Methods and equipment for depositing high quality reflective coatings

Abstract

Methods and equipment for depositing coatings on glass and other substrates. In some embodiments, methods and equipment are provided for depositing reflective thin film coatings, such as low-emissivity coatings that are particularly reflective of infrared radiation, optionally by a downward coating operation. In some embodiments, such a downward coating operation is coupled with an upward coating operation used to deposit another coating.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. utility application Ser. No. 11 / 398,345 (“the '345 application”), filed Apr. 5, 2006, which in turn claims priority to U.S. utility application Ser. No. 11 / 360,266, filed Feb. 23, 2006, and to U.S. provisional application No. 60 / 725,891, filed Oct. 11, 2005, the entire contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference. The present application is a continuation-in-part of the '345 application.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to thin film coatings for glass and other substrates. In particular, this invention relates to low-emissivity coatings that are reflective of infrared radiation. Also provided are methods and equipment for depositing thin film coatings. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Low-emissivity coatings are well known in the art. Typically, they include one or two layers of infrared-reflection film and two or more layers of transparent dielectric film. The infr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014] There can also be sections sputtering up and down at the same time and location. The upward sputtering section is characterized by a series of lower targets mounted at lower elevation than the path of substrate travel, and the downward sputtering section is characterized by a series of upper targets mounted at higher elevation than the path of substrate travel. In the present embodiments, the downward sputtering section has at least 39 downward sputtering chambers each including at least one of the upper targets, and the upward sputtering section has a plurality of upward sputtering chambers each including at least one of the lower targets. In these embodiments, the downward sputtering chambers form at least seven downward deposition systems comprising, in sequence along th...

Problems solved by technology

For multiple silver films in a layer stack this can add up to total absorption levels not acceptable for some applications.

This will also reduce the visible transmission of the coating, and / or negatively impact the color of the coating, and / or decrease the durability of the coating.

This can be undesirable in some cases.

Perhaps for these reasons, low-emissivity coatings with three silver layers have not found much place in the market.

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