Solar management coating system including protective DLC

• US 6,461,731 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Petrmichl, Rudolph Hugo, Thomsen, Scott V., Veerasamy, Vijayen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TURNER, ARCHENE A
• Application Number:
  US09/698,129
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 428/408, 428/472, 428/469, 428/446, 428/698, 428/433, 428/432, 428/428
• US Class Current: 428/408
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/083 involving the use of fluoropolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 17/06 by giving articles subject to fouling a special shape or arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 17/065 the surface having a microscopic surface pattern to achieve the same effect as a lotus flower
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/1033 Laminated safety glass or glazing containing temporary protective coatings or layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/54 using gas, e.g. hot air
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/58 for rear windows
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/22 with other inorganic material C03C17/34, C03C17/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3441 comprising carbon, a carbide or oxycarbide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3482 comprising silicon, hydrogenated silicon or a silicide
• 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 17/3621 one layer at least containing a fluoride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3626 one layer at least containing a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3634 one layer at least containing carbon, a carbide or oxycarbide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3636 one layer at least containing silicon, hydrogenated silicon or a silicide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3644 the metal being silver
• 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 17/3655 the multilayer coating containing at least one conducting layer
• 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 17/42 : at least one coating of an organic material and at least one non-metal coating
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/282 : Carbides, silicides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/75 : Hydrophilic and oleophilic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/76 : Hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/78 : Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/151 : by vacuum evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/31 : Pre-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/0075 : Cleaning of glass specially adapted to plate glass B08B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/076 : with 40% to 90% silica, by weight C03C3/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/26 : Deposition of carbon only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 : for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 : Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 : Composite [nonstructural laminate]

Abstract

A substrate is coated with a solar management coating system including at least one infrared (IR) reflective layer. A diamond-like carbon (DLC) inclusive protective coating system (e.g., including at least one highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) inclusive layer having sp³ carbon-carbon bonds) is provided on the substrate over at least the IR reflective layer in order to make the coating system scratch resistant, abrasion resistant, and generally mechanically durable. The DLC inclusive protective coating system may be hydrophobic, hydrophillic, or neutral in different embodiments of the invention. Optionally, at least one fluoro-alkyl silane (FAS) compound inclusive layer may be provided on the substrate over at least one of the DLC inclusive layer(s) in hydrophobic embodiments in order to increase contact angle θ of the coated article.

Claims

1. A coated article comprising:

a glass substrate;

a solar management layer arrangement including a metallic nickel (Ni) inclusive layer sandwiched between first and second layers comprising silicon nitride; and

a layer comprising hydrogenated amorphous diamond-like carbon (DLC) including tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C), said layer comprising amorphous DLC having more sp³ carbon-carbon bonds than sp² carbon-carbon bonds and being provided on said substrate in a manner such that said solar management layer arrangement is located between said substrate and said layer comprising amorphous DLC.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has an initial contact angle θ

of at least about 55 degrees.

3. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said Ni inclusive layer comprises NiCr.

4. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said silicon nitride comprises Si₃N₄.

5. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said layer comprising DLC is deposited via an ion beam deposition process in a manner such that said substrate is maintained at temperature(s) no greater than about 200 degree C. during the process for depositing the layer comprising DLC.

6. The coated article of claim 1, wherein C atoms of the layer comprising DLC are subimplanted into said second layer comprising silicon nitride.

7. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the solar management arrangement has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 300 ohms/square.

8. The coated article of claim 1, where in the solar management arrangement has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 20 ohms/square.

9. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from 60-80%.

10. A coated article comprising:

a substrate;

a solar management coating system provided on said substrate, said solar management coating system including at least one metallic infrared (IR) reflecting layer, a first dielectric layer, and a protective substantially non-crystalline layer comprising amorphous diamond-like carbon (DLC) having more sp³ carbon-carbon bonds than sp² carbon-carbon bonds; and

wherein said first dielectric layer is located between said layer comprising DLC and said metallic IR reflecting layer.

11. The coated article of claim 10, wherein said layer comprising DLC includes highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon, and wherein said first dielectric layer includes silicon (Si), and wherein said metallic IR reflecting layer comprises one of Ag and NiCr.

12. The coated article of claim 10, wherein said layer comprising DLC is hydrogenated and has an average density of at least about 2.4 gm/cm³.

13. The coated article of claim 10, wherein said coating system further includes a second Si inclusive dielectric layer disposed between said IR reflecting layer and said substrate.

14. The coated article of claim 13, wherein each of said first and second dielectric layers comprise silicon nitride.

15. The coated article of claim 14, wherein said IR reflecting layer comprise s one of NiCr and Ag.

16. The coated article of claim 10, wherein said coating system comprises first and second layers comprising amorphous DLC located outwardly of said IR reflecting layer.

17. The coated article of claim 16, wherein each of said first and second layers comprising DLC include highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon.

18. The coated article of claim 10, further comprising a fluoro-alkyl silane (FAS) compound inclusive layer located on said substrate such that said layer comprising DLC is located between said FAS compound inclusive layer and said IR reflecting layer.

19. The coated article of claim 10, wherein said layer comprising DLC has an average hardness of at least about 10 GPa.

20. The coated article of claim 10, wherein said coating system includes first and second layers comprising amorphous DLC, said first layer comprising DLC including silicon (Si) and being provided between said second layer comprising DLC and said substrate;

and

wherein said second layer comprising DLC is deposited in a manner so that at least a portion of said second layer comprising DLC has a greater hardness and higher density than said first layer comprising DLC.

21. The coated article of claim 20, wherein said first layer comprising DLC has more silicon (Si) than said second layer comprising DLC.

22. The coated article of claim 21, wherein each of said first and second layers comprising DLC include sp³ carbon-carbon bonds.

23. The coated article of claim 20, wherein said coating system further includes an FAS inclusive layer provided on said second layer comprising DLC so that said second layer comprising DLC is located between said first layer comprising DLC and said FAS inclusive layer.

24. The coated article of claim 10, wherein said coated article has an initial contact angle of at least about 100 degrees.

25. The coated article of claim 22, wherein said initial contact angle is at least about 110 degrees.

26. The coated article of claim 10, further comprising a fluoro-alkyl silane (FAS) compound inclusive layer located on said substrate such that said layer comprising DLC is located between said FAS compound inclusive layer and said IR reflecting layer;

and

wherein said FAS compound includes at least one of;

CF₃(CH₂)₂Si(OCH₃)₃;

CF₃(CF₂)₅(CH₂)₂Si(OCH₂CH₃)₃;

CF₃(CH₂)₂SiCl₃;

CF₃(CF₂)₅(CH₂)₂SiCl₃;

CF₃(CF₂)₇(CH₂)₂Si(OCH₃)₃;

CF₃(CF₂)₅(CH₂)₂Si(OCH₃)₃;

CF₃(CF₂)₇(CH₂)₂SiCl₃;

CF₃(CF₂)₇(CH₂)₂SiCH₃Cl₂; and

CF₃(CF₂)₇(CH₂)₂SiCH₃(OCH₃)₂.

27. The coated article of claim 10, wherein C atoms of the layer comprising DLC are subimplanted into a dielectric layer provided over the IR reflecting layer.

28. The coated article of claim 10, wherein the solar management coating system has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 300 ohms/square.

29. The coated article of claim 10, wherein the solar management coating system has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 20 ohms/square.

30. The coated article of claim 10, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from 60-80%.

31. A coated article comprising:

a glass substrate;

a first dielectric layer on said substrate;

a metallic IR reflecting layer comprising one of Ag and NiCr provided on said substrate, wherein said first dielectric layer is located between said metallic IR reflecting layer and said substrate;

a second dielectric layer on said substrate, wherein said metallic IR reflecting layer is located between said first and second dielectric layers;

a layer comprising hydrogenated amorphous diamond-like carbon (DLC)) having more sp³ carbon-carbon bonds than sp² carbon-carbon bonds, wherein said IR reflecting layer is located between said substrate and said layer comprising amorphous DLC.

32. The coated article of claim 31, wherein C atoms of the layer comprising DLC are subimplanted into the second dielectric layer.

33. The coated article of claim 31, wherein a coating including the metallic IR reflecting layer has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 300 ohms/square.

34. The coated article of claim 31, wherein a coating including the metallic IR reflecting layer has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 20 ohms/square.

35. The coated article of claim 31, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from 60-80%.

36. A coated article comprising:

a glass substrate;

a solar management layer arrangement including a metallic IR reflecting layer located between first and second silicon nitride inclusive layers; and

a hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (DLC) inclusive layer including tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C), said DLC inclusive layer being provided on said substrate in a manner such that said solar management layer arrangement is located between said glass substrate and said DLC inclusive layer.

37. The coated article of claim 36, wherein said IR reflecting layer comprises silver (Ag).

38. The coated article of claim 36, further comprising a first NiCr inclusive layer located between said IR reflecting layer and said first silicon nitride inclusive layer, and a second NiCr inclusive layer located between said IR reflecting layer and said second silicon nitride inclusive layer.

39. A coated article comprising:

a glass substrate supporting a coating including the following layers;

a) a first dielectric layer;

b) a first contact layer;

c) a metallic IR reflecting layer comprising one of Ag and NiCr;

d) a second contact layer, wherein the IR reflecting layer is provided between and in contact with the first and second contact layers;

e) a second dielectric layer, wherein layers b) through d) are provided between layers a) and e); and

f) a layer comprising amorphous diamond-like carbon (DLC) having more sp³ carbon-carbon bonds than sp² carbon-carbon bonds provided over layers a) through e).

40. The coated article of claim 39, wherein each of said first and second contact layers comprise oxides of NiCr.

41. The coated article of claim 39, wherein the second dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride, and wherein C atoms of said layer comprising DLC are subimplanted into said second dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride.

42. The coated article of claim 39, wherein the layer f) comprising DLC is hydrogenated so as to include hydrogen.

43. The coated article of claim 39, wherein the coating has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 300 ohms/square.

44. The coated article of claim 43, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from 60-80%.

45. The coated article of claim 39, wherein the coating has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 20 ohms/square.

46. A coated article comprising:

a glass substrate;

a solar management coating system provided on said substrate, said solar management coating system including at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer provided between first and second dielectric layers, and a protective substantially non-crystalline layer comprising amorphous diamond-like carbon (DLC) having more sp³ carbon-carbon bonds than sp² carbon-carbon bonds;

wherein said first dielectric layer is located between said layer comprising DLC and said IR reflecting layer;

wherein the solar management coating system including the IR reflecting layer has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 300 ohms/square; and

wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from 60-80%.

47. The coated article of claim 46, wherein the solar management coating system including the IR reflecting layer has a sheet resistance (R_s) of less than 20 ohms/square.

48. The coated article of claim 46, wherein the IR reflecting layer comprises one of NiCr and Ag.

49. The coated article of claim 46, further comprising first and second contact layers located between the first and second dielectric layers and the IR reflecting layer, respectively.

50. The coated article of claim 46, wherein the first and second dielectric layers comprise silicon nitride.