comprising silver, the first upper contact layer, using a second oxygen partial pressure, wherein the first oxygen partial pressure is greater than the second oxygen partial pressure;

sputtering a second layer comprising silver directly over and contacting the second lower contact layer; and

sputtering a second upper contact layer directly over and contacting the second layer comprising silver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first oxygen partial pressure is at least 1% higher than the second oxygen partial pressure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first oxygen partial pressure is at least 2% higher than the second oxygen partial pressure.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sputter depositing a third layer comprising silicon nitride over the first and second layers comprising silver.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising heat treating the glass substrate and the coating thereon.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the first layer comprising silicon nitride Si_xN_y is non-stoichiometric and is Si-rich.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said first layer comprising non-stoichiometric, Si-rich silicon nitride Si_xN_y has an index of refraction “

n”

of at least 2.05.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than or equal to 4.0 after heat treatment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a Δ

E* value (glass side reflective and/or transmissive) of less than or equal to about 4 due to the heat treatment.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising a layer comprising titanium oxide between the glass substrate and the first layer comprising silicon nitride.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the layer comprising titanium oxide has a thickness of from 20 to 60 Å

and is located between the glass substrate and the first layer comprising zinc oxide, and wherein the coated article has a Total Solar (T_S) value of no greater than about 40%.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second layers comprising zinc oxide further includes aluminum.

13. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:

providing a glass substrate;

disposing a first layer comprising silicon nitride over the glass substrate;

sputtering a first lower contact layer comprising zinc oxide over the first layer comprising silicon nitride using a first oxygen partial pressure;

sputtering a first layer comprising silver directly over and contacting the first lower contact layer;

disposing a first upper contact layer directly over and contacting the first layer comprising silver;

disposing a second layer comprising silicon nitride over the first upper contact layer;

sputtering a second lower contact layer comprising zinc oxide over the second layer comprising silicon nitride using a second oxygen partial pressure, wherein the second lower contact layer is above the first lower and upper contact layers;

sputtering a second layer comprising silver directly over and contacting the second lower contact layer;

disposing a second upper contact layer directly over and contacting the second layer comprising silver; and

wherein the first oxygen partial pressure is greater than the second oxygen partial pressure, and wherein the first lower contact layer is more oxided than the second lower contact layer.