Low-E matchable coated articles and methods of making same

• US 6,475,626 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stachowiak, Grzegorz
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Deborah
• Assistant Examiner(s): McNeil, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US09/793,404
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 428/622, 428/623, 428/627, 428/630, 428/632, 428/680, 428/34, 428/46, 428/673, 428/426, 428/216, 428/428, 428/432, 428/469, 428/472, 428/698, 428/699, 428/336, 428/448, 428/450, 359/585, 359/586, 359/359, 359/360
• US Class Current: 428/428
• 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 17/36 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 17/3644 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 17/3681 the multilayer coating being used in glazing, e.g. windows or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12542 More than one such component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12576 Boride, carbide or nitride component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12896 Ag-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12944 Ni-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less

Abstract

A heat treatable coated article including an infrared (IR) reflecting layer (e.g., of or including Ag), the coated article being able to attain a ΔE* (glass side) no greater than about 3.0, more preferably no greater than 2.5, and even more preferably no greater than 2.0, following or due to heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering). Accordingly, low-E (i.e., low emissivity) coated articles of certain embodiments of this invention appear from the glass side thereof visually similar to the naked eye both before and after heat treatment. Coated articles herein may be used in the context of insulating glass (IG) window units, vehicle windshields, or any other suitable applications. In certain embodiments of this invention, an exemplary layer stack includes: glass/Si₃N₄/NiCr/Ag/NiCr/Si₃N₄. Other materials may instead be used without departing from the scope and/or spirit of the instant invention which is a low-E matchable product.

Claims

1. An insulating glass (IG) window unit comprising:

first and second glass substrates sealed together proximate their respective peripheral edges so as to form an insulating space therebetween;

a layer system supported by one of said glass substrates proximate said insulating space, said layer system comprising an infrared (IR) reflecting silver layer located between first and second dielectric layers; and

wherein said IG unit has a Δ

E* value (exterior or outside) no greater than 2.5 after or due to heat treatment.

2. The IG unit of claim 1, wherein said IG unit has a Δ

E* value (exterior or outside) no greater than 2.0 following or due to heat treatment.

3. The IG unit of claim 2, wherein said IG unit has a Δ

E* value (exterior or outside) no greater than 1.5 following or due to thermal tempering.

4. The IG unit of claim 1, wherein said IG unit has a Δ

E* value (exterior or outside) no greater than 2.0 following or due to thermal tempering, and wherein said IG unit has a color characterized by a*_G and b*_G color coordinate values both being negative.

5. The IG unit of claim 1, wherein said layer system further includes a first layer including Ni or NiCr located between said silver layer and said first dielectric layer, and a second layer including Ni or NiCr located between said silver layer and said second dielectric layer.

6. The IG unit of claim 5, wherein said first and second dielectric layers comprise silicon nitride.

7. The IG unit of claim 6, wherein each of said first and second Ni or NiCr inclusive layers is at least 20 angstroms (Å

) thick.

8. The IG unit of claim 7, wherein said layer system comprises the recited layers at the following thicknesses, where the first silicon nitride inclusive layer is located between said one glass substrate and the first Ni or NiCr inclusive layer:

first silicon nitride inclusive layer;

300-380 Å

thick

first Ni or NiCr inclusive layer;

20-150 Å

thick

silver layer;

40-120 Å

thick

second Ni or NiCr inclusive layer;

20-150 Å

thick

second silicon nitride inclusive layer;

400-500 Å

thick.

9. The coated article of claim 8, wherein said layer system comprises the recited layers at the following thicknesses:

first silicon nitride inclusive layer;

320-360 Å

thick

first Ni or NiCr inclusive layer;

20-90 Å

thick

silver layer;

60-80 Å

thick

second Ni or NiCr inclusive layer;

20-90 Å

thick

second silicon nitride inclusive layer;

420-480 Å

thick.

10. The IG unit of claim 1, wherein said IG unit has a Δ

a* value (exterior or outside) no greater than 1.0.

11. The IG unit of claim 1, wherein said IG unit has a Δ

a* value (exterior or outside) no greater than 0.8 after or due to heat treatment.

12. The IG unit of claim 1, wherein said one substrate with said layer system thereon has a hemispherical emissivity (E_h) of no greater than 0.25.

13. The IG unit of claim 12, wherein said one substrate with said layer system thereon has a hemispherical emissivity (E_h) of no greater than 0.20.

14. The IG unit of claim 1, wherein said one substrate with said layer system thereon has a sheet resistance value R_S, no greater than 20 ohms/square.

15. The IG unit of claim 14, wherein said one substrate with said layer system thereon has a sheet resistance value R_S no greater than 15 ohms/square.

16. The IG unit of claim 15, wherein said one substrate with said layer system thereon has a sheet resistance value R_s no greater than 12 ohms/square.

17. The IG window unit of claim 1, wherein the IG window unit has a visible transmittance of from 10-55%.

18. The IG window unit of claim 1, wherein the IG window unit has a Δ

E* value (exterior or outside) no greater than 1.0.

19. An insulating glass (IG) unit comprising:

first and second substrates sealed together;

a layer system provided on said first substrate, said layer system comprising from the first substrate outwardly, a first silicon nitride inclusive layer, a first Ni or NiCr inclusive layer, an IR reflecting metal layer, a second Ni or NiCr inclusive layer, and a second silicon nitride inclusive layer, wherein each of said first and second Ni or NiCr inclusive layers is at least about 20 Å

thick; and

wherein said first substrate with said layer system thereon has a hemispherical emissivity (E_h) of no greater than 0.25 before heat treatment, a sheet resistance R_S no greater than 20 ohms/square before heat treatment, and a Δ

E* value (glass side or outside) no greater than 2.5 after or due to heat treatment.

20. The IG unit of claims 19, wherein said first substrate with said layer system thereon has a Δ

E* value no greater than 2.0.

21. The IG unit of claim 19, wherein the IG window unit has a visible transmittance of from 10-55%.

22. The IG unit of claim 19, wherein the IG window unit has a Δ

E* value (exterior or outside) no greater than 1.5.

23. A thermally insulating panel assembly comprising:

first and second substrates seal together proximate their respective peripheries to form an insulating space therebetween;

a layer system provided on said first substrate, said layer system comprising from the first substrate outwardly, a first silicon nitride inclusive layer 300 to 380 Å

thick, a first Ni or NiCr inclusive layer from 20 to 90 Å

thick, a silver layer from 40-120 Å

thick, a second Ni or NiCr inclusive layer from 20 to 90 Å

thick, and a second silicon nitride inclusive layer;

wherein said first substrate with said layer system thereon has a hemispherical emissivity (E_h) of no greater than 0.25 and a sheet resistance R_s no greater than 20 ohms/square; and

wherein the IG unit has a visible transmission of no greater than 10-55%, and a Δ

E* value (glass side or outside) no greater than 2.5 after or due to heat treatment.

24. The panel assembly of claim 23, Wherein the first substrate with said layer system thereon is heat treated and has a Δ

E* value (outside or substrate side) no greater than 2.0.

25. A coated article comprising:

a layer system supported by a glass substrate, said layer system comprising an infrared (IR) reflecting silver layer located between first and second dielectric layers; and

wherein said coated article is characterized by a glass side or outside R_solar which is greater than a glass side or outside visible reflectance R_{(G or out)}, and a visible transmittance (TY or T_vis) of from about 10-65%, and has a Δ

E* value (glass side or outside) no greater than 2.5 after or due to heat treatment.

26. The coated article of claim 25, wherein said coated article has a Δ

E* value (glass side) no greater than 2.0 after or due to heat treatment.

27. The coated article of claim 25, Wherein said layer system further includes a first layer including Ni or NiCr located between said silver layer and said first dielectric layer, and a second layer including Ni or NiCr located between said silver layer and said second dielectric layer.

28. The coated article of claim 27, wherein said coated article has a hemispherical emissivity (E_h) of no greater than 0.20, both before and after heat treatment.

29. The coated article of claim 28, wherein said coated article has a sheet resistance value R_s no greater than 20 ohms/square before heat treatment.

30. The coated article of claim 28, wherein said first and second dielectric layers comprise silicon nitride.

31. The coated article of claim 25, wherein the coated article makes up a portion of an insulating glass (IG) window unit.

32. The coated article of claim 25, wherein the coated article has a Δ

E* value (glass side or outside) no greater than 1.5 after or due to heat treatment.

33. The coated article of claim 25, wherein the coated article has a Δ

E* value (glass side or outside) no greater than 1.0 after or due to heat treatment.