Low-e panels and methods for forming the same
View Patent ↗Embodiments provided herein describe low-e panels and methods for forming low-e panels. A transparent substrate is provided. A low-e stack is formed above the transparent substrate. Each of the layers of the low-e stack are formed to have a specific thickness to tune the performance characteristics of the low-e panel.
1. A low-e panel comprising:
a transparent substrate;
a first base layer formed above the transparent substrate, the first base layer comprising zinc and tin and having a thickness of between about 30 nanometers (nm) and about 35 nm;
a first seed layer formed above the first base layer, the first seed layer comprising zinc and having a thickness of between about 2 nm and about 6 nm;
a first reflective layer formed above the first seed layer, the first reflective layer having a thickness of between about 13 nm and about 14 nm;
a first barrier layer formed above the first reflective layer, the first barrier layer comprising nickel, titanium, and niobium and having a thickness of between about 1 nm and about 8 nm;
a second base layer formed directly on the first barrier layer, the second base layer consisting of zinc-tin oxide and having a thickness of between about 65 nm and about 75 nm;
a second seed layer formed directly on the second base layer, the second seed layer consisting of zinc oxide and having a thickness of between about 2 nm and about 6 nm;
a second reflective layer formed directly on the second seed layer, the second reflective layer having a thickness of between about 14 nm and about 15 nm;
a second barrier layer formed above the second reflective layer, the second barrier layer comprising nickel, titanium, and niobium and having a thickness of between about 1 nm and about 8 nm;
a third base layer formed directly on the second barrier layer, the third base layer consisting of zinc-tin oxide and having a thickness of between about 65 nm and about 70 nm;
a third seed layer formed directly on the third base layer, the third seed layer consisting of zinc oxide and having a thickness of between about 2 nm and about 6 nm;
a third reflective layer formed directly on the third seed layer, the third reflective layer having a thickness of between about 16 nm and about 17 nm;
a third barrier layer formed above the third reflective layer, the third barrier layer comprising nickel, titanium, and niobium and having a thickness of between about 1 nm and about 8 nm;
a first over-coating layer formed above the third barrier layer, wherein the first over-coating layer comprises zinc and tin and has a thickness of between about 10 nm and about 20 nm; and
a second over-coating layer formed above the first over-coating layer, wherein the second over-coating layer consists of zinc oxide and has a thickness of between about 3 nm and about 6 nm.
2. The low-e panel of claim 1 , wherein the low-w panel exhibits a R g ΔE* value of less than 2.00 after a heat treatment.
3. The low-e panel of claim 1 , wherein each of the first reflective layer, the second reflective layer, and the third reflective layer comprises silver, and the transparent substrate comprises glass.
4. The low-e panel of claim 1 , wherein the first barrier layer is formed directly on the first reflective layer is formed directly on the first reflective layer and consists of nickel-titanium-niobium oxide, the second barrier layer is formed directly on the second reflective layer and consists of nickel-titanium-niobium oxide, and the third barrier layer is formed directly on the third reflective layer and consists of nickel-titanium-niobium oxide.
5. The low-e panel of claim 4 , wherein the first reflective layer is formed directly on the first seed layer, the first seed layer is formed directly on the first base layer and consists of zinc oxide, and the first base layer consists of zinc-tin oxide.
6. The low-e panel of claim 4 , wherein each of the first reflective layer, the second reflective layer, and the third reflective layer consists of silver.
7. A low-e panel comprising:
a transparent substrate;
a first base layer formed above the transparent substrate, the first base layer consisting of zinc-tin oxide and having a thickness of between about 30 nanometers (nm) and about 35 nm;
a first seed layer formed directly on the first base layer, the first seed layer consisting of zinc oxide and having a thickness of between about 2 nm and about 6 nm;
a first reflective layer formed directly on the first seed layer, the first reflective layer consisting of silver and having a thickness of between about 13 nm and about 14 nm;
a first barrier layer formed directly on the first reflective layer, the first barrier layer consisting of nickel-titanium-niobium oxide and having a thickness of between about 1 nm and about 8 nm;
a second base layer formed directly on the first barrier layer, the second base layer consisting of zinc-tin oxide and having a thickness of between about 65 nm and about 75 nm;
a second seed layer formed directly on the second base layer, the second seed layer consisting of zinc oxide and having a thickness of between about 2 nm and about 6 nm;
a second reflective layer formed directly on the second seed layer, the second reflective layer consisting of silver and having a thickness of between about 14 nm and about 15 nm;
a second barrier layer formed directly on the second reflective layer, the second barrier layer consisting of nickel-titanium-niobium oxide and having a thickness of between about 1 nm and about 8 nm;
a third base layer formed directly on the second barrier layer, the third base layer consisting of zinc-tin oxide and having a thickness of between about 65 nm and about 70 nm;
a third seed layer formed directly on the third base layer, the third seed layer consisting of zinc oxide and having a thickness of between about 2 nm and about 6 nm;
a third reflective layer formed directly on the third seed layer, the third reflective layer consisting of silver and having a thickness of between about 16 nm and about 17 nm;
a third barrier layer formed directly on the third reflective layer, the third barrier layer consisting of nickel-titanium-niobium oxide and having a thickness of between about 1 nm and about 8 nm;
a first over-coating layer formed above the third barrier layer, wherein the first over-coating layer consists of zinc-tin oxide and has a thickness of between about 10 nm and about 20nm; and
a second over-coating layer formed above the first over-coating layer, wherein the second over-coating layer consists of zinc oxide and has a thickness of between about 3 nm and about 6 nm.
8. The low-e panel of claim 7 , wherein the first base layer is formed directly on the transparent substrate.
9. The low-e panel of claim 7 , further comprising a protective layer formed directly on the second over-coating layer, wherein the protective layer consists of silicon nitride and has a thickness of between about 10 nm and about 30 nm.
10. The low-e panel of claim 7 , wherein the transparent substrate comprises glass.
11. The low-e panel of claim 7 , wherein the low-w panel exhibits a R g ΔE* value of less than 2.00 after a heat treatment.