# US 11,027,527 B2 · Silver colored coated article with low-E coating having absorber layer and low visible transmission

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- Number: US 11,027,527 B2
- Document ID: US11027527B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/343,312
- Filed: 2016-10-18
- Published: 2020-06-11
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-10-18
- Assignees: Guardian Glass, LLC; Guardian Glass Holding S.P.C.
- Applicants: Guardian Glass, LLC; Guardian Glass Holding S.P.C.
- Inventors: Aritra Biswas; Brent Boyce; Allen Chu; Philip J. Lingle; Kenneth Lord; Muniswami Naidu; Venkata Krishnaswamy Naidu Vantaku
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027527B2

## CPC

- B32B 17/10229: {Metallic layers sandwiched by dielectric layers}
- C03C 17/36: at least one coating being a metal
- C03C 17/3626: {one layer at least containing a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride}
- C03C 17/3636: {one layer at least containing silicon, hydrogenated silicon or a silicide}
- C03C 17/3639: {Multilayers containing at least two functional metal layers}
- C03C 17/3644: {the metal being silver}
- C03C 17/3649: {made of metals other than silver}
- C03C 17/3652: {the coating stack containing at least one sacrificial layer to protect the metal from oxidation}
- C03C 17/366: {Low-emissivity or solar control coatings}
- C03C 17/3681: {the multilayer coating being used in glazing, e.g. windows or windscreens}
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- C03C: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS

## Abstract

A low-emissivity (low-E) coating on a substrate (e.g., glass substrate) includes at least first and second infrared (IR) reflecting layers (e.g., silver based layers) that are spaced apart by contact layers (e.g., NiCr based layers), a layer comprising silicon nitride, and an absorber layer of or including a material such as niobium zirconium which may be oxided and/or nitrided. The absorber layer is designed to allow the coated article to realize glass side reflective (equivalent to exterior reflective in an IG window unit when the coating is provided on surface #2 of an IG window unit) silver color. In certain example embodiments, the coated article (monolithic form and/or in IG window unit form) has a low visible transmission (e.g., from 15-45%, more preferably from 22-39%, and most preferably from 24-35%). In certain example embodiments, the coated article may be heat treated (e.g., thermally tempered and/or heat bent).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A coated article including a coating supported by a glass substrate and having silver glass side reflective color, the coating comprising:
first and second infrared (IR) reflecting layers comprising silver, the first IR reflecting layer being located closer to the glass substrate than is the second IR reflecting layer;
a first contact layer located over and directly contacting the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver;
a dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride located over and directly contacting the first contact layer;
wherein the dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride is split by a splitting absorber layer comprising Nb and Zr, so that the splitting absorber layer comprising Nb and Zr is located between and contacting a first portion of the dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride and a second portion of the dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride;
a second contact layer located over the layer comprising silicon nitride;
the second IR reflecting layer comprising silver located over and directly contacting the second contact layer;
a third contact layer located over and directly contacting the second IR reflecting layer;
another dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride located over the third contact layer; and
wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from 15-45%, a glass side visible reflectance of from 23-43%, a glass side reflective a* value from −6.0 to +5.0, and a glass side reflective b* value from −11.0 to +3.0.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the absorber layer comprises a suboxide of NbZr.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the absorber layer further comprises nitrogen.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the absorber layer comprises NbZrOxNy.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first and third contact layers comprise Ni and/or Cr.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the second contact layer comprises Ni and Cr.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, further comprising a contact layer comprising NiCr located under and directly contacting the first IR reflecting layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a glass side visible reflectance of from 25-40%, a glass side reflective a* value from −3.5 to +4.0, and a glass side reflective b* value from −9.0 to +1.0.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a glass side reflective a* value from −2.5 to +3.0 and a glass side reflective b* value from −8.0 to −1.0.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a glass side visible reflectance from 27-35%.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the glass side visible reflectance of the coated article is higher than the visible transmission of the coated article.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a transmissive a* value from −8.0 to −1.0 and a transmissive b* value from −8.0 to +1.0.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission from 22-39%.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coating has a sheet resistance no greater than 6.0 ohms/square.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first IR reflecting layer is at least 20 angstroms thicker than is the second IR reflecting layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first IR reflecting layer is at least 40 angstroms thicker than is the second IR reflecting layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the absorber layer contains more Nb than Zr.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the absorber layer contains from 3-30% oxygen (atomic %).

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein a metal content of the absorber layer is from 70-95% Nb.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, further comprising a base layer comprising silicon nitride located between the glass substrate and the first IR reflecting layer.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the absorber layer has a thickness of from 15-100 angstroms.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the absorber layer has a thickness of from 20-60 angstroms.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the absorber layer consists essentially of NbZrOxNy.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the absorber layer is thinner than both of the IR reflecting layers comprising silver.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, further comprising an overcoat layer comprising zirconium oxide located over and directly contacting the another dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first contact layer comprises NiCr and is substantially metallic or metallic, and contains no more than 5% (atomic %) oxygen.

### Claim 27 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third contact layers contain no more than 5% (atomic %) oxygen.

### Claim 28 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is thermally tempered.

### Claim 29 (depends on 1)

The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a film side reflective b* value from −9 to 0.

### Claim 30 (depends on 1)

A IG window unit including the coated article of claim 1, and another glass substrate which is coupled to said coated article, wherein the IG window unit has an SF value no greater than 0.27 and an SHGC value no greater than 0.27, and wherein the glass side visible reflectance is as if viewed from an exterior of a building in which the IG window unit is, or is to be, provided.

### Claim 31 (depends on 1)

A IG window unit including the coated article of claim 1, and another glass substrate which is coupled to said coated article, wherein the IG window unit has an SF value no greater than 0.25 and an SHGC value no greater than 0.25.

### Claim 32 (depends on 1)

A IG window unit including the coated article of claim 1, and another glass substrate which is coupled to said coated article, wherein the IG window unit has an SF value no greater than 0.21 and an SHGC value no greater than 0.20.

### Claim 33

A coated article including a coating supported by a glass substrate and having silver glass side reflective color, the coating comprising:
first and second infrared (IR) reflecting layers comprising silver, the first IR reflecting layer being located closer to the glass substrate than is the second IR reflecting layer;
a first contact layer located over and directly contacting the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver;
a dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride located over the first contact layer;
wherein the dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride is split by a splitting absorber layer, so that the splitting absorber layer is located between and contacting a first portion of the dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride and a second portion of the dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride;
a second contact layer located over the layer comprising silicon nitride;
the second IR reflecting layer comprising silver located over and directly contacting the second contact layer;
a third contact layer located over and directly contacting the second IR reflecting layer;
another dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride located over the third contact layer;
wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from 20-45%; and
wherein the coated article has a glass side visible reflectance of from 23-43%, a glass side reflective a* value from −6.0 to +5.0, and a glass side reflective b* value from −11.0 to +3.0.

### Claim 34

A coated article including a coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising:
first and second infrared (IR) reflecting layers comprising silver, the first IR reflecting layer being located closer to the glass substrate than is the second IR reflecting layer;
a first contact layer located over and directly contacting the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver;
a dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride located over the first contact layer;
wherein the dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride is split by a splitting layer comprising NbZrOxNy, so that the splitting layer comprising NbZrOxNy is located between and contacting a first portion of the dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride and a second portion of the dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride;
a second contact layer located over the layer comprising silicon nitride;
the second IR reflecting layer comprising silver located over and directly contacting the second contact layer;
a third contact layer located over and directly contacting the second IR reflecting layer; and
wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of from 15-45%, a glass side visible reflectance of from 23-43%, a glass side reflective a* value from −6.0 to +5.0.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The coated articled of claim 34, wherein the coated article has a glass side reflective a* value from −3.5 to +4.0 and a glass side reflective b* value from −9.0 to +1.0.