Cardinal Cg Company

Cardinal Ig Company

Cardinal Glass Industries, Inc.

Robert Bond

Roger D O'Shaughnessy

Wayne L Hoffman

Eric H Eby

Roger Stanek

Roger P Stanek

Transparent articles comprising transparent, nonmetallic substrate and a transparent film stack is sputter deposited on the substrate. The film stack is characterized by including at least one infrared reflective metal film, a dielectric film over the metal film, and a protective silicon nitride film of 10 &#x212b; to 150 &#x212b; in thickness over the said dielectric film. The dielectric film desirably has substantially the same index of refraction as does silicon nitride and is contiguous with the silicon nitride film.

Transparent article having protective silicon nitride film

The present invention provides a coating for a transparent substrate which exhibits a 'neutral' color through a wide range of angles of incidence of light. The coating employs a base coat adjacent the transparent substrate having a thickness of no more than about 275 &#x212b; and may include two reflective metal layers having an intermediate layer of an anti-reflective metal oxide therebetween and an outer anti-reflective layer of metal oxide over the second reflective metal layer. If so desired, the coating of the invention may include an abrasive-resistant overcoat as its outermost layer. This overcoat is desirably formed of an abrasive-resistant metal oxide, such as zinc oxide applied at a thickness which does not significantly affect the optical properties of said coated substrate.

High transmittance, low emissivity coatings for substrates

Transparent articles comprising transparent, nonmetallic substrate and a transparent film stack is sputter deposited on the substrate. The film stack is characterized by including at least one infrared reflective metal film, a dielectric film over the metal film, and a protective silicon nitride film of 10 &angst; to 150 &angst; in thickness over the said dielectric film. The dielectric film desirably has substantially the same index of refraction as does silicon nitride and is contiguous with the silicon nitride film.

The present invention provides a coating for a transparent substrate which exhibits a &ldquo;neutral&rdquo; color through a wide range of angles of incidence of light. The coating employs a base coat adjacent the transparent substrate having a thickness of no more than about 275 &angst; and may include two reflective metal layers having an intermediate layer of an anti-reflective metal oxide therebetween and an outer anti-reflective layer of metal oxide over the second reflective metal layer. If so desired, the coating of the invention may include an abrasive-resistant overcoat as its outermost layer. This overcoat is desirably formed of an abrasive-resistant metal oxide, such as zinc oxide, applied at a thickness which does not significantly affect the optical properties of said coated substrate.

Transparent articles comprising transparent, nonmetallic substrate and a transparent film stack is sputter deposited on the substrate. The film stack is characterized by including at least one infrared reflective metal film, a dielectric film over the metal film, and a protective silicon nitride film of 10 .ANG. to 150 .ANG. in thickness over the said dielectric film. The dielectric film desirably has substantially the same index of refraction as does silicon nitride and is contiguous with the silicon nitride film.

The present invention provides a coating for a transparent substrate which exhibits a neutral color through a wide range of angles of incidence a light. The coating employs a base coat adjacent to the transparent substrate having a thickness of no more than about 275 Angstroms and may include two reflective metal layers having an intermediate layer of an anti-reflective metal oxide therebetween and an outer anti-reflective layer of metal oxide over the second reflective metal layer. If so desired, the coating of the invention may include an abrasive-resistant overcoat as its outer most layer. This overcoat is desirably formed of an abrasive-resistant metal oxide, such as zinc oxide, applied at a thickness which does not significantly affect the optical properties of said coated substrate.

The present invention provides a high transmittance, low emissivity film stack having an overcoat of an oxide of a metal chosen from the group of zinc, tin, indium, or bismuth, or an alloy including one or more of these metals, the oxide being applied in a thickness sufficiently low as to have no significant affect upon the optical properties of the coated substrate. That is, if the overcoat is lost through abrasion or chemical attack, the loss will not significantly affect the optical properties of the coating. The resulting film stack exhibits significantly enhanced durability as compared to a film stack without such an overcoat. In a preferred embodiment, a film stack of the invention includes at least one reflective metal layer, an outer, scratch-resistant metal oxide overcoat, and a metal oxide layer between the silver layer and the overcoat which is less scratch resistant than the overcoat.

Growing community of inventors

Spring Green, WI, United States of America

Robert Bond