Durable Coated Article Having a Metal Layer

A coated article comprising:

• a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
• and
• a functional coating applied over at least a portion of the first surface or the second surface of the substrate, the functional coating comprising:
• a first layer positioned over at least a portion of the substrate;
• a seed layer positioned over and in direct contact with at least a portion of the first layer, wherein the seed layer is selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium aluminum, niobium, titanium niobium, stainless steel, mixtures thereof, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof;
• a metallic layer positioned over and in direct contact with at least a portion of the seed layer;
• a primer layer positioned over and in direct contact with at least a portion of the metallic layer, wherein the primer layer is selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium aluminum, niobium, titanium niobium, nickel chromium, stainless steel, mixtures thereof, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof;
• and
• a second layer positioned over and in direct contact with at least a portion of the primer layer.

A method of protecting a metallic layer in a coated article, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
• and
• forming a functional coating over at least a portion of the first surface or the second surface, wherein forming the functional coating comprises:
• positioning the substrate in a first chamber comprising a first atmosphere, wherein the first atmosphere comprises greater than 0 vol. % N2 to less than or equal to 100 vol. % N2 or greater than 0 vol. % O2 to less than or equal to 80 vol. % O2;
• applying a first layer in the first chamber under the first atmosphere over at least a portion of the substrate;
• moving the substrate into a second chamber comprising a second atmosphere, wherein the second atmosphere comprises not greater than 15 vol. % N2 and not greater than 5 vol. % O2;
• applying a seed layer in the second chamber under the second atmosphere over and in direct contact with at least a portion of the first layer, wherein the seed layer is selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium aluminum, niobium, titanium niobium, stainless steel, mixtures thereof, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof;
• moving the substrate into a third chamber comprising a third atmosphere, wherein the third atmosphere comprises not greater than 15 vol. % N2 and not greater than 5 vol. % O2;
• applying a metallic layer in the third chamber under the third atmosphere over and in direct contact with at least a portion of the seed layer;
• moving the substrate into a fourth chamber comprising a fourth atmosphere, wherein the fourth atmosphere comprises not greater than 15 vol. % N2 and not greater than 5 vol. % O2;
• applying a primer layer in the fourth chamber under the fourth atmosphere over and in direct contact with at least a portion of the metallic layer, wherein the primer layer is selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium aluminum, niobium, titanium niobium, nickel chromium, stainless steel, mixtures thereof, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof;
• moving the substrate into a fifth chamber comprising a fifth atmosphere, wherein the fifth atmosphere comprises greater than 0 vol. % N2 to less than or equal to 100 vol. % N2 or greater than 0 vol. % O2 to less than or equal to 80 vol. % O2;
• and
• applying a second layer in the fifth chamber under the fifth atmosphere over and in direct contact with at least a portion of the primer layer.