Heat treatable coated article with niobium zirconium inclusive IR reflecting layer and method of making same

• US 20040214012A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stachowiak, Grzegorz
• Granted Patent: US 6,890,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/426
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3435 comprising a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride
• 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 17/3649 made of metals other than 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

Abstract

A coated article is provided so as to include a solar control coating having an infrared (IR) reflecting layer sandwiched between at least a pair of dielectric layers. The IR reflecting layer includes NbZr and/or NbZrN_x in certain embodiments of this invention. The use of such materials as an IR reflecting layer(s) enables the coated article to have good corrosion resistance to alkaline solutions, good mechanical performance such as scratch resistance, and/or good color stability (i.e., a low ΔE* value(s)) upon heat treatment (HT). The coated article may or may not be heat treated in different embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. A coated article including a layer system supported by a substrate, the layer system comprising:

a first dielectric layer;

a layer comprising niobium zirconium provided on the substrate over at least the first dielectric layer;

a second dielectric layer provided on the substrate over at least the layer comprising niobium zirconium; and

wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium has an index of refraction “

n”

of from 2.0 to 3.0, an extinction coefficient “

k”

of from 2.0 to 3.5, and comprises from about 0.1 to 60% Zr.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium is sandwiched between and contacts each of the first and second dielectric layers.

3. The coated article of claim 1, wherein each of the dielectric layers comprises at least one of a nitride and a metal oxide.

4. The coated article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second dielectric layers comprises silicon nitride.

5. The coated article of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second dielectric layers comprises silicon nitride.

6. The coated article of claim 1, wherein a contact or nucleation layer is provided between the layer comprising niobium zirconium and the first dielectric layer.

7. The coated article of claim 1, wherein a contact or nucleation layer is provided between the layer comprising niobium zirconium and the second dielectric layer.

8. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission from about 6 to 80%.

9. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from about 10-50%.

10. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from about 12-30%.

11. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is a window.

12. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer system has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 250 ohms/square.

13. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer system has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 100 ohms/square.

14. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer system has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 60 ohms/square.

16. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium is nitrided.

24. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a Δ

E* value (glass side reflective) of no greater than 5.0 after and/or due to heat treatment.

25. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a Δ

E* value (glass side reflective) of no greater than 4.0 after and/or due to heat treatment.

26. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a Δ

E* value (glass side reflective) of no greater than 3.0 after and/or due to heat treatment.

27. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer system consists essentially of the first and second dielectric layers and the layer comprising niobium zirconium.

28. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium is metallic.

29. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has no metallic infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising Ag or Au.

30. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article comprises an IG window unit, a monolithic window, or a laminated window.

31. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium is substantially free of any oxide.

32. The coated article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the dielectric layers comprises silicon nitride and includes from 6-20% aluminum and/or stainless steel.

33. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium does not contact any metallic infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising Ag or Au.

34. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is not heat treated.

35. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate.

62. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium includes from about 0.1 to 60% zirconium.

63. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium includes from about 0.4 to 10% zirconium.

15. A coated article including a layer system supported by a substrate, the layer system comprising:

a first dielectric layer;

a layer comprising niobium zirconium provided on the substrate over at least the first dielectric layer;

a second dielectric layer provided on the substrate over at least the layer comprising niobium zirconium; and

wherein the layer system further comprises an overcoat comprising zirconium oxide.

17. A coated article including a layer system supported by a substrate, the layer system comprising:

a first dielectric layer;

a layer comprising niobium zirconium provided on the substrate over at least the first dielectric layer;

a second dielectric layer provided on the substrate over at least the layer comprising niobium zirconium; and

wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium is nitrided so as to be represented by (Nb+Zr)_xN_y, where the ratio y/x is from 0.2 to 0.9.

18. The coated article of claim 17, wherein the ratio y/x is from 0.3 to 0.8.

19. A coated article including a layer system supported by a substrate, the layer system comprising:

a first dielectric layer;

a layer comprising niobium zirconium provided on the substrate over at least the first dielectric layer;

a second dielectric layer provided on the substrate over at least the layer comprising niobium zirconium; and

wherein in the layer comprising niobium zirconium the ratio of zirconium to niobium (Zr/Nb) is from about 0.001 to 1.0.

20. The coated article of claim 19, wherein in the layer comprising niobium zirconium the ratio of zirconium to niobium (Zr/Nb) is from about 0.001 to 0.60.

21. The coated article of claim 19, wherein in the layer comprising niobium zirconium the ratio of zirconium to niobium (Zr/Nb) is from about 0.004 to 0.50.

64. The coated article of claim 19, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission from about 6 to 80%.

65. The coated article of claim 19, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from about 10-50%.

66. The coated article of claim 19, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from about 12-30%.

67. The coated article of claim 19, wherein the coated article is a window.

68. The coated article of claim 19, wherein the layer system has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 250 ohms/square.

69. The coated article of claim 19, wherein the layer system has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 100 ohms/square.

70. The coated article of claim 19, wherein the layer system has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 60 ohms/square.

22. A coated article including a layer system supported by a substrate, the layer system comprising:

a first dielectric layer;

a layer comprising niobium zirconium provided on the substrate over at least the first dielectric layer;

a second dielectric layer provided on the substrate over at least the layer comprising niobium zirconium; and

wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium includes from about 0.1 to 60% zirconium.

23. The coated article of claim 22, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium includes from about 0.4 to 10% zirconium.

36-47. -47. (Canceled)

48. A coated article including a layer system supported by a glass substrate, the layer system comprising:

a layer comprising niobium zirconium supported by the substrate; and

wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium has an index of refraction “

n”

of from 2.0 to 3.0, an extinction coefficient “

k”

of from 2.0 to 3.5, and comprises from about 0.1 to 60% Zr.

49. The coated article of claim 48, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium comprises from 0.1 to 20% Zr.

50. The coated article of claim 48, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium comprises from 0.4 to 15% Zr.

51. The coated article of claim 48, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium is located between at least first and second nitride and/or metal oxide layers.

53. The coated article of claim 48, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission from about 6 to 80%.

54. The coated article of claim 48, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from about 10-50%.

55. The coated article of claim 48, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from about 12-30%.

56. The coated article of claim 48, wherein the coated article is a window.

57. The coated article of claim 48, wherein the layer system has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 250 ohms/square.

58. The coated article of claim 48, wherein the layer system has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 100 ohms/square.

59. The coated article of claim 48, wherein the layer system has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 60 ohms/square.

60. The coated article of claim 48, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium includes from about 0.1 to 60% zirconium.

61. The coated article of claim 48, wherein the layer comprising niobium zirconium includes from about 0.4 to 10% zirconium.

52. (Canceled)