Coated article with silicon nitride inclusive layer adjacent glass
View Patent ↗A low-E coated article is provided, in certain example embodiments, with a layer including silicon nitride adjacent the glass substrate in order to improve chemical and/or mechanical durability of the coated article. In certain example embodiments, the coated article may be formed so as to have a fairly high visible transmission (TY or T vis ) to sheet resistance (R s ) ratio (i.e., a ratio T vis /R s ) The higher this ratio, the better the coated article's combined functionality of providing for both good solar performance (e.g., ability to reflect and/or absorb IR radiation) and high visible transmission. Coated articles herein may be used in the context of windows or the like (e.g., laminated vehicle windshields).
1. A coated article including a multi-layer coating supported by a glass substrate, the multi-layer coating comprising, from the glass substrate outwardly:
a layer comprising silicon nitride located directly on and contacting the glass substrate;
a layer comprising zinc oxide located directly on and contacting the layer comprising silicon nitride;
a layer comprising silver located over and contacting the layer comprising zinc oxide;
a dielectric layer comprising a metal oxide;
another layer comprising silver;
another dielectric layer;
wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a ratio T vis /R s of at least 25 after heat treatment (where T vis is visible transmission (%) and R s is sheet resistance of the coating in units of ohms/square) and a ΔE* value (glass side reflective and/or transmissive) of less than or equal to about 8 due to the heat treatment; and
wherein the layer comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich and has an index of refraction “n”of at least 2.10.
2. The coated article of claim 1 , wherein the coated article has a ratio T vis /R s of at least 30 after heat treatment.
3. The coated article of claim 1 , wherein the coated article has a ratio T vis /R s of at least 32 after heat treatment.
4. The coated article of claim 1 , wherein the coated article has a ratio T vis /R s of at least 34 after heat treatment.
5. The coated article of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich and has an index of refraction “n” of from 2.15 to 2.25.
6. The coated article of claim 1 , wherein the coated article comprises a laminated vehicle windshield, and the layer comprising silicon nitride is partially oxided.
7. The coated article of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprising silicon nitride has a thickness of from 100 to 200 Å.
8. The coated article of claim 1 , wherein the coated article has a sheet resistance (R s ) of less than or equal to 4.0.
9. The coated article of claim 1 , wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a ΔE* value (glass side reflective and/or transmissive) of less than or equal to about 5 due to the heat treatment.
10. The coated article of claim 9 , wherein the coated article has a ΔE* value (glass side reflective and/or transmissive) of less than or equal to about 4 due to the heat treatment.
11. The coated article of claim 9 , wherein the coated article has a ΔE* value (glass side reflective and/or transmissive) of less than or equal to about 3 due to the heat treatment.
12. The coated article of claim 9 , wherein the coated article has a ΔE* value (glass side reflective and/or transmissive) of less than or equal to about 2.5 due to the heat treatment.
13. The coated article of claim 1 , wherein said layer comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich and comprises Si x N y , where x/y is from 0.8 to 1.0.
14. The coated article of claim 1 , wherein the coated article is a laminated vehicle windshield and is heat treated.
15. The coated article of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the layer comprising silicon nitride and the layer comprising zinc oxide further includes aluminum or other metal(s).
16. The coated article according to claim 1 , wherein the coated article comprises a laminated vehicle windshield and has a transmissive haze value of no greater than 0.4.
17. The coated article according to claim 1 , wherein the coated article comprises a laminated vehicle windshield and has a transmissive haze value of no greater than 0.35, and a total solar (TS) value of no greater than 46.
18. The coated article according to claim 1 , wherein the coated article is a laminated vehicle windshield and has a total solar (TS) value of no greater than 44.
19. The coated article of claim 1 , characterized in that when the coated article is exposed to about 650 degrees C. of heat treatment for 12 minutes the coated article retains at least 98% of its pre-heat-treatment visible transmission.
20. A heat treated coated article including a multi-layer coating supported by a glass substrate, the multi-layer coating comprising, from the glass substrate outwardly:
a layer comprising silicon nitride located directly on and contacting the glass substrate;
a layer comprising zinc oxide;
a layer comprising silver located over and contacting the layer comprising zinc oxide; and
at least one dielectric layer; and
wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a ratio T vis /R s of at least 34 after heat treatment (where T vis is visible transmission (%) and R s is sheet resistance of the coating in units of ohms/square) and a ΔE* value (glass side reflective and/or transmissive) of less than or equal to about 8 due to the heat treatment, and wherein the layer comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich and has an index of refraction “n” of at least 2.10.
21. The coated article of claim 20 , wherein the layer comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich and has an index of refraction “n” of from 2.15 to 2.25.
22. The coated article of claim 20 , wherein the coated article comprises a laminated vehicle windshield and has been heat treated.
23. The coated article of claim 20 , wherein the layer comprising silicon nitride has a thickness of from 100 to 200 Å.
24. The coated article of claim 20 , wherein the coated article has a sheet resistance (R s ) of less than or equal to 4.0.
25. The coated article of claim 20 , wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a ΔE* value (glass side reflective and/or transmissive) of less than or equal to about 5 due to the heat treatment.
26. The coated article of claim 20 , wherein said layer comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich and comprises Si x N y , where x/y is from 0.8 to 1.0, and may optionally be partially oxided.
27. The coated article of claim 20 , wherein at least one of the layer comprising silicon nitride and the layer comprising zinc oxide further includes aluminum or other metal(s).
28. The coated article according to claim 20 , wherein the coated article comprises a laminated vehicle windshield and has a transmissive haze value of no greater than 0.35, and a total solar (TS) value of no greater than 46.
29. The coated article according to claim 20 , wherein the coated article is a laminated vehicle windshield and has a total solar (TS) value of no greater than 44.
30. The coated article of claim 20 , characterized in that when the coated article is exposed to about 650 degrees C. of heat treatment for 12 minutes the coated article retains at least 98% of its pre-heat-treatment visible transmission.
31. A heat treatable coated article including a multi-layer coating supported by a glass substrate, the multi-layer coating comprising, from the glass substrate outwardly:
a layer comprising silicon nitride located directly on and contacting the glass substrate;
a layer comprising at least one metal oxide;
a layer comprising silver located over and contacting the layer comprising the at least one metal oxide;
at least one dielectric layer;
when the coated article is exposed to about 650 degrees C. of heat treatment for 12 minutes as a reference, the coated article retains at least 98% of its pre-heat-treatment visible transmission; and
wherein the coated article has a ratio T vis /R s of at least 32 after the heat treatment (where T vis is visible transmission (%) and R s is sheet resistance of the coating in units of ohms/square) and a ΔE* value (glass side reflective and/or transmissive) of less than or equal to about 8 due to the heat treatment, and wherein the layer comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich and has an index of refraction “n” of from 2.15 to 2.25.
32. The coated article of claim 31 , wherein the coated article is a laminated vehicle windshield or a monolithic window component.
33. A coated article including a multi-layer coating supported by a glass substrate, the multi-layer coating comprising, from the glass substrate outwardly:
a layer comprising silicon nitride located directly on and contacting the glass substrate;
a layer comprising zinc oxide located directly on and contacting the layer comprising silicon nitride;
a layer comprising silver located over and contacting the layer comprising zinc oxide;
a layer comprising at least one metal oxide;
a dielectric layer comprising tin oxide;
a dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride;
a layer comprising zinc oxide;
another layer comprising silver;
another dielectric layer comprising metal oxide;
another dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride; and
wherein the coated article is heat treated and has a ratio T vis /R s of at least 25 after heat treatment (where T vis is visible transmission (%) and R s is sheet resistance of the coating in units of ohms/square) and a ΔE* value (glass side reflective and/or transmissive) of less than or equal to about 8 due to the heat treatment.