Temperable high shading performance coatings

• US 7,138,182 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Krisko, Annette J., Pfaff, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): McNeil, Jennifer C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACKWELL, GWENDOLYN
• Application Number:
  US10/632,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20040071985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 428/428, 428/433, 428/434, 428/697, 428/698, 428/699, 428/701, 428/702, 428/704
• US Class Current: 428/433
• 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 17/3652 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 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant

Abstract

The invention provides temperable high shading performance low-emissivity coatings. The invention also provides insulating glass units, monolithic panes, and other substrates bearing such coatings. Further, the invention provides methods of producing coated substrates by depositing coatings of this nature.

Claims

1. A transparent substrate bearing a temperable high shading performance low-emissivity coating comprising, in sequence outwardly:

(a) a first infrared-reflective film;

(b) a first high absorption blocker layer deposited directly over the first infrared-reflective film, the first high absorption blocker layer being deposited as essentially pure niobium;

(c) a middle coat comprising a plurality of transparent dielectric films beginning with a nitride film deposited directly over the first high absorption blocker layer and ending with an oxide film directly beneath a second infrared-reflective film;

(d) the second infrared-reflective film;

(e) a second high absorption blocker layer deposited directly over the second infrared-reflective film, the second high absorption blocker layer being deposited as essentially pure niobium; and

(f) an outer coat comprising a transparent dielectric nitride film deposited directly over the second high absorption blocker layer;

wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers have a combined thickness of greater than 50 angstroms.

2. The transparent substrate of claim 1 wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers have a combined thickness of less than about 80 Å

.

3. The transparent substrate of claim 2 wherein the first and second infrared-reflective films have a combined thickness of between about 150 Å

and about 260 Å

.

4. The transparent substrate of claim 1 wherein the transparent dielectric nitride film directly over the first high absorption blocker layer comprises silicon nitride.

5. The transparent substrate of claim 4 wherein the silicon nitride has a thickness of less than about 300 Å

.

6. The transparent substrate of claim 1 wherein the middle coat comprises a plurality of alternating nitride and oxide films.

7. The transparent substrate of claim 6 wherein the transparent dielectric nitride film directly over the first high absorption blocker layer is followed by the following sequence of intermediate films, moving outwardly:

a first intermediate transparent dielectric oxide film, a second intermediate transparent dielectric nitride film, and said oxide film directly beneath the second infrared-reflective film.

8. The transparent substrate of claim 1 wherein the transparent dielectric nitride film directly over the second high absorption blocker layer comprises silicon nitride.

9. The transparent substrate of claim 8 wherein the silicon nitride has a thickness of less than about 100 Å

.

10. The transparent substrate of claim 1 wherein the transparent dielectric nitride film directly over the second high absorption blocker layer is followed by the following sequence of outer films, moving outwardly:

a titanium nitride layer, and an outermost silicon nitride layer.

11. The transparent substrate of claim 10 wherein the titanium nitride layer has a thickness of less than about 30 Å

.

12. The transparent substrate of claim 1 wherein the coating comprises an inner coat between the substrate and the first infrared-reflective film, the inner coat comprising at least one transparent dielectric film having an index of refraction of between about 1.7 and about 2.4.

13. The transparent substrate of claim 12 wherein the coating further includes a transparent base layer between the substrate and the inner coat, the transparent base layer comprising silicon dioxide deposited directly upon the substrate.

14. The transparent substrate of claim 1 wherein the coating has an emissivity of less than about 0.08.

15. An insulating glass unit comprising first and second panes held in a spaced-apart configuration, the panes having confronting inner surfaces oriented toward a between-pane space and opposed outer surfaces oriented away from the between-pane space, one of said inner surfaces bearing a tempered high shading performance low-emissivity coating comprising first and second infrared-reflective films and first and second high absorption blocker layers positioned respectively directly over the first and second infrared-reflective films, the first and second high absorption blocker layers having a combined thickness of greater than 50 Å

and being deposited as essentially pure niobium, said coating including a middle coat comprising a plurality of transparent dielectric films beginning with a nitride film deposited directly over the first high absorption blocker layer and ending with an oxide film directly beneath the second infrared-reflective film, the insulating glass unit having a total visible transmittance of less than about 0.45.

16. The insulating glass unit of claim 15 wherein the total visible transmittance is between about 0.35 and about 0.43.

17. The insulating glass unit of claim 15 wherein the coating has an emissivity of less than about 0.08.

18. The insulating glass unit of claim 15 wherein the insulating glass unit has an exterior visible reflectance of less than about 15%.

19. The insulating glass unit of claim 18 wherein the exterior visible reflectance is less than about 13%.

20. The insulating glass unit of claim 15 wherein the insulating glass unit has an exterior reflected color characterized by an a_h color coordinate of between about −

0.75 and about −

3.25 and a b_h color coordinate of between about −

2.25 and about −

4.75.

21. The insulating glass unit of claim 15 wherein the first and second infrared-reflective films have a combined thickness of between about 150 Å

and about 260 Å

, and wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers have a combined thickness of greater than 50 Å

but less than about 80 Å

.

22. The insulating glass unit of claim 21 wherein the coating comprises, in sequence outwardly:

(a) a silicon dioxide base layer;

(b) an inner coat comprising at least one transparent dielectric film;

(c) the first infrared-reflective film;

(d) the first high absorption blocker layer;

(e) the middle coat;

(f) the second infrared-reflective film;

(g) the second high absorption blocker layer; and

(h) an outer coat comprising at least one transparent dielectric film.

23. The insulating glass unit of claim 22 wherein the inner coat has an optical thickness of between about 150 Å

and about 450 Å

, the middle coat has an optical thickness of between about 1200 Å and

about 1800 Å

, and the outer coat has an optical thickness of between about 445 Å and

about 605 Å

.

24. An insulating glass unit comprising first and second panes held in a spaced-apart configuration, the panes having confronting inner surfaces oriented toward a between-pane space and opposed outer surfaces oriented away from the between-pane space, one of said inner surfaces bearing a tempered high shading performance low-emissivity coating comprising first and second infrared-reflective films and first and second high absorption blocker layers positioned respectively directly over the first and second infrared-reflective films, the first and second high absorption blocker layers having a combined thickness of greater than 50 Å

and being deposited as essentially pure niobium, said coating including a middle coat comprising a plurality of transparent dielectric films beginning with a nitride film deposited directly over the first high absorption blocker layer and ending with an oxide film directly beneath the second infrared-reflective film, the insulating glass unit having a solar heat gain coefficient of less than about 0.4.

25. The insulating glass unit of claim 24 wherein the solar heat gain coefficient is less than about 0.3.

26. The insulating glass unit of claim 24 wherein the coating has an emissivity of less than about 0.08.

27. The insulating glass unit of claim 24 wherein the insulating glass unit has an exterior visible reflectance of less than about 15%.

28. The insulating glass unit of claim 27 wherein the exterior visible reflectance is less than about 13%.

29. The insulating glass unit of claim 24 wherein the insulating glass unit has an exterior reflected color characterized by an a_h color coordinate of between about −

0.75 and about −

3.25 and a b_h color coordinate of between about −

2.25 and about −

4.75.

30. The insulating glass unit of claim 24 wherein the first and second infrared-reflective films have a combined thickness of between about 150 Å

and about 260 Å

, and wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers have a combined thickness of greater than 50 Å

but less than about 80 Å

.

31. The insulating glass unit of claim 30 wherein the coating comprises, in sequence outwardly:

(a) a silicon dioxide base layer;

(b) an inner coat comprising at least one transparent dielectric film;

(c) the first infrared-reflective film;

(d) the first high absorption blocker layer;

(e) the middle coat;

(f) the second infrared-reflective film;

(g) the second high absorption blocker layer; and

(h) an outer coat comprising at least one transparent dielectric film.

32. The insulating glass unit of claim 31 wherein the inner coat has an optical thickness of between about 150 Å

and about 450 Å

, the middle coat has an optical thickness of between about 1200 Å and

about 1800 Å

, and the outer coat has an optical thickness of between about 445 Å and

about 605 Å

.