Method of making matchable low-E I.G units and laminates

• US 6,782,718 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2002
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• 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: Larson, Steven L., Lingle, Philip J., Stachowiak, Grzegorz
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Steven P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOPEZ, CARLOS N
• Application Number:
  US10/246,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20030101749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 65/601, 65/602, 65/604, 65/605, 65/605.1, 65/603, 65/607, 65/608, 65/63, 651/14, 204/192.1, 204/192.11, 205/67, 205/72, 205/76, 205/79
• US Class Current: 65/60.2
• 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 neutral blue-green heat treatable and matchable glass laminate or I.G. unit employs a layer system whose visible transmittance increases by at least 4% during heat treatment and whose ΔE*_ab is less than about 3.0 and Δa* is less than about 0.7. The sputter coated layer system includes a silver layer sandwiched between nichrome layers and thereafter layers of Si₃N₄.

Claims

1. A method of making a matchable glass article having at least two glass substrates in light transmitting communication with each other, the method comprising:

a) sequentially sputter coating onto a surface of at least one of said glass substrates a heat treatable layer system which comprises from the glass substrate on which it is coated outwardly;

a first layer of silicon nitride;

a second substantially metallic layer of nickel or nickel alloy having a nickel content of at least about 10% by weight Ni, said layer being substantially free of a nitride or oxide of said metal;

a third substantially metallic layer of silver;

a fourth substantially metallic layer of nickel or nickel alloy having a nickel content of at least about 10% by weight Ni, said layer being substantially free of a nitride or an oxide of said metal; and

a fifth layer of silicon nitride;

b) subjecting said substrate having said coating thereon to a heat treatment which increases the visible transmittance of said coated substrate by at least 4%; and

c) thereafter fabricating said glass substrates so as to be in light transmitting communication with each other thereby to form said matchable glass article, wherein the heat treated glass article has a Δ

E*_ab value less than 2.0 and a Δ

a* value less than 0.7 due to said heat treatment.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said heat treatment is selected from tempering, bending and heat strengthening.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said glass article is an insulating glass unit comprised of two panes of glass one of said panes having said coating thereon and said fabrication step includes retaining said panes in substantially parallel relationship with each other thereby to define an insulating space therebetween and wherein said layer coating system is located on a surface of said coated pane which is located within said insulating space.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said article is a glass laminate comprised of at least two glass sheets, one of which has said heat treatable sputter coated layer system thereon, and said fabrication step includes laminating said coated glass sheet after it is heat treated to another glass sheet such that the said layer system is located between said glass sheets.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein thicknesses of the layers are within the following ranges:

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said heat treatment is tempering.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said heat treatment increases said visible transmittance by 5%-7%.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said glass article has a generally neutral blue-green color and when viewed from the glass side of said coating has a Δ

a* of less than 0.5.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said article is an insulating glass unit whose U-values and shading coefficients are substantially the same as those of an otherwise identically formed I.G. unit whose coated substrate is not heat treated.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein said U-values and shading coefficients are:

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein said layer coating system so formed is mechanically and chemically durable both before and after said heat treatment.

12. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:

providing a first substrate;

sputtering a coating system so as to be supported by the first substrate, wherein the coating system includes at least one layer comprising silver (Ag) located between at least first and second layers comprising silicon nitride; and

tempering the substrate with the coating system thereon via heat treatment, wherein the tempering causes the substrate with the coating system thereon when viewed from the substrate side to experience a Δ

E_ab of less than 2.0 and a Δ

a* of less than about 0.8.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the tempering causes the coated substrate to experience a Δ

a* of less than 0.5 when viewed from the substrate side.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein said first substrate with coating thereon is mechanically and chemically durable both before and after said tempering.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein a layer comprising NiCr is located between the layer comprising silver and at least one of the layers comprising silicon nitride.

16. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:

providing a first substrate;

sputtering a coating system so as to be supported by the first substrate, wherein the coating system includes at least one layer comprising silver (Ag) located between at least first and second layers comprising silicon nitride; and

heat treating the substrate with the coating system thereon via heat treatment, wherein the heat treating causes the substrate with the coating system thereon when viewed from the substrate side to experience a Δ

E*_ab of less than 2.0 and a Δ

a* of less than about 0.8.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the heat treating causes the coated substrate to experience a Δ

a* of less than 0.5 when viewed from the substrate side.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein said first substrate with coating thereon is mechanically and chemically durable both before and after said heat treating.