Guardian Industries Corporation

Guardian Glass, LLC

Martin D Bracamonte

Vijayen S Veerasamy

Patricia Tucker

Jeffrey A Jones

Matthew S Walp

Barry B Corden

Andrew M Fleszar

Certain example embodiments relate to vacuum insulating glass units having edge seals formed in connection with solder alloys that, when reactively reflowed, wet metallic coatings pre-coated on the glass substrates' perimeters, and/or associated methods. The alloys may be based on materials that form seals at temperatures that will not de-temper glass and/or decompose a laminate, and/or remain hermetic and lack porous structures in their bulks. Example alloys may be based on inter-metallics of Sn and one or more materials selected from post-transition metals or metalloids; Zintl anions (e.g., In, Bi, etc.) from Group 13, 14, 15, or 16; and transition metals (e.g., Cu, Ag, Ni, etc.); and excludes Pb. Thin film coatings in certain example embodiments work with the solder material to form robust and durable hermetic interfaces. Because low temperatures are used, certain example embodiments can use compliant and visco-elastic spacer technology based on lamellar structures and/or the like.

Vacuum insulating glass (VIG) unit with metallic peripheral edge seal and/or methods of making the same

Certain example embodiments relate to vacuum insulating glass units having edge seals based on solder alloys that, when reactively reflowed, wet metallic coatings pre-coated on the glass substrates' perimeters, and/or associated methods. The alloys may be based on materials that form a seal at temperatures that will not de-temper glass and/or decompose a laminate, and/or remain hermetic and lack porous structures in their bulks. Example alloys may be based on inter-metallics of Sn and one or more additional materials selected from post-transition metals or metalloids; Zintl anions (e.g., In, Bi, etc.) from Group 13, 14, 15 or 16; and transition metals (e.g., Cu, Ag, Ni, etc.); and excludes Pb. Thin film coatings in certain example embodiments work with the solder material to form robust and durable hermetic interfaces. Because low temperatures are used, certain example embodiments can use compliant and visco-elastic spacer technology based on lamellar structures and/or the like.

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to coated articles including substrates that support printed patterns and thin film layer stacks that can have the patterns and the layer stacks formed thereon and then be cut, heat treated, and optionally built into an insulated glass unit, laminated to another substrate, and/or used in another product. In certain example embodiments, this is made possible by bonding to the glass the frit material used in forming the pattern, re-annealing the glass following the bonding, disposing the thin film layer stack on the re-annealed substrate supporting the bonded pattern, and then cutting and heat treating. The frit advantageously does not re-melt during heat treatment because the melting temperature is higher than the temperature used in heat treatment, and/or as a result of secondary recrystallization of the frit material. Associated methods also are provided.

Heat treatable article with printed coating thereon, and/or method of making the same

A method and apparatus for low temperature laser sealing of bonded articles is disclosed. Hermetic sealing of glass substrates using low temperature sealing techniques that do not adversely affect bulk strength of glass substrates, the environment created between the substrates and/or any components housed within the sealed glass substrates is disclosed. Such low temperature sealing techniques include use of localized laser heating of sealing materials to form a hermetic seal between glass substrates that does not involve heating the entire article to be sealed.

Low temperature hermetic sealing via laser

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to water heaters adapted to be mounted on or proximate the roof of a structure such as a building (e.g., residential home, commercial building, etc.). The liquid to be heated can be water, or other liquid, in different example embodiments. In certain example embodiments, at least one vacuum insulated glass (VIG) unit is provided as part of the water heater structure in order to help preserve heat that has been absorbed and/or generated.

Roof-mounted water heater

A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline silicon film includes: depositing a catalyst layer including nickel and depositing nickel nanoparticles on a substrate; exposing the catalyst layer and the nanoparticles to at least silane gas; and heat treating the substrate coated with the catalyst layer and the nanoparticles during at least part of the exposing to silane gas in growing a silicon based film on the substrate.

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Pinehurst, NC, United States of America

Martin D Bracamonte