Anti-solar and low emissivity functioning multi-layer coatings on transparent substrates

• US 6,040,939 A
• Filed: 06/16/1998
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Turkiye SISE VE CAM Fabrikalari As
• Original Assignee: Turkiye SISE VE CAM Fabrikalari As
• Inventors: Parlar, Huseyin, Ersoy, Ayse, Aktulga, Ender, Demiryont, Huyla
• Primary Examiner(s): HENRY, JON W
• Application Number:
  US09/098,316
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 359/360, 359/585, 359/588, 359/590, 427/164, 427/165, 427/166
• US Class Current: 359/360
• 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 17/3636 one layer at least containing silicon, hydrogenated silicon or a silicide
• 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 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant

Abstract

A coated article of manufacture comprises a substantially transparent substrate with a substantially transparent dual-function coating on a surface of the substrate. The coating provides low emissivity and high anti-solar performance properties. It comprises a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material, preferably tungsten oxide. An infra-red reflective layer of silver metal overlies the anti-reflection dielectric layer. Optionally, a buffer layer is positioned between the anti-reflection layer and the infra-red reflective layer. Also, optionally, a color control layer may be positioned between the anti-reflection layer and the substrate. A silicon buffer layer, directly overlies the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal. A second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide overlies the buffer layer. In accordance with a method of manufacturing the coated article, each of the layers of the dual-function coating are deposited in turn by cathodic sputtering in a multi-station sputtering chamber. Passing the transparent substrate through the sputtering chamber a second time to produce a double-layer coating structure is found to provide especially high quality performance characteristics.

Claims

1. A coated article of manufacture comprising a substantially transparent substrate with a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate, the substantially transparent coating comprising:

a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

an infra-red reflective layer of silver metal overlying the anti-reflection dielectric layer,

a buffer layer selected from silica, silicon, silicon nitride and tungsten nitride materials, directly overlying the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal, and

a second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide overlying the buffer layer.

2. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material is tungsten oxide.

3. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 2 wherein the first anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide and the second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide each has a substantially uniform thickness from 300Å

to 450Å

.

4. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein like coating imparts coloration to the coated article.

5. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the anti-reflection layers is WO_x, where the value of x is from 2.5 to 2.99.

6. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the first anti-reflection layer is an oxide and the second anti-reflection layer is WO₃.

7. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the first anti-reflection layer is WO₃ and the second anti-reflection layer is WO₃.

8. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the first anti-reflection layer an oxide and the second anti-reflection layer is WO_x, where x is from 2.5 to 2.99.

9. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the first anti-reflection layer lies directly on the surface of the substrate.

10. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal directly overlies the first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material.

11. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the buffer layer comprises silicon.

12. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 11 wherein the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal has a thickness between 80Å

and 130Å and

the buffer layer has a thickness between 25Å and

50Å

.

13. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide directly overlies the buffer layer.

14. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the substantially transparent substrate is a glass panel.

15. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the substantially transparent substrate is a glass panel of soda-lime-silica glass.

16. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 1 further comprising a color control layer lying between the first anti-reflection layer and the surface of the substrate.

17. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 16 wherein the color control layer has a thickness less than 50Å

and comprises material selected from silicon and tungsten.

32. The method of manufacturing a coated article according to claim 1 wherein the second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide is deposited directly onto the buffer layer by sputtering tungsten metal in an atmosphere comprising oxygen.

18. A coated article of manufacture comprising a substantially transparent substrate with a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate, the substantially transparent coating comprising:

a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

an infra-red reflective layer of silver metal overlying the anti-reflection dielectric layer,

a buffer layer directly overlying the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal, and

a second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide overlying the buffer layer

wherein the first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material is tungsten oxide.

the first anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide and the second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide each has a substantially uniform thickness from 300Å

to 450Å

, and

the thickness of the first anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide is from 6% to 12% less than the thickness of the second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide.

19. A coated article of manufacture comprising a substantially transparent substrate with a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate, the substantially transparent coating comprising:

a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

an infra-red reflective layer of silver metal overlying the anti-reflection dielectric layer,

a buffer layer directly overlying the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal and

a second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide overlying the buffer layer,

wherein the first anti-reflection layer is WO_x, where x is from 2.5 to 2.99 and the second anti-reflection layer is WO₃.

20. A coated article of manufacture comprising a substantially transparent substrate with a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate, the substantially transparent coating comprising:

a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

an infra-red reflective layer of silver metal overlying the anti-reflection dielectric layer,

a buffer layer directly overlying the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal, and

a second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide overlying the buffer layer,

wherein the first anti-reflection layer is WO_x and the second anti-reflection layer is WO_x,

where x is independently in each instance from 2.5 to 2.99.

21. A coated article of manufacture comprising a substantially transparent substrate with a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate, the substantially transparent coating comprising:

a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

an infra-red reflective layer of silver metal overlying the anti-reflection dielectric layer,

a buffer layer directly overlying the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal, and

a second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide overlying the buffer layer

wherein the first anti-reflection layer is WO₃ and the second anti-reflection layer is WO_x, where x is from 2.5 to 2.99.

22. A coated article of manufacture comprising a substantially transparent substrate with a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate, the substantially transparent coating comprising:

a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

an infra-red reflective layer of silver metal overlying the anti-reflection dielectric layer,

a buffer layer directly overlying the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal, and

a second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide overlying the buffer layer, and inner buffer layer positioned between the first anti-reflection layer and the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal.

23. The coated article of manufacture according to claim 22 wherein the inner buffer layer comprises silicon.

24. A coated article of manufacture comprising a substantially transparent substrate with a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate the substantially transparent coating comprising:

a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

an infra-red reflective layer of silver metal overlying the anti-reflection dielectric layer,

a buffer layer directly overlying the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal, and

a second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide overlying the buffer layer,

a second infra-red reflective layer of silver metal overlying the second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide,

a second buffer layer directly overlying the second infra-red reflective layer of silver metal, and

a third anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide overlying the second buffer layer.

25. A glazing unit having normal emissivity not greater than 0.01 and comprising a substantially transparent substrate with a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate, the substantially transparent coating comprising:

a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

an infra-red reflective layer of silver metal overlying the anti-reflection dielectric layer,

a buffer layer directly overlying the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal, and

a second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide overlying the buffer layer.

26. An electrically conductive panel comprising a substantially transparent substrate with a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate, the substantially transparent coating comprising:

a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

an infra-red reflective layer of silver metal overlying the anti-reflection dielectric layer, a buffer layer directly overlying the infra-red reflective layer of silver metal, wherein the buffer layer comprises material selected from silica, silicon, silicon nitride and tungsten nitride materials, and

a second anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide overlying the buffer layer.

27. A method of manufacturing a coated article comprising:

providing a substantially transparent substrate; and

forming a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate by;

A) depositing a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

B) subsequently depositing silver metal over the anti-reflection dielectric layer to form an anti-reflection layer,

C) subsequently depositing a buffer layer directly onto the infra-red reflective layer, wherein the buffer layer comprises material selected from silica, silicon, silicon nitride and tungsten nitride materials, and

D) subsequently depositing tungsten oxide over the buffer layer to form a second anti-reflection layer.

28. The method of manufacturing a coated article according to claim 27 wherein the first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material is tungsten oxide.

29. The method of manufacturing a coated article according to claim 27 wherein the first anti-reflection layer is deposited directly onto the surface of the substrate.

30. The method of manufacturing a coated article according to claim 27 wherein the infra-red reflective layer is deposited directly onto the first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material by sputtering silver metal in a non-reactive atmosphere.

36. The method of manufacturing a coated article according to claim 27 further comprising, prior to step (A), the steps of washing and substantially drying the surface of the substrate.

31. A method of manufacturing a coated article comprising:

providing a substantially transparent substrate; and

forming a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate by;

A) depositing a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

B) subsequently depositing silver metal over the anti-reflection dielectric layer to form an anti-reflection layer,

C) subsequently depositing a buffer layer directly onto the infra-red reflective layer, and

D) subsequently depositing tungsten oxide over the buffer layer to form a second anti-reflection layer,

wherein the step of depositing the buffer layer comprises sputtering silicon from a doped silicon target in a non-reactive atmosphere directly onto the infra-red reflective layer.

33. A method of manufacturing a coated article comprising:

providing a substantially transparent substrate; and

forming a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate by;

A) depositing a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

B) subsequently depositing silver metal over the anti-reflection dielectric layer to form an anti-reflection layer,

C) subsequently depositing a buffer layer directly onto the infra-red reflective layer, and

D) subsequently depositing tungsten oxide over the buffer layer to form a second anti-reflection layer,

and further comprising, between step (A) and step (B), the step of depositing an inner buffer layer over the first anti-reflection layer.

34. A method of manufacturing a coated article comprising:

providing a substantially transparent substrate; and

forming a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate by;

A) depositing a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

B) subsequently depositing silver metal over the anti-reflection dielectric layer to form an anti-reflection layer,

C) subsequently depositing a buffer layer directly onto the infra-red reflective layer, and

D) subsequently depositing tungsten oxide over the buffer layer to form a second anti-reflection layer,

and further comprising, prior to step (A), the step of depositing a color control layer over the surface of the substrate.

35. The method of manufacturing a coated article according to claim 34 wherein the step of depositing the color control layer comprises sputtering a material selected from silicon and tungsten to a thickness less than 50Å

.

37. A method of manufacturing a coated article comprising:

providing a substantially transparent substrate; and

forming a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate by;

A) depositing a first anti-reflection layer of dielectric material,

B) subsequently depositing silver metal over the anti-reflection dielectric layer to form an anti-reflection layer,

C) subsequently depositing a buffer layer directly onto the infra-red reflective layer, and

D) subsequently depositing tungsten oxide over the buffer layer to form a second anti-reflection layer,

and further comprising, subsequent to step (D), the steps of;

depositing tungsten oxide onto the second anti-reflection layer;

subsequently depositing silver metal to form a second infra-red reflective layer;

subsequently depositing a second buffer layer directly overlying the second infra-red reflective layer; and

subsequently depositing a third anti-reflection layer of tungsten oxide over the second buffer layer.

38. A method of manufacturing a coated article comprising the steps of:

providing a substantially transparent substrate; and

forming a substantially transparent coating on a surface of the substrate by passing the substrate through a multi-station sputtering chamber, with continuous travel of the substrate through the chamber from station to station, including;

A) depositing a first anti-reflection-layer of tungsten oxide directly onto the surface of the substrate by sputtering tungsten metal in an atmosphere comprising oxygen at a first station of the multi-station chamber;

B) subsequently depositing silver metal over the anti-reflection dielectric layer to form an anti-reflection layer by sputtering silver metal in a substantially inert atmosphere at a subsequent station of the multi-station chamber;

C) subsequently depositing-a buffer layer directly onto the infra-red reflective layer by sputtering silicon in a substantially inert atmosphere at a subsequent station of the multi-station chamber; and

D) subsequently depositing tungsten oxide over the buffer layer to form a second anti-reflection layer by sputtering tungsten metal in an atmosphere comprising oxygen at a subsequent station of the multi-station chamber.

39. The method of manufacturing a coated article according to claim 38 wherein the substantially transparent substrate is soda-lime-silica glass and the method further comprises, subsequent to step (D), tempering the substrate.

40. The method of manufacturing a coated article according to claim 39 further comprising:

depositing a first protective layer over the substrate surface prior to depositing the first anti-reflection layer; and

depositing a second protective layer over the second anti-reflection layer,

wherein the first and second protective layers each is formed of material selected from silicon and tungsten.