Titanium nickel niobium alloy barrier for low-emissivity coatings
A method for making low emissivity panels, including control the composition of a barrier layer formed on a thin conductive silver layer. The barrier structure can include a ternary alloy of titanium, nickel and niobium, which showed improvements in overall performance than those from binary barrier results. The percentage of titanium can be between 5 and 15 wt %. The percentage of nickel can be between 30 and 50 wt %. The percentage of niobium can be between 40 and 60 wt %.
1 . A method to form a low emissivity coating, comprising providing a transparent substrate;
forming a first layer on the transparent substrate, wherein the first layer comprises silver, wherein the first layer is operable as an infrared reflective layer;
forming a second layer on the first layer, wherein the second layer is operable as a barrier layer,
wherein the second layer comprises titanium, nickel and niobium,
wherein the percentage of titanium is between 5 and 15 wt %,
wherein the percentage of nickel is between 30 and 50 wt %,
wherein the percentage of niobium is between 40 and 60 wt %.
2 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the thickness of the second layer is between 0.3 and 7 nm.
3 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the percentage of titanium is 10 wt %.
4 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the percentage of nickel is between 35 and 45 wt %.
5 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the percentage of niobium is between 45 and 55 wt %.
6 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the second layer further comprises oxygen.
7 . A method to form a low emissivity coating, comprising
providing a transparent substrate;
forming a metal oxide layer on the transparent substrate;
forming a first layer on the metal oxide layer,
wherein the first layer comprises silver, wherein the first layer is operable as an infrared reflective layer;
forming a second layer on the first layer,
wherein the second layer is operable as a barrier layer for the first layer,
wherein the second layer comprises titanium, nickel and niobium,
wherein the percentage of titanium is between 5 and 15 wt %,
wherein the percentage of nickel is between 30 and 50 wt %,
wherein the percentage of niobium is between 40 and 60 wt %.
8 . A method as in claim 7 wherein the thickness of the first layer is between 8 and 15 nm.
9 . A method as in claim 7 wherein the thickness of the second layer is between 0.3 and 7 nm.
10 . A method as in claim 7 wherein the percentage of titanium is 10 wt %, wherein the percentage of nickel is between 35 and 45 wt %, and wherein the percentage of niobium is between 45 and 55 wt %.
11 . A method as in claim 7 wherein the second layer is deposited as a metal alloy or an oxide alloy layer.
12 . A method as in claim 7 further comprising
oxidizing the second layer.
13 . A method as in claim 7 wherein the metal oxide layer comprises zinc oxide, doped zinc oxide, tin oxide, or doped tin oxide.
14 . A method as in claim 7 wherein the metal oxide layer comprises a seed layer, wherein the seed layer comprises a crystal orientation that promotes a (111) crystal orientation of the first layer.
15 . A low emissivity panel, comprising
a transparent substrate;
a metal oxide layer disposed on the transparent substrate;
a first layer disposed on the metal layer, wherein the first layer comprises silver, wherein the first layer is operable as an infrared reflective layer;
a second layer disposed on the first layer, wherein the second layer is operable as a barrier layer,
wherein the second layer comprises titanium, nickel and niobium,
wherein the percentage of titanium is between 5 and 15 wt %,
wherein the percentage of nickel is between 30 and 50 wt %,
wherein the percentage of niobium is between 40 and 60 wt %.
16 . A panel as in claim 15 wherein the thickness of the first layer is less than 15 nm.
17 . A panel as in claim 15 wherein the thickness of the second layer is between 0.3 and 7 nm.
18 . A method as in claim 15 wherein the percentage of titanium is 10 wt %, wherein the percentage of nickel is between 35 and 45 wt %, and wherein the percentage of niobium is between 45 and 55 wt %.
19 . A panel as in claim 15 wherein the metal oxide layer comprises zinc oxide, doped zinc oxide, tin oxide, or doped tin oxide.
20 . A panel as in claim 15 wherein the second layer further comprises oxygen.