High quality reflectance coatings

• US 8,283,059 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hartig, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): McNeil, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLGAN, LAUREN ROBINSON
• Application Number:
  US12/851,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20100297413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 428/432, 428/428, 428/434, 428/701, 428/702
• US Class Current: 428/701
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3613 Coatings of type glass/inorganic compound/metal/inorganic compound/metal/other
• 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 17/3642 the multilayer coating containing a metal layer
• 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 2217/211 SnO2
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/216 ZnO
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/153 by plasma-enhanced cvd
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/154 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/156 by magnetron sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/185 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/35 by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering C23C14/3457 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/568 Transferring the substrates through a series of coating stations C23C14/562 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2417 Light path control; means to control reflection
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6715 : specially adapted for increased thermal insulation or for controlled passage of light E06B3/66323 takes precedence; coating of glass pains C03C17/00; devices or arrangements for controlling the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/24 : Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blindsoperating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 : for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/26 : Reflecting filters G02B5/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/22 : Glazing, e.g. vaccum glazing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 : Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 : including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 : Thickness [relative or absolute]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 : No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 : Composite [nonstructural laminate]

Abstract

Low-emissivity coatings that are highly reflective to infrared-radiation. The coating includes three infrared-reflection film regions, which may each include silver.

Claims

1. A coated pane having opposed first and second major surfaces, said coated pane being part of a multiple-pane insulating glazing unit that includes a second pane, wherein the insulating glazing unit has a between-pane space to which the second major surface of said coated pane is exposed, the second major surface bearing a low-emissivity coating that includes the following film regions in sequence moving away from said second major surface:

a first transparent dielectric film region, a first infrared-reflection film region, a second transparent dielectric film region, a second infrared-reflection film region, a third transparent dielectric film region, a third infrared-reflection film region, and a fourth transparent dielectric film region, wherein the second infrared-reflection film region is thicker than the first infrared-reflection film region, the three infrared-reflection film regions each comprising silver, and wherein each of the infrared-reflection film regions has a thickness of between about 100 and 250 angstroms, the coating having a particular ratio for the combined thickness of the first and fourth transparent dielectric film regions divided by the combined thickness of the second and third transparent dielectric film regions, said particular ratio being greater than 0.45, the first, second, and third infrared-reflection film regions having a combined thickness of greater than 425 angstroms, the coated pane having a T₇₄₀ of less than 0.3, the T₇₄₀ being defined as the transmittance of the coated pane at a wavelength of 740 nm, the insulating glazing unit having a solar heat gain coefficient in the range of from 0.25 to 0.29, yet the insulating glazing unit has a visible-thermal efficiency ratio of greater than 2.0 and an exterior reflected color having a chroma magnitude number of less than about 3.6, the visible-thermal efficiency ratio being defined as the visible transmittance divided by the solar heat gain coefficient, the chroma magnitude number being defined as the square root of [a_h²+b_h²].

2. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein at least one of the infrared-reflection film regions has a thickness of greater than 150 angstroms.

3. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third infrared-reflection film regions are silver layers each consisting essentially of silver, and wherein these three silver layers are the only silver layers in the coating.

4. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the low-emissivity coating has a sheet resistance of less than 3 ohms/square.

5. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the low-emissivity coating has a sheet resistance of less than 2.5 ohms/square.

6. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the low-emissivity coating has an emissivity of less than 0.3.

7. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the low-emissivity coating has a total thickness of greater than 1,800 angstroms.

8. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the low-emissivity coating has a total thickness of greater than 1,900 angstroms.

9. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the low-emissivity coating has a total thickness of greater than 2,000 angstroms.

10. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein both panes of said glazing unit are clear glass.

11. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the coated pane has a major dimension of at least one meter.

12. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the second infrared-reflection film region is thicker than the first infrared-reflection film region by at least 10 angstroms.

13. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein said chroma magnitude number is less than about 1.82.

14. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the exterior reflected color is characterized by a_h and b_h color coordinates, the magnitude of both of which is negative.

15. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the insulating glazing unit has a transmitted color characterized by a_h and b_h color coordinates, the magnitude of at least one of which is negative.

16. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein directly over each infrared-reflection film region there is a blocker film comprising material selected from the group consisting of nickel, chromium, zinc, tin, aluminum, indium, and zirconium.

17. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the insulating glazing unit has a transmitted color characterized by an a_h color coordinate of between about −

3.5 and about −

6 and a b_h color coordinate of between about +2.25 and about +4.5.

18. The coated pane of claim 17 wherein the insulating glazing unit has a transmitted color characterized by an a_h color coordinate of between about −

4 and about −

5.5 and a b_h color coordinate of between about +2.5 and about +4.25.

19. The coated pane of claim 1 wherein the low-emissivity coating includes two film regions comprising transparent dielectric nitride film, and wherein at least one of the infrared-reflection film regions is located between said two film regions comprising transparent dielectric nitride film.

20. The coated pane of claim 19 wherein the third infrared-reflection film region is located between said two film regions comprising transparent dielectric nitride film.