Low-E matchable coated articles and methods of making same

• US 6,863,928 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2003
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• 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): BLACKWELL, GWENDOLYN
• Application Number:
  US10/743,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20040137237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 427/372.1, 4273761-3763, 427/376.6, 204/192.1, 65/605
• US Class Current: 427/376.1
• 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. A method of making a heat treated coated article, the method comprising:

providing a glass substrate;

forming a multi-layer coating on the glass substrate, the multi-layer coating having a sheet resistance of no greater than 20 ohms/square, and wherein the coating comprises at least one layer comprising silver sandwiched between at least first and second dielectric layers; and

heat treating the glass substrate with the multi-layer coating thereon so that the heat treated coated article has a glass side Δ

E* value of no greater than 2.5.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat treated coated article has a glass side Δ

E* value of no greater than 2.0.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat treated coated article has a glass side Δ

a* value of no greater than 0.8.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the dielectric layers comprises silicon nitride which optionally may be doped with aluminum.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a layer comprising NiCr is located immediately adjacent and contacting at least one side of the layer comprising silver.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat treated coated article comprises an IG window unit.