Heat treatable coated article and method of making same

• US 7,405,004 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stachowiak, Grzegorz
• Primary Examiner(s): Blackwell; Gwendolyn
• Application Number:
  US11/393,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20060172138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 428/428
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/06 comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
• 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 17/3435 comprising a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride
• 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 17/3649 made of metals other than 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 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant

Abstract

A coated article or layer system is provided which includes at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer including niobium (Nb) sandwiched between at least a pair of dielectric layers. In certain embodiments, a Cr inclusive barrier layer is provided to protect the Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer, for chemical durability purposes. In other example embodiments, a protective overcoat including a zirconium oxide inclusive layer may be provided to protect the Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer for durability purposes.

Claims

1. A coated article including a layer system supported by a glass substrate, the layer system comprising at least the following layers from the glass substrate outwardly:

a dielectric layer;

a first Cr inclusive barrier layer;

a first Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer located over and contacting the first Cr inclusive barrier layer;

a second Cr inclusive barrier layer located over and contacting the first Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer;

a second Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer located over and contacting the second Cr inclusive barrier layer;

a third Cr inclusive barrier layer located over and directly contacting the second Nb inclusive IR reflecting layer; and

another dielectric layer located over the third Cr inclusive barrier layer.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein at least two of the Cr inclusive barrier layers comprises chromium nitride.

3. The coated article of claim 1 wherein at least one of the dielectric layers comprises silicon nitride.

4. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a Δ

E* value (glass side reflective) of no greater than 3.0 after and/or due to heat treatment.

5. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from 8 to 80%.

6. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a Δ

E* value (glass side reflective) of no greater than 1.8 after and/or due to heat treatment.

7. The coated article of claim 1, wherein at least two of the Cr inclusive barrier layers consist essentially of Cr or a nitride of Cr.

8. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has no metallic infrared (IR) reflecting layer including Ag or Au.

9. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is an IG window unit, a monolithic window, or a laminated window.

10. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said another dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride and is in contact with the third Cr inclusive barrier layer.

11. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is in contact with the glass substrate and comprises silicon nitride and has an index of refraction “

n”

of from 1.9 to 2.2.