Heat treatable coated article and method of making same

• US 20050079369A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• 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 7,081,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/469
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/06 comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• 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 17/3652 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 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant

Abstract

A coated article or layer system is provided which includes at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer including niobium (Nb) sandwiched between at least a pair of dielectric layers. In certain embodiments, a Cr inclusive barrier layer is provided to protect the Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer, for chemical durability purposes. In other example embodiments, a protective overcoat including a zirconium oxide inclusive layer may be provided to protect the Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer for durability purposes.

Claims

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

an Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer located between at least first and second dielectric layers; and

a Cr inclusive barrier layer located over and directly contacting the Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer comprises at least 20% Nb.

3. The. coated article of claim 1, wherein the Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer comprises at least one of Nb, NbN_x, NbCr, NbCrN_x, and NbZrO_x.

4. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the Cr inclusive barrier layer comprises chromium nitride.

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

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

7. 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.

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

9. 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 2.0 after and/or due to heat treatment.

10. The coated article of claim 9, wherein the coated article has a Δ

E* value (glass side reflective) of no greater than 1.8 after and/or due to heat treatment.

11. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer comprises niobium nitride represented by Nb_xN_y, where a ratio y/x of N to Nb is from 0.3 to 0.9.

12. The coated article of claim 11, wherein the ratio y/x is from 0.4 to 0.8.

13. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the Cr inclusive barrier layer consists essentially of Cr or a nitride of Cr.

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

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

16. The coated article of claim 1, further comprising a multi-layer overcoat provided over at least the IR reflecting layer, wherein the overcoat includes a first layer comprising silicon nitride having an index of refraction “

n”

of from 1.7 to 2.5 and a second layer comprising zirconium oxide located over the first layer comprising silicon nitride.

17. The coated article of claim 16, wherein the first layer comprising silicon nitride has an index of refraction “

n”

of from 1.9 to 2.2.

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

an Nb or Ni inclusive IR reflecting layer located between at least first and second dielectric layers; and

a protective overcoat including a layer comprising zirconium for protecting the Nb or Ni inclusive IR reflecting layer.

19. The coated article of claim 18, wherein the IR reflecting layer comprises one of NiCr and Nb.

20. The coated article of claim 18, further comprising a Cr inclusive barrier layer located over and directly contacting the Nb or Ni inclusive IR reflecting layer.

26. The coated article of claim 18, wherein the overcoat comprises an oxide and/or nitride of zirconium.

21. A coated article including a coating supported by a glass substrate, wherein the coating comprises:

an IR reflecting layer; and

an overcoat layer provided over the IR reflecting layer, wherein the overcoat layer comprises an oxide of ZrY.

22. The coated article of claim 21, wherein the Y content of the overcoat layer is from 1 to 20%.

23. The coated article of claim 21, wherein the Y content of the overcoat layer is from 5 to 15%.

24. The coated article of claim 21, further comprising a layer comprising silicon nitride which is located immediately under and contacting the layer comprising the oxide of ZrY.

25. A coated article including a coating supported by a glass substrate, wherein the coating comprises:

an IR reflecting layer; and

an overcoat layer provided over the IR reflecting layer, wherein the overcoat layer comprises an oxide and/or nitride of SiZr.