Low-emissivity glass coatings having a layer of nitrided nichrome and methods of making same

• US 6,623,846 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Laird, Ronald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Deborah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koppikar, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US09/797,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 428/34, 428/46, 428/212, 428/336, 428/448, 428/450, 428/426, 428/432, 428/469, 428/428, 428/698, 428/699, 428/700, 428/701, 428/702, 428/704, 428/669, 428/673, 428/680, 428/666, 428/689, 65/324, 65/602, 651/06, 651/14
• US Class Current: 428/216
• 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 17/3694 one layer having a composition gradient through its thickness
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less

Abstract

Low-E glass coated glass articles are comprised of a glass substrate and a multiple layer coating on a surface of the glass substrate. Relatively high light transmissivity of greater than about 72% and satisfactory color characteristics are achieved. The coating includes a layer of a transparent dielectric material adjacent the surface of the glass substrate, and respective layers of nitrided nichrome and silver each of which are formed by sputter-coating onto the glass substrate in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere. Most preferably, the coating also includes a layer of silicon oxynitride interposed between the layer of dielectric material and the layer of nitrided nichrome. The silicon oxynitride layer may include an oxygen gradient layer wherein the concentration of oxygen decreases from one location in the silicon oxynitride layer to another location at a different depth in that same layer. If present, the oxygen gradient is most preferably such that the greater amount of oxygen concentration is nearer the bottom of the layer (i.e., towards the glass substrate) with the lesser amount of oxygen concentration being nearer the top of the layer (i.e., away from the glass layer).

Claims

1. A surface-coated glass article comprised of a glass substrate and a multiple layer coating on a surface of the glass substrate, wherein said coating includes a layer of a transparent dielectric material adjacent the surface of the glass substrate, respective layers comprising nichrome and silver each sputter-coated onto the glass substrate in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere, and a layer comprising silicon oxynitride interposed between said layer of dielectric material and said layer comprising nichrome.

2. The surface-coated glass article of claim 1, wherein said silicon oxynitride layer includes an oxygen gradient layer.

3. The surface-coated glass article of claim 2, wherein said oxygen gradient layer has an oxygen concentration which decreases between about 0.1 to about 0.6 at. %/Å

from one location in the layer to another location at a different depth in the layer.

4. The surface-coated glass article of claim 3, wherein said oxygen gradient layer has an oxygen concentration which decreases between about 0.15 to about 0.25 at. %/Å

.

5. The surface-coated glass article of claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein said oxygen gradient layer has an oxygen concentration which is greater at a location nearer to the glass substrate.

6. The surface-coated glass article of claim 1, wherein the dielectric material is at least one selected from the group consisting of TiO₂, BiO₃, PbO and mixtures thereof.

7. The surface-coated glass article as in claim 1, wherein the coating further includes, from the layer of silver outwardly, a second layer of nitrided nichrome, and an outer layer of Si₃N₄.

10. The surface-coated glass article of claim 1 or 8, having a light transmission of at least about 72%.

11. The surface-coated glass article of claim 10, having transmitted a*, b* Values of between about −

2.0 to −

4.0, and between about −

0.5 to about 1.5, respectively.

8. A surface-coated glass article comprised of a glass substrate and a multiple layer coating comprising the following layers formed on a surface of the glass substrate, from the surface outwardly:

(1) a layer of transparent dielectric material;

(2) a layer of silicon oxynitride;

(3) a first layer of nitrided nichrome;

(4) a layer of silver which is sputter-coated onto the glass substrate in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere;

(5) a second layer of nitrided nichrome; and

(6) an outer layer of Si₃N₄.

9. The surface-coated glass article of claim 8, wherein the dielectric material is at least one selected from the group consisting of TiO₂, BiO₃, PbO and mixtures thereof.

12. The surface-coated glass article of claim 8, wherein the layers have the following thicknesses in Angstroms:

(1) between about 100-200;

(2) between about 25-200;

(3) between about 2-40;

(4) between about 100-200;

(5) between about 2-40; and

(6) between about 350-600.

13. A coated article including a coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising, in the following order going away from the glass substrate:

a dielectric layer;

a layer comprising silicon oxynitride;

a first layer comprising NiCrN_x;

a layer comprising Ag;

a second layer comprising NiCrN_x; and

a layer comprising silicon nitride.

14. A coated article including a coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising, in the following order going away from the glass substrate:

a dielectric layer;

a layer comprising silicon oxynitride;

a first contact layer for contacting Ag;

a layer comprising Ag;

a second contact layer for contacting Ag; and

another dielectric layer.

15. The coated article of claim 14, wherein at least one of the contact layers comprises NiCr, and wherein said another dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride.