Process for the vapor deposition of a metal nitride-based layer on a transparent substrate

Claim 2

A process for the vapor phase pyrolytic deposition of a metal nitride or oxynitride layer on a transparent substrate, comprising: simultaneously bringing at least one metal precursor and a nitrogen precursor into contact with a surface of said substrate which is heated to an elevated temperature sufficient to pyrolytically decompose said precursors, thereby effecting decomposition of said precursors as said metal nitride or oxynitride layer, wherein said nitrogen precursor is a mixture of at least one amine and ammonia.

Claim 3

The process according to claim 1, wherein deposition occurs on a float glass ribbon substrate in a float bath enclosure.

Claim 4

The process according to claim 1, wherein deposition takes place with a single distribution nozzle in order to spray each precursor without mixing of the precursors within the nozzle, said precursors only coming into mixing contact upon leaving the nozzle near the surface of the substrate.

Claim 5

The process according to claim 1, wherein the layer is a titanium nitride or titanium oxynitride layer.

Claim 6

The process according to claim 4, wherein the metal precursor is a Ti halide.

Claim 7

The process according to claim 5, wherein the Ti halide is titanium tetrachloride.

Claim 8

The process according to claim 4, wherein the amine is a primary or secondary amine.

Claim 9

The process according to claim 7, wherein the amine is an amine containing C 1-4 alkyl group.

Claim 10

The process according to claim 7, wherein the amine is methyl amine (CH 3 )NH 2 , ethyl amine (C 2 H 5 )NH 2 , dimethyl amine (CH 3 ) 2 NH, tert-butyl amine (C 4 H 9 )(NH 2 ) or a mixture of at least two of these.

Claim 11

The process of claim 4, wherein the titanium nitride or oxynitride layer has traces of chlorine in an atomic amount of 0.1 to 15%, based on the other elements of the layer.

Claim 12

The process of claim 10, wherein the amount of chlorine in said layer ranges from 0.5 to 11%.

Claim 13

The process according to claim 10, wherein the layer is an oxynitride containing traces of chlorine and oxygen in an atomic amount of 0.1 to 25%, based on the other elements of the layer.

Claim 14

The process of claim 12, wherein the amount of said oxygen ranges from 4 to 14%.

Claim 15

The process according to claim 10, wherein the geometrical thickness of the titanium nitride or oxynitride-based layer is between 15 and 80 nm.

Claim 16

The process of claim 14, wherein the layer has a thickness of between 20 and 50 nm.

Claim 17

The process according to claim 10, wherein the titanium nitride or oxynitride-based layer is covered by a dielectric material layer of silicon oxide, oxycarbide and/or oxynitride, having a geometrical thickness between 10 and 150 nm, and a refractive index between 1.5 and 1.9.

Claim 18

The process of claim 16, wherein the dielectric material layer has a thickness of 40 to 80 nm and the refractive index ranges from 1.5 to 1.9.

Claim 19

The process according to claim 1, wherein the nitrogen precursor comprises a mixture of amines.

Claim 20

The process according to claim 1, wherein the nitrogen precursor is a methylamine-ammonia mixture.

Claim 21

The process according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is heated to a temperature between 400° and 700° C.

Claim 22

The process according to claim 20, wherein the temperature ranges from about 500° to 680° C.

Claim 23

The process according to claim 1, wherein an excess amount of nitrogen precursor relative to the total amount of metal precursor or metal precursors is employed.

Claim 24

The process of claim 1, wherein said at least one amine is a primary amine.

Claim 25

The process of claim 1, wherein said substrate with said metal nitride or oxynitride layer reflects and absorbs solar radiation.

Claim 26

The process of claim 1, wherein said substrate with said metal nitride or oxynitride layer has a ratio T L /T E above 1.1.

Claim 27

The process of claim 25, wherein said ratio ranges from 1.20 to 1.45.

Claim 28

A process for the vapor phase pyrolytic deposition of a metal nitride or oxynitride layer on a transparent substrate, comprising: simultaneously bringing at least one metal precursor and at least one amine as a nitrogen precursor into contact with a surface of said substrate which is heated to an elevated temperature sufficient to pyrolytically decompose said precursors, thereby effecting deposition of said precursors as said metal nitride or oxynitride layer, wherein said substrate with said metal nitride or oxynitride layer has a color during transmission in the blues or blue-greens, with a dominant wavelength during light transmission between 475 and 520 nm, and the amine nitrogen precursor or precursors is combined with ammonia as a methylamine-ammonia mixture.

Claim 29

A process for the vapor phase pyrolytic deposition of a metal nitride or oxynitride layer on a transparent substrate, comprising: simultaneously bringing at least one metal precursor and at least one amine as a nitrogen precursor into contact with a surface of said substrate which is heated to an elevated temperature sufficient to pyrolytically decompose said precursors, thereby effecting deposition of said precursors as said metal nitride or oxynitride layer, wherein said substrate with said metal nitride or oxynitride layer has a color during transmission in the blues or blue-greens, with a dominant wavelength during light transmission between 475 and 520 nm, and the amine nitrogen precursor or precursors is combined with ammonia as a methylamine-ammonia mixture.