Coated glass surfaces and method for coating a glass substrate

• US 8,574,718 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apogee Enterprises Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Apogee Enterprises Incorporated
• Inventors: Stull, Randy Leland
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLGAN, LAUREN ROBINSON
• Application Number:
  US12/611,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20100221575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 428/216, 428/428, 428/432, 428/434, 428/469, 428/699, 428/701, 428/702, 428/433, 428/689, 204/192.1, 204/192.15
• US Class Current: 428/432
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/002 for flat glass, e.g. float glass
• 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 17/3639 Multilayers containing at least two functional metal layers
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3644 the metal being silver
• 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 2218/154 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12493 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12944 Ni-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal

Abstract

A substrate having a coating is disclosed. The coating is formed of a plurality of layers. At least one of the layers includes a super alloy and at least two additional layers including silver. A coating for a substrate is also disclosed. A method of applying a coating to a substrate is further disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising a glass substrate and a coating applied to the glass substrate, the coating comprising a plurality of layers, wherein at least one of the layers includes a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum superalloy and at least two additional layers include silver, wherein the superalloy comprises about 58% or more Ni, about 20 to about 23% Cr, about 8 to about 10% Mo, about 3.15 to about 4.15% Nb+Ta and a maximum of about 5% Fe by weight, wherein the system has an emissivity of about 0.030 to about 0.039, and wherein the system has a b_h color coordinate value of about −

7 to about −

11 as measured in Hunter Lab color space.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the layer including the superalloy has a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms, and wherein the at least two additional layers including silver comprise a first silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms and a second silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of layers is arranged such that the layer including the superalloy is positioned between the glass substrate and at least one of the at least two additional layers including silver.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least two additional layers including silver are formed of a first layer including silver and a second layer including silver, and wherein the plurality of layers includes a bottom oxide layer positioned between the glass substrate and the layer including the superalloy, a middle oxide layer positioned between the first layer including silver and the second layer including silver, and a top oxide layer adjacent the second layer including silver on a side of the second layer including silver opposite the middle oxide layer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the bottom oxide layer has a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms, the middle oxide layer has a thickness ranging from about 550 to about 700 angstroms, and the top oxide layer has a thickness ranging from about 110 to about 140 angstroms.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of layers further comprises an overcoat layer.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the bottom oxide layer, the middle oxide layer and top oxide layer include an oxide selected from the group consisting of a zinc oxide, a tin oxide, and a zinc tin oxide.

8. The system of claim 4, further comprising a first barrier layer positioned between the first layer including silver and the middle oxide layer and a second barrier layer positioned between the second layer including silver and the top oxide layer.

9. A substrate coating on a glass substrate, the substrate coating comprising a plurality of layers on the glass substrate, the plurality of layers comprising:

a first layer comprising a metal oxide having a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms,

a second layer comprising a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum superalloy wherein the superalloy comprises about 58% or more Ni, about 20 to about 23% Cr, about 8 to about 10% Mo, about 3.15 to about 4.15% Nb+Ta and a maximum of about 5% Fe by weight, and

a third layer comprising silver, wherein the second layer comprising the superalloy is between the first layer comprising the metal oxide and third layers comprising silver in the plurality of layers on the glass substrate, and wherein the substrate coating on a glass substrate has a b_h color coordinate value of about −

7 to about −

11 as measured in Hunter Lab color space.

10. The substrate coating of claim 9, wherein the second layer comprising the superalloy has a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms and the third layer comprising silver has a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms.

13. The substrate coating or the glass unit of any of claims 9, 10 through 11 and 12, wherein the metal oxide comprises tin oxide, zinc oxide or a mixture thereof.

11. A glass unit comprising a glass substrate and a coating comprising a plurality of layers on the glass substrate, the plurality of layers comprising:

a metal oxide layer comprising a metal oxide,

a superalloy layer comprising a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum superalloy, wherein the superalloy comprises about 58% or more Ni, about 20 to about 23% Cr, about 8 to about 10% Mo, about 3.15 to about 4.15% Nb+Ta and a maximum of about 5% Fe by weight, and

a silver layer, wherein the superalloy layer is between the metal oxide layer and the silver layer in the plurality of layers on the glass substrate, and wherein the glass unit has a b_h color coordinate value of about −

7 to about −

11 as measured in Hunter Lab color space.

12. The glass unit of claim 11, wherein the superalloy layer has a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms and the silver layer has a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms.

14. An article comprising a glass substrate and a coating applied to the glass substrate, the coating comprising a plurality of layers, from the glass substrate outwardly:

a) a bottom layer comprising a metal oxide layer and having a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms;

b) a superalloy layer comprising a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum superalloy, having a thickness ran in from about 30 to about 150 angstroms wherein the superalloy comprises about 58% or more Ni, about 20 to about 23% Cr, about 8 to about 10% Mo, about 3.15 to about 4.15% Nb+Ta and a maximum of about 5% Fe by weight;

c) a first silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms;

d) a middle metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 550 to about 700 angstroms;

e) a second silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms;

f) a top metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 110 to about 140 angstroms; and

wherein the article has an emissivity of about 0.030 to about 0.039 and a b_h color coordinate value of about −

7 to about −

11 as measured in Hunter Lab color space.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the article has an emissivity of about 0.030 to about 0.035.

16. An article comprising a glass substrate and a coating applied to the glass substrate, the coating comprising a plurality of layers including:

one or more metal oxide layers;

one or more silver layers; and

at least one Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum superalloy layer, wherein the superalloy comprises about 58% or more Ni, about 20 to about 23% Cr, about 8 to about 10% Mo, about 3.15 to about 4.15% Nb+Ta and a maximum of about 5% Fe by weight, therebetween;

wherein the article has a b_h color coordinate value of about −

7 to about −

11 as measured in Hunter Lab color space, and an emissivity of about 0.030 to about 0.039.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein the article has a b_h color coordinate value of about −

8 to about −

10 as measured in Hunter Lab color space.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the article has an emissivity of about 0.030 to about 0.035.

19. The article of claim 16, wherein the superalloy layer has a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the plurality of layers comprises, from the glass substrate outwardly:

a) a bottom metal oxide layer of the one or more metal oxide layers, the bottom metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms;

b) the at least one superalloy layer;

c) a first silver layer of the one or more silver layers, the first silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms;

d) a middle metal oxide layer of the one or more metal oxide layers, the middle metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 550 to about 700 angstroms;

e) a second silver layer of the one or more silver layers, the second silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms; and

f) a top metal oxide layer of the one or more metal oxide layers, the top metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 110 to about 140 angstroms.

21. An insulating glass unit comprised of:

at least two substantially parallel, spaced sheets of glass, said two sheets of glass being sealed together at their peripheral edges thereby to define an insulating chamber therebetween,

a coating applied to a surface of one of said glass sheets within said insulating chamber, wherein said coating comprises a plurality of layers, and wherein the plurality of layers includes;

a bottom metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms;

a superalloy layer comprising a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum superalloy, wherein the superalloy comprises about 58% or more Ni, about 20 to about 23% Cr, about 8 to about 10% Mo, about 3.15 to about 4.15% Nb+Ta and a maximum of about 5% Fe by weight; and

at least one and no more than two silver layers;

wherein the superalloy layer is between the bottom metal oxide layer and at least one of the silver layers in the plurality of layers on the surface of the sheet of glass to which the coating is applied,

wherein the insulating glass unit has an SHGC (or solar heat gain coefficient) of about 0.140 to about 0.300, a b_h color coordinate value of about −

7 to about −

11 as measured in Hunter Lab color space, and an emissivity of about 0.030 to about 0.039.

22. The insulating glass unit of claim 21, wherein the insulating glass unit has an SHGC (or solar heat gain coefficient) of about 0.140 to about 0.260.

23. The insulating glass unit of claim 21, wherein the superalloy layer has a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms.

24. The insulating glass unit of claim 23, wherein the plurality of layers comprises, from the surface of the sheet of glass to which the coating is applied outwardly:

a) the bottom metal oxide layer;

b) the superalloy layer;

c) a first silver layer of the at least one and no more than two silver layers, the first silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms;

d) an additional middle metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 550 to about 700 angstroms;

e) a second silver layer of the at least one and no more than two silver layers, the second silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms;

f) an additional top metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 110 to about 140 angstroms.

25. An article comprising:

a glass substrate having a pair of major surfaces; and

a coating applied to at least one of the major surfaces of the glass substrate, the coating comprising a plurality of layers including;

at least one metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms;

at least one and no more than two silver layers; and

a superalloy layer comprising a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum superalloy, wherein the superalloy comprises about 58% or more Ni, about 20 to about 23% Cr, about 8 to about 10% Mo, about 3.15 to about 4.15% Nb+Ta and a maximum of about 5% Fe by weight;

wherein the superalloy layer is between the metal oxide layer and at least one of the silver layers in the plurality of layers on the glass substrate; and

wherein the color coordinate values of the article from a direction that is substantially normal to the coated major surface are substantially equal to the color coordinate values from directions that are acute to the coated major surface, and an emissivity of about 0.030 to about 0.039; and

wherein the article has a b_h color coordinate value of about −

7 to about −

11 as measured in Hunter Lab color space.

26. A method of coating a glass substrate, the coating comprising a plurality of layers, wherein at least one of the layers includes a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum superalloy material and at least two additional layers include silver materials, wherein the superalloy material comprises about 58% or more Ni, about 20 to about 23% Cr, about 8 to about 10% Mo, about 3.15 to about 4.15% Nb+Ta and a maximum of about 5% Fe by weight, wherein the coated glass substrate has a b_h color coordinate value of about −

7 to about −

11 as measured in Hunter Lab color space, the method comprising;

applying a bottom oxide layer to the glass substrate by sputtering;

applying a layer comprising the Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum superalloy material by sputtering;

applying a layer comprising a first layer of silver material by sputtering;

applying a first barrier layer comprising titanium by sputtering;

Applying a middle oxide layer by sputtering;

applying a layer comprising a second layer of silver material by sputtering,

applying a second barrier layer comprising titanium by sputtering;

applying a top oxide layer by sputtering.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the applying steps occur in a coater having a plurality of coating zones and the glass substrate is conveyed within the coater through the plurality of coating zones.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the bottom oxide layer is applied in a first coat zone by sputtering a plurality of targets including at least one zinc target and at least one tin target,

the superalloy material is applied in a second coat zone by sputtering a target of superalloy to deposit the superalloy material,

the silver material is applied in the second coat zone by sputtering a target of silver to deposit the first silver layer,

the first barrier layer is applied in the second coat zone by sputtering a target including titanium,

the middle oxide layer is applied in at least a third coat zone by sputtering a plurality of targets including at least one zinc target and at least one tin target,

the additional silver material is applied in a fifth coat zone by sputtering an additional target of silver to deposit the second silver layer, the second barrier layer is applied in the fifth coat zone by sputtering an additional target including titanium, and

the top oxide layer is applied in a sixth coat zone by sputtering a plurality of targets including at least one zinc target and at least one tin target.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising applying an overcoat to the top oxide layer by sputtering a target including titanium to deposit the overcoat comprising a titanium oxide following the application of the top oxide layer in the sixth coat zone.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein:

the layer of the Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum superalloy material is applied at a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms,

the first layer of silver material is applied at a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms,

the second layer of silver material is applied at a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms,

the bottom oxide layer is applied at a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms,

the middle oxide layer is applied at a thickness ranging from about 550 to about 700 angstroms, and

the top oxide layer is applied at a thickness ranging from about 110 to about 140 angstroms.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

applying an overcoat layer to the top oxide layer by sputtering following the step of applying a top oxide layer.