Low-E coating having zinc aluminum oxide based layer doped with yttrium

• US 8,936,842 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Krasnov, Alexey
• Primary Examiner(s): MERSHON, JAYNE L
• Application Number:
  US13/678,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20130074922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 428/626, 428/702, 204/192.29, 204/298.13, 136/256
• US Class Current: 428/34
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 9/00 Compounds of zinc
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 9/02 Oxides; Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/52 containing elements as dopants
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/40 Electric properties
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0816 Multilayer mirrors, i.e. having two or more reflecting layers G02B5/0883, G02B5/0891 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022466 made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. TCO, ITO layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022483 composed of zinc oxide [ZnO]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1884 Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. TCO, ITO
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to an electrode (e.g., front electrode) for use in a photovoltaic device or the like. In certain example embodiments, a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) based front electrode for use in a photovoltaic device is of or includes zinc oxide, or zinc aluminum oxide, doped with yttrium (Y). In certain example embodiments, the addition of the yttrium (Y) to the conductive zinc oxide or zinc aluminum oxide is advantageous in that potential conductivity loss of the electrode can be reduced or prevented. In other example embodiments, a low-E coating may include a layer of or including zinc oxide, or zinc aluminum oxide, doped with yttrium (Y).

Claims

1. A coated article comprising:

a low-E coating supported by a glass substrate;

the low-E coating comprises at least one IR reflecting layer, the IR reflecting layer being provided over a dielectric layer comprising zinc aluminum oxide, the layer comprising zinc aluminum oxide being doped with yttrium, wherein the dielectric layer comprising zinc aluminum oxide comprises from about 0.05 to 0.20% yttrium (by wt. %), and wherein the layer comprising zinc aluminum oxide doped with yttrium comprises at least twice as much aluminum as yttrium by weight; and

wherein the low-E coating has a sheet resistance of no more than about 10 ohms/square.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising zinc aluminum oxide contains from 0.5 to 7% Al.

3. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the IR reflecting layer is located over and directly contacting the layer comprising zinc aluminum oxide doped with yttrium.

4. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising zinc aluminum oxide contains from about 1 to 4% Al.

5. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the IR reflecting layer comprises Ag and the coated article has a visible transmission of at least about 50%.

6. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is used in a window in a building or vehicle.

7. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the IR reflecting layer is provided over and directly contacting the dielectric layer comprising zinc aluminum oxide doped with yttrium, wherein the layer comprising zinc aluminum oxide comprises from about 0.5 to 7% aluminum.