Coated glass surfaces and method for coating a glass substrate

• US 8,895,150 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• 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:
  US14/035,684
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 428/216, 428/428, 428/432, 428/433, 428/434, 428/469, 428/689, 428/699, 428/701, 428/702, 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. An article comprising a substrate and a coating applied to the substrate, the coating comprising a plurality of layers, wherein at least one of the layers comprises a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy and at least two additional layers comprise silver, wherein the alloy 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 wherein the article has a b_h color coordinate value of about −

7 to about −

11 as measured in Hunter Lab color space.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of layers is arranged such that the layer comprising the alloy is positioned between the substrate and at least one of the at least two additional layers comprising silver.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising the alloy has a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of layers comprises, from the substrate outwardly:

a) a bottom metal oxide layer;

b) the at least one alloy layer;

c) a first silver layer of the at least two additional silver layers;

d) a middle metal oxide layer;

e) a second silver layer of the at least two additional silver layers; and

f) a top metal oxide layer.

5. The article of claim 4, wherein the bottom oxide layer, the middle oxide layer and top oxide layer comprise an oxide selected from the group consisting of a zinc oxide, a tin oxide, and a zinc tin oxide.

6. The article of claim 4, wherein the first silver layer has a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms, the second silver layer has a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms, 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.

7. The article of claim 4, wherein the plurality of layers further comprises an overcoat layer.

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

9. The article of claim 1, wherein the article has an emissivity value of about 0.030 to about 0.039.

10. 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 comprises;

an alloy layer comprising a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy, wherein the alloy 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 insulating glass unit has a b_h color coordinate value of about −

7 to about −

11 as measured in Hunter Lab color space.

11. The insulating glass unit of claim 10, wherein the insulating glass unit has an SHGC (or solar heat gain coefficient) of about 0.140 to about 0.300.

12. The insulating glass unit of claim 10, wherein the insulated glass unit has an emissivity of about 0.030 to about 0.039.

13. The insulating glass unit of claim 10, wherein the plurality of layers comprises, from the surface of the sheet of glass to which the coating is applied outwardly:

a) a bottom metal oxide layer;

b) the alloy layer;

c) a first silver layer of the at least one and no more than two silver layers,

d) a middle metal oxide layer;

e) a second silver layer of the at least one and no more than two silver layers;

f) a top metal oxide layer.

14. The insulating glass unit of claim 13, wherein:

a) the bottom metal oxide layer has a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms;

b) the alloy layer has a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms;

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

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

e) the second silver layer has a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms; and

f) the top metal oxide layer has a thickness ranging from about 110 to about 140 angstroms.

15. A method of coating a substrate, the coating comprising a plurality of layers, wherein at least one of the layers comprises a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy material and at least two additional layers comprise silver materials, wherein the alloy 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, and wherein the coated 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 layer comprising the Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy material by sputtering;

applying a first silver layer of the at least two additional silver layers by sputtering; and

applying a second layer of the at least two additional silver layers by sputtering.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the applying steps occur in a coater having a plurality of coating zones and the substrate is conveyed within the coater through the plurality of coating zones.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

a bottom oxide layer is applied by sputtering a plurality of targets comprising at least one zinc target and at least one tin target;

the alloy material is applied by sputtering a target of alloy to deposit the alloy material;

the first layer of silver material is applied by sputtering a target of silver to deposit the first silver layer;

a middle oxide layer is applied by sputtering a plurality of targets comprising at least one zinc target and at least one tin target;

the second silver material is applied by sputtering an additional target of silver to deposit the second silver layer; and

a top oxide layer is applied by sputtering a plurality of targets comprising at least one zinc target and at least one tin target.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the layer of the Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy 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.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

applying a first barrier layer comprising titanium between the first silver layer and the middle oxide layer by sputtering;

applying a second barrier layer comprising titanium between the second silver layer and the top oxide layer by sputtering.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising applying an overcoat to the top oxide layer by sputtering a target comprising titanium to deposit the overcoat comprising a titanium material following the application of the top oxide layer.