Transparent article having protective silicon nitride film

• US 7,101,810 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• 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: Stanek, Roger P., Bond, Robert, Hoffman, Wayne L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmadi, Mohsen
• Application Number:
  US11/102,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20050266160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 427/164, 427/178, 427/204, 427/219, 438/758, 428/336, 428/216, 428/469, 428/472, 359/359, 359/580
• US Class Current: 438/758
• 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 method of making a transparent article comprising:

providing a transparent, non-metallic substrate; and

depositing upon the substrate, in sequence, a first dielectric film, a metal film, a second dielectric film of a metal oxide, and a protective film of silicon nitride having a thickness in the range of 10 to 100 Å

.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second dielectric film has an index of refraction essentially the same as that of silicon nitride.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said second dielectric film and the silicon nitride film are contiguous.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the combined thickness of said second dielectric film and the silicon nitride protective film ranges from about 250 to 400 Å

.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the combined thickness of said second dielectric film and said silicon nitride film is 300–

350 Å

.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the combined thickness of said second dielectric film and said silicon nitride film is 275–

325 Å

.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal film is silver.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the metal film of silver is 70–

100 Å

.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said metal oxide is zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal film is 70–

100 Å

.

11. A method of making a transparent article comprising:

providing a transparent, non-metallic substrate; and

depositing upon the substrate, in sequence, a dielectric film contiguous to the transparent substrate, a metal film, a shielding film contiguous to the metal film, a metal oxide film, and a protective film of from 10 Å

to 100 Å

of silicon nitride contiguous to said metal oxide film.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the metal film is silver.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the metal film of silver is 70–

100 Å

.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the index of refraction of the metal oxide film is essentially the same as silicon nitride.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the shielding film and the metal oxide film are contiguous.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the metal oxide film is zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the metal film is 70–

100 Å

.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the combined thickness of said second dielectric film and the silicon nitride protective film ranges from about 250 to 400 Å

.