Low-maintenance coatings

• US 7,604,865 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2004
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Krisko, Annette J., Pfaff, Gary L., Brownlee, James, Myli, Kari
• Primary Examiner(s): Speer; Timothy M
• Application Number:
  US11/179,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20060057401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 428/428, 428/432, 428/446, 428/448, 428/698, 428/699, 428/701, 428/702
• US Class Current: 428/432
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3423 at least one of the coatings comprising a suboxide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/212 TiO2
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/213 SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/71 Photocatalytic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/155 by reactive sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/156 by magnetron sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/083 of refractory metals or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/10 Glass or silica
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/568 Transferring the substrates through a series of coating stations C23C14/562 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention provides a substrate bearing a low-maintenance coating. The coating includes at least two films: a base film optionally comprising silica (e.g., silicon dioxide) and a film comprising titania (e.g., titanium dioxide). The invention also provides methods of depositing such coatings.

Claims

1. A low-maintenance coating on a substrate, the coating comprising a base film positioned directly over a first major surface of the substrate and a film comprising titania positioned directly over the base film, wherein the base film has a thickness of less than about 100 angstroms, and wherein the film comprising titania has a thickness of less than 50 angstroms.

2. The low-maintenance coating of claim 1 wherein the film comprising titania includes titanium dioxide or substoichiometric titanium oxide.

3. The low-maintenance coating of claim 1 wherein the base film comprises silica.

4. The low-maintenance coating of claim 3 wherein the base film consists essentially of silicon dioxide.

5. The low-maintenance coating of claim 1 wherein the film comprising titania has a thickness of less than 35 angstroms.

6. The low-maintenance coating of claim 1 wherein the film comprising titania has a thickness of between about 5 angstroms and about 30 angstroms.

7. The low-maintenance coating of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a window pane mounted in a window frame, and wherein the coated first major surface is exposed to an outdoor environment.

8. The low-maintenance coating of claim 1 wherein the base film and film comprising titania are both sputtered films.

9. A low-maintenance coating on a glass sheet, the coating comprising a base film positioned over a first major surface of the glass sheet and a film comprising titania positioned directly over the base film, wherein the base film comprises silica and has a thickness of less than 100 angstroms, and wherein the film comprising titania has a thickness of less than 100 angstroms.

10. The low-maintenance coating of claim 9 wherein the film comprising titania comprises titanium dioxide or substoichiometric titanium oxide.

11. The low-maintenance coating of claim 9 wherein the base film consists essentially of silicon dioxide.

12. The low-maintenance coating of claim 9 wherein the film comprising titania has a thickness of less than 50 angstroms

13. The low-maintenance coating of claim 9 wherein the film comprising titania has a thickness of less than 35 angstroms.

14. The low-maintenance coating of claim 9 wherein the film comprising titania has a thickness of between about 5 angstroms and about 30 angstroms.

15. The low-maintenance coating of claim 9 wherein the glass sheet is a window pane mounted in a window frame, and wherein the coated first major surface is exposed to an outdoor environment.

16. The low-maintenance coating of claim 9 wherein the silica base film and film comprising titania are both sputtered films.

17. An insulating glass unit comprising two spaced-apart panes bounding a between-pane space, wherein at least one of the panes has a desired major surface bearing a low-maintenance coating, wherein said desired major surface is an exterior surface of the unit and faces away from the between-pane space, the coating comprising a base film positioned directly over said desired major surface and a film comprising titania positioned directly over the base film, wherein the base film comprises silica has a thickness of less than 100 angstroms and the film comprising titania has a thickness of less than 50 angstroms.