Coated article with low-E coating including zirconium silicon oxynitride and methods of making same

• US 8,663,433 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Centre Luxembourgeois de Recherches pour le Verre et la Ceramique SA, Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chonlamaitri, Ratchaneekorn, Dietrich, Anton, Disteldorf, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): MCDONALD, RODNEY GLENN
• Application Number:
  US11/581,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20070036986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,695 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.26, 204/192.27, 204/192.28, 204/192.29
• US Class Current: 204/192.26
• 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 17/3618 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 2217/74 UV-absorbing coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/154 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0676 Oxynitrides

Abstract

A coated article is provided with at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer. In certain embodiments, the coating is provided with at least one layer of zirconium silicon oxynitride (e.g., ZrSiO_xN_y), for improving the coated article'"'"'s ability to block of UV radiation. The oxygen content of the layer may be adjusted in order to tune the coating'"'"'s visible transmission versus UV blockage.

Claims

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

providing a substrate;

sputtering a target comprising zirconium and silicon in an atmosphere comprising oxygen and nitrogen in order to form a layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride, wherein the target comprises more zirconium than silicon;

sputtering a target comprising zinc in order to form a layer comprising zinc oxide located over and directly contacting the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride; and

providing an IR reflecting layer on the substrate over and directly contacting the layer comprising zinc oxide.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a ratio of nitrogen/oxygen gas in a sputter chamber used in forming the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride is from about 1 to 25.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a ratio of nitrogen/oxygen gas in a sputter chamber used in forming the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride is from about 2 to 18.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a ratio of nitrogen/oxygen gas in a sputter chamber used in forming the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride is from about 2 to 10.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing a refractive index (n) and an extinction coefficient (k) of the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride, and thus UV radiation absorption, by adjusting oxygen gas flow into a deposition chamber used in forming the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the coating has a visible transmission of at least about 50%.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the atmosphere includes argon gas in addition to oxygen and nitrogen gas, and wherein the amount of argon gas in the atmosphere is greater than the amount of oxygen gas but less than the amount of nitrogen gas in the atmosphere, in forming the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride contains more zirconium than silicon, and oxygen content of the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride is provided in an amount so that the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride at a wavelength of 550 nm has an index of refraction (n) of from about 1.8 to 2.4.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride contains more zirconium than silicon.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the coated article includes first and second layers comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride.

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

providing a glass substrate;

sputtering a target comprising zirconium and silicon in an atmosphere comprising oxygen and nitrogen in order to form at least one layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride;

sputtering a target comprising zinc in order to form a layer comprising zinc oxide located over and directly contacting the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride;

providing an IR reflecting layer on the substrate over and directly contacting the layer comprising zinc oxide; and

wherein the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride contains more zirconium than silicon.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a Zr/Si ratio in the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride is from about 1.0 to 2.0.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the coated article includes first and second layers comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein an atmosphere in which the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride is sputter-deposited includes argon gas in addition to oxygen and nitrogen gas, and wherein the amount of argon gas in the atmosphere is greater than the amount of oxygen gas but less than the amount of nitrogen gas in the atmosphere, in forming the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride.

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

providing a glass substrate;

sputtering a target comprising zirconium and silicon in an atmosphere comprising oxygen and nitrogen in order to form a layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride;

sputtering a target comprising zinc in order to form a layer comprising zinc oxide located over and directly contacting the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride; and

sputter-depositing an IR reflecting layer comprising silver on the glass substrate over and directly contacting the layer comprising zinc oxide.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a ratio of nitrogen/oxygen gas in a sputter chamber used in forming the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride is from about 1 to 25.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein a ratio of nitrogen/oxygen gas in a sputter chamber used in forming the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride is from about 2 to 18.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the coating has a visible transmission of at least about 50%.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the atmosphere includes argon gas in addition to oxygen and nitrogen gas, and wherein the amount of argon gas in the atmosphere is greater than the amount of oxygen gas but less than the amount of nitrogen gas in the atmosphere, in forming the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride contains more zirconium than silicon.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein oxygen content of the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride is provided in an amount so that the layer comprising zirconium silicon oxynitride at a wavelength of 550 nm has an index of refraction (n) of from about 1.8 to 2.4.