Transparent article having protective silicon nitride film

• US 6,942,917 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2003
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bond, Robert, Hoffman, Wayne, Stanek, Roger P.
• Primary Examiner(s): TURNER, ARCHENE A
• Application Number:
  US10/724,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20040115443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 428/336, 428/216, 428/469, 428/472, 428/432, 428/698, 428/433, 428/701, 359/359, 359/385, 359/580
• US Class Current: 428/216
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3615 Coatings of the type glass/metal/other inorganic layers, at least one layer being non-metallic
• 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 17/3639 Multilayers containing at least two functional metal layers
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3642 the multilayer coating containing a metal layer
• 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: C03C 2218/154 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/105 Protective coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/14 Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings
• 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 428/24975 No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less

Abstract

Transparent articles comprising transparent, nonmetallic substrate and a transparent film stack is sputter deposited on the substrate. The film stack is characterized by including at least one infrared reflective metal film, a dielectric film over the metal film, and a protective silicon nitride film of 10 Å to 150 Å in thickness over the said dielectric film. The dielectric film desirably has substantially the same index of refraction as does silicon nitride and is contiguous with the silicon nitride film.

Claims

1. A transparent article comprising a transparent, non-metallic substrate and a transparent film stack deposited upon the substrate, said film stack comprising, in sequence, an inner dielectric film, a first metal film, a middle dielectric film, a second metal film, an outer dielectric film of metal oxide, and a protective film of silicon nitride having a thickness in the range of 10 Å

to 10 Å

.

2. The transparent article of claim 1 wherein the combined thickness of said outer dielectric oxide film and said protective silicon nitride film ranges from about 250 Å

to 400 Å

.

3. The transparent article of claim 2 wherein the combined thickness of said outer dielectric oxide film and said protective silicon nitride film is about 275 Å

to 325 Å

.

4. The transparent article of claim 1 wherein said outer dielectric oxide film has an index of refraction essentially the same as that of silicon nitride.

5. The transparent article of claim 4 wherein said outer dielectric oxide film is an oxide of zinc, tin, or an alloy thereof.

6. The transparent article of claim 1 wherein said first and second metal films are silver.

7. The transparent article of claim 6 wherein said first metal film has a thickness of 70 Å

-100 Å

.

8. The transparent article of claim 1 wherein said protective silicon nitride film has a thickness of 50 Å

or less.

9. The transparent article of claim 1 wherein said film stack is free of titanium-containing films having a thicknesses greater than about 30 Å

.

10. The transparent article of claim 1 wherein said inner dielectric film is zinc oxide.

11. A transparent article comprising a transparent, non-metallic substrate and a transparent film stack deposited upon the substrate, said film stack comprising, in sequence, an inner dielectric film, a first metal film, a middle dielectric film, a second metal film, an outer dielectric film of metal oxide, and a protective film of silicon nitride having a thickness in the range of 10 to 100 Å

, wherein said outer dielectric oxide film and said protective silicon nitride film are contiguous and have a combined thickness in the range of about 250 Å

to 400 Å

.

12. The transparent article of claim 11 wherein the combined thickness of said outer dielectric oxide film and said protective silicon nitride film is about 275 Å

to 325 Å

.

13. The transparent article of claim 11 wherein said outer dielectric oxide film is zinc oxide or tin oxide.

14. The transparent article of claim 11 wherein said first and second metal films are silver.

15. The transparent article of claim 14 wherein said first metal film has a thickness of 70 Å

-100 Å

.

16. A transparent article comprising a transparent, non-metallic substrate and a transparent film stack deposited upon the substrate, said film stack comprising, in sequence, a first film of zinc oxide, a first film of silver, a first shielding film of titanium oxide, a second film of zinc oxide, a second film of silver, a second shielding film of titanium oxide, a third film of zinc oxide, and a protective film of silicon nitride having a thickness in the range of 10 to 100 Å

.

17. The transparent article of claim 16 wherein said first zinc oxide film has a thickness of in the range of 120-700 Å

.

18. The transparent article of claim 17 wherein said first zinc oxide film has a thickness of in the range of 300-700 Å

.

19. The transparent article of claim 16 wherein said first and second shielding films each have a thickness not greater than about 20 Å

.

20. The transparent article of claim 16 wherein the combined thickness of said third zinc oxide film and said protective silicon nitride film is about 275 Å

to 325 Å

.

21. A transparent article comprising a transparent, non-metallic substrate and a transparent film stack deposited upon the substrate, said film stack comprising, in sequence, an inner dielectric film, a first silver film, a middle dielectric film, a second silver film, an outer dielectric film of metal oxide, and a protective film of silicon nitride having a thickness in the range of 10 to 100 Å

, wherein said outer dielectric oxide film and said protective silicon nitride are contiguous and have a combined thickness in the range of about 250 Å

to 400 Å

.