Heat treatable low-E coated articles and methods of making same by sputtering AG in oxygen inclusive atmosphere
AssigneesGuardian Industries Corp., Centre Luxembourgeois de Recherches pour le Verre et la Ceramique S.A. (C.R.V.C.)
InventorsRonald Laird, George Neuman, Philip Lingle, Jean-Marc Lemmer, Keith Schillinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sputter coated article is provided with improved mechanical durability (e.g., pre-HT scratch resistance) and/or thermal stability by sputtering at least one Ag inclusive layer in an atmosphere including at least O2 gas. For instance, in certain example embodiments an Ag inclusive target may be sputtered in an atmosphere including a combination of Ar and O2 gas. In certain embodiments, this enables the resulting AgOx infrared (IR) reflecting layer to better adhere to adjacent contact layer(s).
Claims17
1-19. (canceled)
A method of making a coated article including a coating supported by a substrate, the method comprising:
- sputtering a first dielectric layer on the substrate;
- sputtering a first contact layer over at least the first dielectric layer;
- sputtering a target comprising Ag in an atmosphere including at least oxygen gas in order to form an infrared (IR) reflecting layer which is located over and contacts the first contact layer;
- sputtering a second contact layer over and contacting the IR reflecting layer;
- wherein said sputtering of at least one of the first and second contact layers comprises sputtering at least one target comprising a metal or metal alloy in an atmosphere including at least oxygen gas in order to form the contact layer(s) so as to comprise a metal oxide, and wherein more oxygen gas is introduced into said atmosphere in which the target for sputtering the contact layer(s) is located than is introduced into an atmosphere in which the target comprising Ag used in sputtering the IR reflecting layer is located;
- and
- wherein a ratio of (a) oxygen gas introduced into said atmosphere in which the target comprising Ag used in sputtering the IR reflecting layer is located, to (b) oxygen gas introduced into the atmosphere in which the target for sputtering the contact layer(s) is located, is from about 1:1.3 to 1:10.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.