EP0567735A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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High performance, durable, low-E glass and method of making same
Assignee: Guardian Industries Corp
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Filing: 1993-02-25
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-02-25
Abstract
Abstract A high performance, durable, low-E glass exhibiting about 80% or more visible transmittance, a hemispherical emissivity (E h ) of about 0.13 or less, and a normal emissivity (E n ) of about 0.10 or less is formed by sputter-coating a layer system on the glass substrate which comprises an undercoat and overcoat of Si₃N₄, at least one silver layer, and at least two sandwiching layers of a nickel or nickel alloy, preferably with the nickel alloy being nichrome, and the chromium being in the form of a nitride thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 Klaus W. Hartig
- 👤 Philip J. Lingle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 23:50
CPC Classifications
C; C03; C03C; C03C17/00; C03C17/34; C03C17/36; C03C17/3602; C03C17/3618; C03C17/3626; C03C17/3639; C03C17/3644; C03C17/3652; C03C17/3657; C03C17/366; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/06; C23C14/0641; C23C14/0652; C23C14/0688; C23C14/14; C23C14/18; C23C14/185; G; G02; G02B; G02B5/00; G02B5/20; G02B5/28; G02B5/281; G02B5/282; C03C2217/00; C03C2217/70; C03C2217/78; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/12; Y10T428/12493; Y10T428/12535; Y10T428/12542; Y10T428/12549; Y10T428/12576; Y10T428/12597
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
88 words
A sputter-coated glass article comprising a glass substrate having thereon from the glass outwardly, a layer system comprising: an undercoat layer of Si₃N₄, a first layer of nickel or nickel alloy, a layer of silver, a second layer of nickel or nickel alloy and an overcoat layer of Si₃N₄; and wherein, when said glass substrate has a thickness of about 2mm-6mm, the coated glass has a normal emissivity (E n ) of less than about 0.12 and a hemispherical emissivity (E h ) of less than about 0.16.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
23 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 1 wherein said layer system is durable and said visible transmittance is at least about 78%.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 2 wherein said transmittance is greater than 80%.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 2 wherein said E n is about 0.10 or less and said E h is about 0.13 or less.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 4 wherein said E h is about 0.09-0.10 and said E h is about 0.12-0.13.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 2 which has a sheet resistance of about 10.5 ohms/ sq. or less.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 6 wherein said sheet resistance is about 9-10 ohms/ sq. .
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 1 wherein said nickel or nickel alloy layers are less than about 7Å thick and wherein there is only one silver layer and said silver layer is greater than about 90Å thick.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 8 wherein said silver layer is about 90-105Å thick.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 8 wherein said undercoat of Si₃N₄ is at least about 400Å thick and said overcoat Si₃N₄ layer is at least about 540Å thick.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 1 wherein said layer system consists essentially of said five layers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
55 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 1 wherein said layer system consists essentially of, from the glass outwardly, a first layer of Si₃N₄, a second layer of nichrome, a third layer of silver, a fourth layer of nichrome, a fifth layer of silver, a sixth layer of nichrome and a seventh layer of Si₃N₄.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 12 wherein each of said silver layers is about 50Å thick and each of said nichrome layers is less than about 7Å thick.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said nickel or nickel alloy layers is a nickel, chromium alloy and wherein a substantial portion of said chromium is a nitride thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 14 wherein all of said nickel or nickel alloy layers are a nickel, chromium alloy in which a substantial portion of said chromium is a nitride thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 15 wherein said nickel, chromium alloy is about 80% nickel and about 20% chromium by weight.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 16 wherein said transmittance is at least about 80% or greater, said E n is about 0.10 or less and said E h is about 0.13 or less.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 17 wherein said coated glass has a sheet resistance of about 10.5 ohms/ sq. or less.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
33 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 18 wherein the thickness of any said nichrome layer is less than about 7Å thick and the total thickness of said silver is about 90-105Å thick.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 19 wherein there is only one silver layer about 95Å thick.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
A sputter-coated glass article according to claim 19 wherein there are two silver layers separated by a nichrome layer, each of said silver layers being about 50Å thick.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
160 words
A method of forming a thin, durable, solar management layering system on a glass substrate, the steps including sputter-coating the following layers in sequence onto said glass substrate: a) forming in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere an undercoat layer of Si₃N₄; b) forming in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere a first layer of a nickel chromium alloy wherein a substantial portion of said chromium is a nitride thereof; c) forming in the same atmosphere employed in step b) at least one layer of silver; d) forming in the same atmosphere of steps b) and c) a second layer of said nickel chromium alloy whereby a substantial portion of said chromium is a nitride thereof; e) forming in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere an overcoat layer of Si₃N₄; and wherein when said glass substrate has a thickness of about 2mm-6mm, the coated glass has a normal emissivity (E n ) of less than about 0.12 and a hemispherical emissivity (E h ) of less than about 0.16.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
94 words
A method according to claim 22 wherein said sputter-coating is carried out in a plurality of zones isolated one from the other and wherein the steps of forming the layers of Si₃N₄ by sputter-coating are carried out in at least two separate zones, each having an atmosphere consisting essentially of 100% N₂, and wherein the steps of forming said Ni:Cr nitride and silver layers are carried out in the same zone and wherein said sputter-coating is conducted in an atmosphere consisting essentially of a mixture of about 0%-75% Ar and 100%-25% N₂ by volume.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 23 wherein said mixture of Ar and N₂ is about 50% by volume of each of said gases.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method according to claim 24 wherein tubular targets consisting essentially of silicon (Si) are used for forming said Si₃N₄ layer by sputter-coating and the targets for forming said Ni:Cr nitride and silver layers are planar targets of nichrome and silver, respectively.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 25 wherein said transmittance is greater than 80%.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 26 wherein said E n is about 0.10 or less and said E n is about 0.13 or less.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 27 wherein said coated glass has a sheet resistance of 10.5 ohms/ sq. or less.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 28 wherein said Ni:Cr nitride layers have a thickness of less than about 7Å and the total thickness of said silver is about 90-105Å.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 22 wherein said layer system consists of five layers formed by steps a)-e).
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 22 wherein said layer system consists of seven layers and wherein said method includes the steps of forming said silver in at least two layers with an intermediate layer of Ni:Cr nitride therebetween.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 22 wherein said sputter-coating of said Si is conducted in an atmosphere comprising a mixture of argon and N₂.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
8 words
A product by the process of claim 22.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
8 words
A product by the process of claim 30.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
8 words
A product by the process of claim 31.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4780372A
Cited
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