Reflecting coating

Abstract

A coated article includes a substrate and a metallic functional layer over at least a portion of the substrate. The metal functional layer includes a metal alloy selected from a silicon-aluminum alloy and a silicon-cobalt alloy. Another coated article includes a glass substrate and a coating over at least a portion of the substrate. The coating comprises a dielectric layer, a metal functional layer and a protective layer. A method of making a coated article is also provided.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 406,330, filed on September 14, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 18 / 244,958, filed on September 12, 2023, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention generally relates to a coated article comprising a substrate and a metallic functional layer comprising a metal alloy and a method for preparing the coated article. Background Art

[0004] High temperature manufacturing processes such as pyrolysis spraying processes can allow coatings to be mechanically and chemically durable, so that the coatings can be used on the first surface of architectural glass windows. However, the coatings may be rough, have poor film quality, and the material quality and thickness cannot be accurately controlled by the spraying technology. As an alternative, magnetron sputtering vapor deposition (MSVD) is an advanced technology for the uniformity of material quality, thickness and composition. Typical MSVD coatings are soft due to low temperature processes and do not have good durability. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a coating that can be deposited by MSVD, which has enhanced chemical and mechanical durability.

[0005] A smart mirror (two-way mirror, also called a one-way mirror) is a reciprocal mirror that is reflective on one side and transparent on the other. When one side of the mirror is brightly lit and the other side is dark, the perception of one-way transmission is achieved. This allows viewing from the darkened side, but not vice versa. Light always passes equally in both directions; however, when one side is brightly lit and the other side remains dark, the darker side becomes difficult to see from the brightly lit side because it is obscured by the brighter reflection of the lit side.

[0006] Smart mirrors have several useful applications. For example, when a smart mirror is placed in front of a display of an electronic device such as a computer and TV, people can see the information behind the display when it is turned on due to the transparency of the smart mirror, but cannot see the information on the display due to the high reflectivity of the front surface and the darkness of the display on the other side. Another application of smart mirrors is for police interrogation rooms. In this case, the smart mirror can allow a police officer to see the suspect being interrogated in a bright room, and allow multiple other police officers to carefully observe him from another dark room through a one-way mirror. The suspect cannot see the police officer in the dark room, but the police officer can see the suspect through the smart mirror. Summary of the invention

[0007] The coated article of the present invention comprises a substrate and a metallic functional layer over at least a portion of the substrate. The metallic functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from the group consisting of silicon-aluminum alloys and silicon-cobalt alloys.

[0008] Another coated article of the present invention comprises a glass substrate and a coating over at least a portion of the substrate. The coating comprises a dielectric layer over the substrate, a metal functional layer, and a protective layer over the metal functional layer. The metal functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from silicon aluminum alloy and silicon cobalt alloy.

[0009] The present invention also relates to a method for preparing a coated article, the method comprising providing a substrate and forming a metallic functional layer over at least a portion of the substrate. The metallic functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from a silicon aluminum alloy and a silicon cobalt alloy. The metallic functional layer is formed by a process comprising depositing the metal alloy by a magnetron sputtering vapor deposition method.

[0010] The present invention also relates to a method for preparing a coated article, the method comprising providing a substrate and forming a coating over at least a portion of the substrate. The coating comprises a dielectric layer over the substrate, a metallic functional layer, and a protective layer over the metallic functional layer. The metallic functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from a silicon aluminum alloy and a silicon cobalt alloy. The metallic functional layer is formed by a process comprising depositing the metal alloy by magnetron sputtering vapor deposition. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The present invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals identify like parts throughout.

[0012] Figure 1A is a side view (not to scale) of a substrate having a coating according to the present invention.

[0013] Figure 1B is a side view (not to scale) of an insulating glass unit (IGU) having a coating of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 is a side view (not to scale) of a coating incorporating features of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 is a side view (not to scale) of another coating incorporating features of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 4 is a side view (not to scale) of another coating incorporating features of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 5 is a side view (not to scale) of another coating incorporating features of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 6 is a side view (not to scale) of another coating incorporating features of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 7 is a side view (not to scale) of another coating incorporating features of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 8 is a side view (not to scale) of another coating incorporating features of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] As used herein, spatial or directional terms, such as "left", "right", "inside", "outside", "above", "below", etc., refer to the present invention as shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the present invention can take various alternative orientations, and therefore, these terms should not be considered restrictive. In addition, as used herein, all numbers used in the specification and claims to represent dimensions, physical properties, processing parameters, amounts of ingredients, reaction conditions, etc. should be understood to be modified by the term "about" in all cases. Therefore, the numerical values ​​set forth in the following specification and claims can vary according to the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention, unless otherwise indicated. At least, and without attempting to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical value should at least be interpreted in accordance with the numerical value of the reported significant figures and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. In addition, all ranges disclosed herein should be understood to include starting and ending range values ​​and any and all sub-ranges contained therein. For example, a reference to a range of "1 to 10" should be considered to include any and all subranges between (and including) a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 10; that is, all subranges starting with a minimum of 1 or greater and ending with a maximum of 10 or less, such as 1 to 3.3, 4.7 to 7.5, 5.5 to 10, etc. In addition, as used herein, the term "formed above," "deposited above," or "provided above" means formed on, deposited on, or provided on a surface but not necessarily in contact with the surface. For example, a coating "formed above" a substrate does not exclude the presence of one or more other coatings or films of the same or different composition between the formed coating and the substrate. As used herein, the term "polymer" or "polymerized" includes oligomers, homopolymers, copolymers, and terpolymers, such as polymers formed from two or more types of monomers or polymers. The term "visible region" or "visible light" refers to electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in the range of 380 nm to 800 nm. The term "infrared region" or "infrared radiation" refers to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the range of greater than 800 nm to 100,000 nm. The term "ultraviolet region" or "ultraviolet radiation" refers to electromagnetic energy with a wavelength in the range of 300 nm to less than 380 nm. In addition, all documents cited herein, such as but not limited to granted patents and patent applications, should be considered to be "incorporated by reference" in their entirety. As used herein, the term "film" refers to a coating region of a desired or selected coating composition. A "layer" may include one or more "films", and a "coating" or "coating stack" may include one or more "layers". The terms "metal" and "metal oxide" include silicon and silicon dioxide, respectively, as well as traditionally recognized metals and metal oxides, even though silicon may not be conventionally considered a metal. Unless otherwise indicated, thickness values ​​are geometric thickness values.

[0022] The discussion of the present invention may describe certain features as being "particularly" or "preferably" within certain limitations (e.g., "preferably", "more preferably" or "most preferably" within certain limitations). It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to these specific or preferred limitations, but encompasses the entire scope of the disclosure.

[0023] As used herein, the weight percent (wt%) of a metal oxide, metal alloy, metal nitride, or metal oxynitride is based on the total weight of the metal component and does not include the weight of any oxide, nitride, or oxynitride component. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that, as used herein, the weight percent of a metal functional layer refers to the weight percent of a metal target used to deposit the metal functional layer.

[0024] The present invention relates to a coated article. The coated article can be a smart mirror. A smart mirror (two-way mirror, also called a one-way mirror) is a reciprocal mirror that is reflective on one side and transparent on the other side. The coated article comprises a substrate. A metal functional layer is located above at least a portion of the substrate. The metal functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from silicon aluminum alloy and silicon cobalt alloy. Optionally, the coated article may also have a protective layer, a base layer or a dielectric layer. For example, the coated article comprises a substrate ( Figure 1A ). The coating comprises a dielectric layer, a metal functional layer, a protective layer and optionally a second dielectric layer and / or a base layer.

[0025] The coated article 10 includes a substrate 12. The substrate 12 can be any desired material having any desired properties, such as being transparent, opaque, or translucent to visible light. For example, the substrate 12 can be transparent or translucent to visible light. "Transparent" means having a visible light transmittance of greater than 0% to 100%. Alternatively, the substrate 12 can be translucent. "Translucent" means allowing electromagnetic energy (e.g., visible light) to pass through but diffusing the energy so that objects on the side opposite to the observer are not clearly visible. Examples of suitable materials include, but are not limited to, plastic substrates (e.g., acrylic polymers, such as polyacrylates; polyalkyl methacrylates, such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyethyl methacrylate, polypropyl methacrylate, etc.; polyurethanes; polycarbonates; polyalkyl terephthalates, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, etc.; polymers containing polysiloxanes; or copolymers of any monomers used to prepare these, or any mixtures thereof); ceramic substrates; glass substrates; or mixtures or combinations of any of the above. For example, substrate 12 can be conventional soda-lime silicate glass, borosilicate glass, or leaded glass. The glass can be clear glass. "Clear glass" refers to non-tinted or non-colored glass. Alternatively, the glass can be tinted or other colored glass. The glass can be annealed or heat-treated glass. As used herein, the term "heat-treated" refers to tempered or at least partially tempered. The glass may be of any type, such as conventional float glass, and may be of any composition having any optical properties, such as any values ​​of visible light transmittance, ultraviolet transmittance, infrared transmittance, and / or total solar energy transmittance. "Float glass" refers to glass formed by a conventional float process in which molten glass is deposited onto a molten metal bath and controllably cooled to form a float glass ribbon. Examples of float glass processes are disclosed in U.S. Patents 4,466,562 and 4,671,155.

[0026] The substrate 12 may include, for example, transparent float glass, or may be tinted or colored glass. The substrate 12 may have any desired size, such as length, width, shape, or thickness. In a non-limiting embodiment, the substrate 12 may be 1 mm to 30 mm thick, such as 2.5 mm to 25 mm thick, such as 2.5 mm to 10 mm.

[0027] In some embodiments, substrate 12 can be a monolithic glazing. "Monolithic" means having a single structural support or structural member, such as having a single substrate.

[0028] The coated article has a metal functional layer 60 deposited over at least a portion of the major surface of the substrate 12. The metal functional layer 60 provides (a) reflection of electromagnetic radiation in at least a portion of the infrared radiation region of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as the solar infrared radiation region and / or the thermal infrared radiation region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and / or (b) absorption of electromagnetic radiation in at least a portion of one or more regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as the visible radiation region and / or the infrared radiation region and / or the ultraviolet radiation region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The metal functional layer 60 may include a metal alloy, such as, but not limited to, a metal alloy including silicon and / or cobalt. Non-limiting examples of suitable metal alloys include silicon aluminum alloys and silicon cobalt alloys.

[0029] In some embodiments, the metallic functional layer 60 may be substantially free of iron, may be substantially free of iron, or may be completely free of iron. As used herein, the term "substantially free" means that the metallic functional layer contains less than 1 wt % iron, "substantially free" means that the metallic functional layer contains less than 0.1 wt % iron, and "completely free" means less than 0.01 wt % iron.

[0030] In another exemplary embodiment, the metal functional layer 60 comprises silicon. For example, the metal functional layer 60 may comprise a metal alloy comprising silicon in a range of 50% to 99% by weight, 60% to 99% by weight, 75% to 99% by weight, 80% to 99% by weight, 85% to 99% by weight, or 90% to 99% by weight. In a non-limiting embodiment, the metal functional layer 60 comprises a silicon aluminum alloy comprising 70% to 100% by weight silicon and 0% to 30% by weight aluminum, such as 80% to 95% by weight silicon and 5% to 20% by weight aluminum; such as 85% to 99% by weight silicon and 1% to 15% by weight aluminum, such as 85% to 95% by weight silicon and 5% to 15% by weight aluminum, or 90% to 95% by weight silicon and 5% to 10% by weight aluminum.

[0031] In another exemplary embodiment, the metallic functional layer comprises silicon and cobalt. For example, the metallic functional layer 60 may include a metal alloy comprising silicon in a range of 30 wt % to 85 wt % and cobalt in a range of 15 wt % to 70 wt %, such as from 50 wt % to 90 wt % silicon and from 10 wt % to 50 wt % cobalt, such as from 50 wt % to 70 wt % silicon and from 30 wt % to 50 wt % cobalt, such as from 65 wt % to 75 wt % silicon and from 25 wt % to 35 wt % cobalt.

[0032] The metallic functional layer 60 may have any desired thickness, for example in the range of 1 nanometer (nm) to 100 nm, 5 nm to 50 nm, 10 nm to 50 nm, 10 nm to 45 nm, 20 nm to 40 nm, 20 nm to 50 nm, 20 nm to 60 nm, 30 nm to 45 nm, 10 nm to 35 nm, or 20 nm to 30 nm.

[0033] The coated article 10 may include a protective layer 80, for example Figure 2In the non-limiting embodiment shown, it is deposited over the metallic functional layer 60 to help protect underlying layers, such as the metallic functional layer, from mechanical and chemical attack during processing. The protective layer 80 can be the outermost layer of the coating 30. The protective layer 80 can be an oxygen barrier coating to prevent or reduce the ingress of ambient oxygen into the underlying layers of the coating 30, such as during heating or bending. The protective layer 80 can be any desired material or mixture of materials. For example, the protective layer can include a metal oxide layer, a metal nitride layer, or a mixture thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the protective layer 80 can include a layer having one or more metal oxide materials, such as, but not limited to, oxides of aluminum, silicon, or mixtures thereof. For example, the protective coating 80 can be a single coating comprising 0 wt % to 100 wt % aluminum oxide and / or 100 wt % to 0 % to 5 wt % silica, for example 5 wt % to 95 (e.g. 45) wt % alumina and 95 wt % to 5 wt % silica, for example 10 wt % to 90 wt % alumina and 90 wt % to 10 wt % silica, for example 15 wt % to 90 wt % alumina and 85 wt % to 10 wt % silica, for example 50 wt % to 75 wt % alumina and 50 wt % to 25 wt % silica, for example 50 wt % to 70 wt % alumina and 50 wt % to 30 wt % silica, for example 35 wt % to 100 wt % alumina. % to 0 wt % of silicon dioxide, such as 70 wt % to 90 wt % of aluminum oxide and 30 wt % to 10 wt % of silicon dioxide, such as 75 wt % to 85 wt % of aluminum oxide and 25 wt % to 15 wt % of silicon dioxide, such as 88 wt % of aluminum oxide and 12 wt % of silicon dioxide, such as 65 wt % to 75 wt % of aluminum oxide and 35 wt % to 25 wt % of silicon dioxide, such as 70 wt % of aluminum oxide and 30 wt % of silicon dioxide, such as 60 wt % to less than 75 wt % of aluminum oxide and greater than 25 wt % to 40 wt % of silicon dioxide. Other materials may also be present, such as aluminum, chromium, hafnium, yttrium, nickel, boron, phosphorus, titanium, zirconium and / or oxides thereof, so as to adjust the refractive index of the protective layer 80. In a non-limiting embodiment, the refractive index of the protective layer 80 can be in the range of 1 to 3, such as 1 to 2, such as 1.4 to 2, such as 1.4 to 1.8.

[0034] In one non-limiting embodiment, the protective layer 80 is a combined coating of silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide. The protective coating 80 can be sputtered from two cathodes (e.g., one silicon and one aluminum) or from a single cathode containing both silicon and aluminum. The silicon / aluminum oxide protective layer 80 can be written as Si x Al 1-x O (1.5+x) / 2 , where x can vary from greater than 0 to less than 1.

[0035] In another non-limiting embodiment, protective layer 80 comprises a combination of titanium dioxide and aluminum oxide.

[0036] In one non-limiting embodiment, the protective layer 80 may include silicon oxide (SiO x ), silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 or SiN x ), silicon oxynitride (SiO x N y ), silicon alumina (SiAlO x ), Silicon Aluminum Nitride (SiAlN x ), silicon aluminum oxynitride (SiAlO x N y ), mixtures thereof and / or alloys thereof, and which can provide increased durability for the metal functional layer 60. The protective layer 80 can be formed of silicon nitride deposited with other materials having superior electrical conductivity to improve the sputtering of silicon. For example, during deposition, the silicon cathode may include a small amount (e.g., up to 20 weight %, up to 15 weight %, up to 10 weight % or up to 5 weight %) of aluminum to improve sputtering. In this case, the resulting silicon nitride protective layer will include a small percentage of aluminum, such as up to 15 weight % aluminum, such as up to 10 weight % aluminum, such as up to 5 weight % aluminum. The coating deposited from a silicon cathode having up to 10 weight % aluminum (added to enhance the conductivity of the cathode) is referred to herein as a "silicon nitride" layer, even though a small amount of aluminum may be present. A small amount of aluminum in the cathode (e.g., less than or equal to 15 weight %, such as less than or equal to 10 weight %, such as less than or equal to 5 weight %) is believed to form aluminum nitride in the protective layer 80 that is primarily silicon nitride. The protective layer 80 may be formed in a nitrogen atmosphere; however, it should be understood that other gases, such as oxygen, may be present in the atmosphere during deposition of the protective layer 80 .

[0037] The protective layer 80 may have any desired thickness. The protective layer 80 may have a thickness in the range of 1 nm to 250 nm, 1 nm to 150 nm, 5 nm to 150 nm, 10 nm to 120 nm, 100 nm to 140 nm, 5 nm to 70 nm, 30 nm to 70 nm, 5 nm to 30 nm, or 10 nm to 30 nm. The protective layer 80 is the outermost layer of the coated article. In addition, the protective layer 80 may have a non-uniform thickness. "Non-uniform thickness" means that the thickness of the protective layer 80 may vary on a given unit area, for example, the protective layer 80 may have high points or areas and low points or areas.

[0038] In another non-limiting embodiment, the protective layer 80 can be a multilayer coating, which includes a first film and a second film formed above the first film. The first film can include aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, tin oxide or a mixture thereof. In a specific non-limiting embodiment, the first film can include aluminum oxide or a mixture or alloy containing aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide. For example, the first film can include a silicon dioxide / aluminum oxide mixture, the mixture has more than 5% by weight of aluminum oxide, such as more than 10% by weight of aluminum oxide, such as more than 15% by weight of aluminum oxide, such as more than 30% by weight of aluminum oxide, such as more than 40% by weight of aluminum oxide, such as 50% to 70% by weight of aluminum oxide, such as 60% to 100% by weight of aluminum oxide and 0% to 40% by weight of silicon dioxide, such as 60% by weight of aluminum oxide and 40% by weight of silicon dioxide. In another example, the first layer can include zinc stannate. In another example, the first film can include zirconium oxide. In a non-limiting embodiment, the first film can have a thickness in a range from greater than 0 nm to 1000 nm, such as 10 nm to 25 nm, such as 10.1 nm to 25 nm, such as 15 nm to 20 nm, such as 16 nm.

[0039] The second film of the protective layer 80 may include, for example, a metal oxide or a metal nitride. The second film may be titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, zirconium oxide, tin oxide, a mixture thereof, or an alloy thereof. For example, the second film may include a mixture of titanium dioxide and aluminum oxide; a mixture of titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide; or zirconium oxide. An example of the second film may include a titanium dioxide / aluminum oxide mixture having 40 wt % to 60 wt % aluminum oxide and 40 wt % to 60 wt % titanium dioxide; 45 wt % to 55 wt % aluminum oxide and 45 wt % to 55 wt % titanium dioxide; 48 wt % to 52 wt % aluminum oxide and 48 wt % to 52 wt % titanium dioxide; 49 wt % to 51 wt % aluminum oxide and 49 wt % to 51 wt % titanium dioxide; or 50 wt % aluminum oxide and 50 wt % titanium dioxide. An example of the second film may include titanium alumina (TiAlO). Another example of the second film is a silica / alumina mixture having greater than 40 wt% silica, such as greater than 50 wt% silica, such as greater than 60 wt% silica, such as greater than 70 wt% silica, such as greater than 80 wt% silica, such as 80 wt% to 90 wt% (such as 45%) silica and 10 wt% to 20 wt% alumina, such as 85 wt% silica and 15 wt% alumina. In a non-limiting embodiment, the thickness of the second film may be in the range of greater than 0 nm to 2,000 nm, such as 5 nm to 500 nm, such as 5 nm to 200 nm, such as 10 nm to 100 nm, such as 20 nm to 50 nm, such as 22 nm to 35 nm, such as 22 nm. Non-limiting examples of suitable protective layers are described in, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publications 2004 / 0106017A1; 2002 / 0172775A1; 2003 / 0228484A1; 2004 / 0023080A1; 2004 / 0023038A1; and 2003 / 0228476A1.

[0040] In a non-limiting example, the protective layer 80 may include an additional third film formed above the second film. The third film may be a film of any material used to form the first film or the second film. The third film may, for example, contain aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, tin oxide, or a mixture thereof. For example, the third film may contain a mixture of silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide. In another example, the third film contains zirconium oxide.

[0041] In one non-limiting embodiment, the coated article may include a base layer 50, such as Figure 3As shown, it is deposited above the substrate 12 and below the metal functional layer 60. The base layer 50 can provide various performance advantages to the coated article, such as acting as a sodium ion barrier between the substrate 12 and the overlying coating. The base layer 50 can include any of the materials described above with respect to the outermost protective layer 80. For example, the base layer can include tin oxide (SnO x ), silicon oxide (SiO x ), silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 or SiN x ), silicon oxynitride (SiO x N x ), silicon alumina (SiAlO x ), Silicon Aluminum Nitride (SiAlN x ), silicon aluminum oxynitride (SiAlO x N x ), mixtures thereof and / or alloys thereof. The base layer 50 may be a multilayer coating comprising a first film and a second film formed over the first film. In a non-limiting embodiment, the base layer comprises one or more films, each of which comprises SnO x 、SiO x 、Si 3 N 4 、SiO x N x 、SiAlO x 、SiAlN x or SiAlO x N x For example, the base layer may include two films, each of which includes SiAlO x or SiAlN x .

[0042] In a non-limiting embodiment, the base layer 50 may include a metal nitride such as Si 3 N 4 and / or a film of SiAlN disposed above and in contact with a metal oxynitride film such as SiAlON. Additionally or alternatively, examples of metal oxynitride films may also include alloys and / or mixtures of metal nitrides.

[0043] The base layer 50 may have any desired thickness. The base layer 50 may have a thickness in the range of 1 nm to 250 nm, 1 nm to 150 nm, 5 nm to 150 nm, 10 nm to 120 nm, 15 nm to 100 nm, 30 nm to 110 nm, 100 nm to 140 nm, 70 nm to 110 nm, or 30 nm to 80 nm.

[0044] In one non-limiting embodiment, the coated article may include at least one dielectric layer. Figure 4 , 5 As shown in FIG. 6 , a dielectric layer 40 is deposited above the substrate 12 and below the metal functional layer 60. Figure 4 and 5 As shown, the dielectric layer 40 is deposited directly on the substrate 12 and below the metal functional layer 60. In another embodiment, the coated article 10 includes a dielectric layer 40 ( Figure 6 ).

[0045] Alternatively, the coated article 10 may include a dielectric layer 70 deposited directly above the metallic functional layer 60 and below the protective layer 80 ( Figure 7 In another non-limiting embodiment, the dielectric layer 70 is directly above the protective layer 80 and is the outermost layer ( Figure 8 ).

[0046] The dielectric layer(s) 40, 70 may be a single layer, or may include more than one film of anti-reflective material and / or dielectric material, such as, but not limited to, metal oxides, oxides of metal alloys, metal nitrides, metal oxynitrides, or mixtures thereof. The dielectric layer(s) 40, 70 may be transparent to visible light. Examples of suitable metal oxides for the dielectric layer(s) 40, 70 include oxides of titanium, hafnium, zirconium, niobium, zinc, bismuth, lead, indium, tin, and mixtures thereof. These metal oxides may have small amounts of other materials, such as manganese in bismuth oxide, tin in indium oxide, and the like. In addition, oxides of metal alloys or metal mixtures may be used, such as oxides containing zinc and tin (e.g., zinc stannate, as defined below), oxides of indium-tin alloys, silicon nitride, silicon aluminum nitride, or aluminum nitride. In addition, doped metal oxides may be used, such as antimony or indium doped tin oxides or nickel or boron doped silicon oxides. The dielectric layer(s) 40, 70 may be a substantially single phase film, such as a metal oxide film, such as zinc stannate, or may be a mixture of phases consisting of zinc and tin oxides, or may consist of a plurality of films. For example, the dielectric layer(s) may comprise one or more films selected from zinc tin oxide, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon aluminum nitride, titanium oxide, and titanium nitride.

[0047] The dielectric layer(s) 40, 70 (whether single or multi-layer) may have any thickness, for example in the range of 1 nm to 200 nm, 1 nm to 150 nm, 1 nm to 100 nm, 5 nm to 140 nm, 5 nm to 100 nm, 10 nm to 50 nm, 30 nm to 70 nm, 80 nm to 120 nm, 100 nm to 140 nm, or 1 nm to 10 nm.

[0048] When using dielectric layer(s) 40, 70 having a high refractive index, the reflectivity of the coated article 10 can be increased. In a non-limiting embodiment, dielectric layer(s) 40, 70 can have a refractive index of at least 1.4, at least 1.5, at least 1.8, or at least 2.0. In a non-limiting embodiment, dielectric layer(s) 40, 70 can have a refractive index in the range of 1.4 to 2.5, 1.4 to 2.0, or 1.5 to 2.0.

[0049] The coated article 10 may include more than one dielectric layer. Each dielectric layer may include the same or different materials as the other dielectric layers and have the same or different thicknesses as the other dielectric layers. For example, the coated article 10 may include at least two dielectric layers. In one non-limiting embodiment, the coated article may have a dielectric layer 40 above the substrate 12 and below the metallic functional layer 60, and a dielectric layer 70 above the metallic functional layer 60 and below the protective layer 80, such as Figure 5 shown.

[0050] In a non-limiting embodiment, the coated article 10 may optionally include a primer layer above the metal functional layer 60. The primer layer may be a monofilm or a multifilm layer. The primer layer may include an oxygen capture material, which may be sacrificial during deposition to prevent degradation or oxidation of the metal functional layer 60 during sputtering or subsequent heating. The primer layer may also absorb at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation, such as visible light, that passes through the coating 30. Examples of materials that may be used for the primer layer include titanium, silicon, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, nickel, zirconium, aluminum, cobalt, chromium, titanium, aluminum, its alloy or its mixture. In a non-limiting embodiment, the primer layer includes titanium, titanium and aluminum, or zinc and aluminum, which are deposited as metals, and at least a portion of titanium, or titanium and aluminum, or zinc and aluminum are subsequently oxidized. In another embodiment, the primer layer includes a nickel-chromium alloy, such as Inconel. In another embodiment, the primer layer includes a cobalt-chromium alloy, such as Stellite®.

[0051] The thickness of the primer layer may be in the range of 0.5 nm to 5 nm, such as 1 nm to 4 nm, for example 1 nm to 2.5 nm.

[0052] The present invention also relates to a coated article comprising a glass substrate and a coating over at least a portion of the substrate. The coating comprises a dielectric layer over the substrate, a metal functional layer, and a protective layer over the metal functional layer, wherein the metal functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from silicon aluminum alloy and silicon cobalt alloy. The dielectric layer, the metal functional layer, and the protective layer of the coating can be any layer previously described herein. Optionally, the coating further comprises a second dielectric layer and / or a base layer. The optional second dielectric layer and the optional base layer of the coating are any layers previously described herein.

[0053] Figure 2 An exemplary non-limiting coated article 10 of the present invention is shown. The coated article 10 includes a metallic functional layer 60 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with a substrate 12. The coated article 10 also includes a protective layer 80 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the metallic functional layer 60. The metallic functional layer 60 and the protective layer 80 constitute a coating 30 over and optionally in direct contact with at least a portion of the substrate 12. The substrate 12 can be glass.

[0054] Figure 3 Another exemplary non-limiting coated article 10 of the present invention is shown. The coated article 10 includes a base layer 50 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with a substrate 12. The coated article 10 also includes a metallic functional layer 60 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the base layer 50. The coated article 10 also includes an outermost protective layer 80 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the metallic functional layer 60. The base layer 50, the metallic functional layer 60, and the protective layer 80 constitute a coating 30 over and optionally in direct contact with at least a portion of the substrate 12. The substrate 12 can be glass.

[0055] Figure 4 Another exemplary non-limiting coated article 10 of the present invention is shown. The coated article 10 includes a dielectric layer 40 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with at least a portion of a substrate 12. The coated article 10 also includes a metallic functional layer 60 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the dielectric layer 40. The coated article 10 also includes a protective layer 80 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the metallic functional layer 60. The dielectric layer 40, the metallic functional layer 60, and the protective layer 80 constitute a coating 30 over and optionally in direct contact with at least a portion of the substrate 12. The substrate 12 can be glass.

[0056] Figure 5Another exemplary non-limiting coated article 10 of the present invention is shown. The coated article 10 includes a first dielectric layer 40 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with at least a portion of a substrate 12. The coated article 10 also includes a metallic functional layer 60 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the first dielectric layer 40. The coated article 10 also includes a second dielectric layer 70 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the metallic functional layer 60. The coated article 10 also includes a protective layer 80 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the second dielectric layer 70. The first dielectric layer 40, the metallic functional layer 60, the second dielectric layer 70, and the protective layer 80 constitute a coating 30 located over and optionally in direct contact with at least a portion of the substrate 12. The substrate 12 can be glass.

[0057] Figure 6 Another exemplary non-limiting coated article 10 of the present invention is shown. The coated article 10 includes a dielectric layer 40 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with at least a portion of a substrate 12. The coated article 10 also includes a base layer 50 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the dielectric layer 40. The coated article 10 also includes a metallic functional layer 60 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the base layer 50. The coated article 10 also includes a protective layer 80 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the metallic functional layer 60. The dielectric layer 40, the base layer 50, the metallic functional layer 60, and the protective layer 80 constitute a coating 30 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with at least a portion of the substrate 12. The substrate 12 can be glass.

[0058] Figure 7 Another exemplary non-limiting coated article 10 of the present invention is shown. The coated article 10 includes a metallic functional layer 60 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with a substrate 12. The coated article 10 also includes a dielectric layer 70 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the metallic functional layer 60. The coated article 10 also includes a protective layer 80 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the dielectric layer 70. The metallic functional layer, the dielectric layer, and the protective layer constitute a coating 30 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with at least a portion of the substrate 12. The substrate 12 can be glass.

[0059] Figure 8 Another exemplary non-limiting coated article 10 of the present invention is shown. The coated article 10 includes a metallic functional layer 60 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with a substrate 12. The coated article 10 also includes a protective layer 80 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the metallic functional layer 60. The coated article 10 also includes a dielectric layer 70 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with the protective layer 80. The metallic functional layer 60, the protective layer 80, and the dielectric layer 70 constitute a coating 30 deposited over and optionally in direct contact with at least a portion of the substrate 12. The substrate 12 can be glass.

[0060] (One or more) dielectric layers 40, 70, base layer 50, metal functional layer 60, protective layer 80 and optional primer layer can be deposited by any conventional method, such as but not limited to conventional chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and / or physical vapor deposition (PVD) methods. Examples of CVD methods include spray pyrolysis. Examples of PVD methods include electron beam evaporation and vacuum sputtering (such as magnetron sputtering vapor deposition (MSVD)). Other coating methods can also be used, such as but not limited to sol-gel deposition. In a non-limiting embodiment, the layer of coating 30 can be deposited by MSVD. Examples of MSVD coating apparatus and methods are well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art and are described, for example, in U.S. Patents 4,379,040; 4,861,669; 4,898,789; 4,898,790; 4,900,633; 4,920,006; 4,938,857; 5,328,768; and 5,492,750. In one non-limiting embodiment, a cobalt-chromium alloy is used as a magnetron sputtering target to deposit the metallic functional layer 60.

[0061] The coating 30 of the present invention can provide desired physical properties, including but not limited to durability, such as moisture resistance and chemical resistance. In some non-limiting embodiments, it is found that the presence of (one or more) dielectric layers 40, 70 and / or protective layer 80 enhances the durability of the coating.

[0062] The materials used for the coating (e.g., the metallic functional layer 60) can be selected to obtain the desired color characteristics of the coating 30. The coating 30 can be substantially composed of the materials described herein to obtain the desired color characteristics of the coating. For example, the coating 30 substantially composed of the materials described herein may include additional materials, provided that the color characteristics of the coating are not affected. The color coordinates a*, b*, and L* are color coordinates of the traditional CIE (1931) and CIELAB systems understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0063] In one non-limiting implementation of the present invention, the coated article 10 has a transmittance L* in the range of 45 to 60. For example, in the range of 45 to 58 or 45 to 56.

[0064] In one non-limiting implementation of the present invention, the coated article 10 has a transmittance (T) a* in the range of -1.0 to 13.0, such as -1.0 to -11.5, -0.5 to 13.0, -0.5 to -11.5, -0.5 to 1.0, 9.0 to 11.5, or 3.5 to 11.5.

[0065] In one non-limiting implementation of the present invention, the coated article 10 has a transmittance (T) b* in the range of -1.0 to 13.0, such as in the range of -0.5 to 13.0, -0.5 to 7.5, 8.5 to 13.0, or 2.5 to 13.0.

[0066] In one non-limiting implementation of the present invention, the coated article 10 has a visible light transmittance (LTA) in the range of 15-35. For example, in the range of 15-30, 15-28, or 17-27.

[0067] In one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the coated article 10 has a film side reflectivity (Rf) L* in the range of 70 to 90. For example, in the range of 75 to 90, 80 to 90, or 85 to 90. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the coated article 10 has an Rf L* of at least 75, such as at least 80 or at least 85.

[0068] In one non-limiting implementation of the present invention, the coated article 10 has an Rf a* in the range of -10.0 to 0.0, such as in the range of -9.0 to 0.0, -9.0 to -0.3, -8.5 to 0.0, -4.5 to 0.0, or -8.5 to -3.0.

[0069] In one non-limiting implementation of the present invention, the coated article 10 has an Rf b* in the range of -4.0 to 13.0, such as in the range of -4.0 to 12.0, -3.0 to 12.0, or -2.0 to 0.0.

[0070] In one non-limiting implementation of the invention, the coated article 10 has a glass side reflection (Rg) L* in the range of 70 to 85. For example, in the range of 72 to 85, 75 to 85, 72 to 82, or 75 to 82. In one non-limiting implementation of the invention, the coated article 10 has an Rg L* of at least 70, such as at least 75, such as at least 80.

[0071] In one non-limiting implementation of the present invention, the coated article 10 has an Rg a* in the range of -10.0 to 0.0, such as in the range of -9.0 to 0.0, -9.0 to -1.0, -9.0 to -2.0, or -8.0 to -2.0.

[0072] In one non-limiting implementation of the present invention, the coated article 10 has an Rg b* in the range of -6.0 to 15.0, such as in the range of -5.5 to 15.0, -5.0 to 15.0, -5.0 to 4.5.

[0073] Certain embodiments of the present invention are particularly suitable for coatings for smart mirrors or displays. For example, the coatings of the present invention can be applied to smart mirrors or electronic display applications for querying rooms.

[0074] The present invention also relates to a method for preparing a coated article. A substrate is provided. A metal functional layer is formed over at least a portion of the substrate, wherein the metal functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from a silicon aluminum alloy and a silicon cobalt alloy. The metal functional layer is formed by a process comprising depositing the metal alloy by magnetron sputtering vapor deposition. The method may also optionally further comprise forming a protective layer. The protective layer may be any protective layer described herein. The method may also optionally further comprise forming at least one dielectric layer. The at least one dielectric layer may be any of the dielectric layers described herein. The method may also optionally further comprise forming a base layer. The base layer may be any base layer described herein.

[0075] The present invention also relates to a method for preparing a coated article, wherein a substrate is provided and a coating is formed over at least a portion of the substrate. The coating includes a dielectric layer over the substrate. The coating includes a metal functional layer. The coating includes a protective layer over the metal functional layer. The metal functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from a silicon aluminum alloy and a silicon cobalt alloy. The metal functional layer is formed by a process comprising depositing the metal alloy by magnetron sputtering vapor deposition. The dielectric layer and the protective layer may be any of the dielectric layers and protective layers described herein. The coating may optionally further include a second dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer may be any dielectric layer described herein. The coating may optionally further include a base layer. The base layer may be any base layer described herein.

[0076] The coated articles described herein can be used for architectural transparent parts, such as but not limited to insulating glass units. As used herein, the term "architectural transparent parts" refers to any transparent parts located on a building, such as but not limited to windows and skylights. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the use of such architectural transparent parts, but can be implemented using transparent parts in any desired field, such as but not limited to laminated or non-laminated residential and / or commercial windows, insulating glass units and / or transparent parts for land, air, space, water and underwater vehicles. Therefore, it should be understood that the specifically disclosed exemplary embodiments are only used to explain the general concept of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these specific exemplary embodiments. In addition, although a typical "transparent part" may have sufficient visible light transmittance so that the material can be observed through the transparent part, in the practice of the present invention, the "transparent part" does not need to be transparent to visible light, but can be translucent or opaque.

[0077] Figure 1BA non-limiting insulating glass unit 110 incorporating features of the present invention is provided. The insulating glass unit 110 includes a first ply 112 having a first major surface 114 (surface No. 1) and an opposing second major surface 116 (surface No. 2). In the non-limiting embodiment shown, the first major surface 114 faces the exterior of the building, i.e., is an exterior major surface, and the second major surface 116 faces the interior of the building. The insulating glass unit 110 also includes a second ply 118 having an exterior (first) major surface 120 (surface No. 3) and an interior (second) major surface 122 (surface No. 4) and spaced apart from the first ply 112. In some embodiments, the insulating glass unit includes a third ply having a surface No. 5 and an opposing surface No. 6. This numbering of the ply surfaces is consistent with conventional practice in the window opening technology. The plies 112, 118 may have any desired transmittance and / or reflectivity of visible light, infrared radiation, or ultraviolet radiation. For example, the plies 112, 118 may have any desired amount of visible light transmittance, such as greater than 0% up to 100%.

[0078] The plies 112, 118 can each be, for example, clear float glass, or can be tinted or colored glass, or one ply 112, 118 can be clear glass while the other ply 112, 118 is colored glass. Although not limiting the present invention, examples of glass suitable for the first ply 112 and / or the second ply 118 are described in U.S. Patents 4,746,347; 4,792,536; 5,030,593; 5,030,594; 5,240,886; 5,385,872; and 5,393,593.

[0079] The first and second plies 112, 118 can be connected together in any suitable manner, such as by adhesively bonding to a conventional spacer frame 124. A gap or chamber 126 is formed between the two plies 112, 118. The chamber 126 can be filled with a selected atmosphere, such as air, or a non-reactive gas, such as argon or krypton. A coating 130 is formed over at least a portion of one of the plies 112, 118, such as but not limited to at least a portion of the No. 2 surface 116 or at least a portion of the No. 3 surface 120. However, if desired, the coating 130 can also be on the No. 1 surface 114 or the No. 4 surface 122. The coating 130 can include, be substantially composed of, or be composed of any coating described herein. Examples of insulating glass units can be found in, for example, U.S. Patents 4,193,236; 4,464,874; 5,088,258; and 5,106,663.

[0080] The invention is further described in the following numbered clauses:

[0081] Clause 1. A coated article comprising: a substrate; and a metallic functional layer over at least a portion of the substrate; wherein the metallic functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from the group consisting of a silicon aluminum alloy and a silicon cobalt alloy.

[0082] Item 2. The coated article of Item 1, wherein the metallic functional layer has a thickness in a range of 20 nm to 40 nm, 20 nm to 60 nm, 30 nm to 45 nm, or 20 nm to 30 nm.

[0083] Item 3. The coated article of Item 1 or 2, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 60 wt % to 99 wt % silicon.

[0084] Item 4. The coated article of any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises a silicon aluminum alloy or a silicon cobalt alloy.

[0085] Item 5. The coated article of any of Items 1 to 4, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 70 wt % to 100 wt % silicon and 0 wt % to 30 wt % aluminum, 80 wt % to 95 wt % silicon and 5 wt % to 20 wt % aluminum, or 85 wt % to 95 wt % silicon and 5 wt % to 15 wt % aluminum.

[0086] Item 6. The coated article of any one of Items 1 to 4, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 30 wt % to 85 wt % silicon and 15 wt % to 70 wt % cobalt, or 50 wt % to 70 wt % silicon and 30 wt % to 50 wt % cobalt.

[0087] Item 7. The coated article of any one of Items 1 to 6, wherein the metallic functional layer is substantially free of iron, essentially free of iron, or completely free of iron.

[0088] Item 8. The coated article of any one of Items 1 to 7, further comprising a protective layer over the metallic functional layer.

[0089] Item 9. The coated article of Item 8, wherein the protective layer comprises a metal oxide layer, a metal nitride layer, or a mixture thereof.

[0090] Item 10. The coated article of Item 8 or 9, wherein the protective layer comprises titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum silicon nitride, aluminum silicon oxynitride, zirconium oxide, or a mixture thereof.

[0091] Item 11. The coated article of any one of Items 8 to 10, wherein the protective layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 70 nm, 5 nm to 30 nm, 30 nm to 70 nm, or 10 nm to 30 nm.

[0092] Item 12. The coated article of any one of Items 1 to 11, further comprising a base layer above the substrate and below the metallic functional layer.

[0093] Item 13. The coated article of Item 12, wherein the base layer has a thickness of 30 nm to 110 nm, 30 nm to 80 nm, or 70 nm to 110 nm.

[0094] Item 14. The coated article of any one of Items 1 to 13, further comprising at least one dielectric layer.

[0095] Item 15. The coated article of Item 14, wherein the dielectric layer comprises one or more films selected from zinc tin oxide, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon aluminum nitride, titanium oxide, and titanium nitride.

[0096] Item 16. The coated article of Item 14 or 15, wherein each dielectric layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 140 nm, 80 nm to 120 nm, 100 nm to 140 nm, or 1 nm to 10 nm.

[0097] Item 17. The coated article of any one of Items 1 to 16, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate.

[0098] Item 18. A coated article comprising: a glass substrate; and a coating over at least a portion of the substrate, the coating comprising: a dielectric layer over the substrate; a metallic functional layer; and a protective layer over the metallic functional layer; wherein the metallic functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from a silicon aluminum alloy and a silicon cobalt alloy.

[0099] Item 19. The coated article of Item 18, wherein the metallic functional layer is located above the dielectric layer.

[0100] Clause 20. The coated article of Clause 18 or 19, further comprising a second dielectric layer over the metallic functional layer; wherein the protective layer is over the second dielectric layer.

[0101] Item 21. The coated article of any one of Items 18 to 20, further comprising a base layer over the dielectric layer; wherein the metallic functional layer is located over the base layer.

[0102] Item 22. The coated article of Item 18 or 20, wherein the dielectric layer is located over the protective layer.

[0103] Item 23. The coated article of any one of Items 18 to 22, wherein the metallic functional layer has a thickness in a range of 20 nm to 40 nm, 20 nm to 60 nm, 30 nm to 45 nm, or 20 nm to 30 nm.

[0104] Item 24. The coated article of any one of Items 18 to 23, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 60 wt % to 99 wt % silicon.

[0105] Item 25. The coated article of any one of Items 18 to 24 or 32, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises a silicon aluminum alloy or a silicon cobalt alloy.

[0106] Item 26. The coated article of any of Items 18 to 24, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 70 wt % to 100 wt % silicon and 0 wt % to 30 wt % aluminum, 80 wt % to 95 wt % silicon and 5 wt % to 20 wt % aluminum, or 85 wt % to 95 wt % silicon and 5 wt % to 15 wt % aluminum.

[0107] Item 27. The coated article of any one of Items 18 to 24, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 30 wt % to 85 wt % silicon and 15 wt % to 70 wt % cobalt, or 50 wt % to 70 wt % silicon and 30 wt % to 50 wt % cobalt.

[0108] Item 28. The coated article of any one of Items 18 to 27, wherein the metallic functional layer is substantially free of iron, essentially free of iron, or completely free of iron.

[0109] Item 29. The coated article of any one of Items 18 to 28, wherein the dielectric layer comprises one or more films selected from zinc tin oxide, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon aluminum nitride, titanium oxide, and titanium nitride.

[0110] Item 30. The coated article of any one of Items 18 to 29, wherein the dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride or aluminum silicon nitride.

[0111] Item 31. The coated article of any of Items 18 to 30, wherein the dielectric layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 140 nm, 80 nm to 120 nm, 100 nm to 140 nm, or 1 nm to 10 nm.

[0112] Item 32. The coated article of any one of Items 18 to 31, wherein the protective layer comprises a metal oxide layer, a metal nitride layer, or a mixture thereof.

[0113] Item 33. The coated article of any one of Items 18 to 32, wherein the protective layer comprises at least one of titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum silicon nitride, aluminum silicon oxynitride, zirconium oxide, or mixtures thereof.

[0114] Clause 34. The coated article of any of Clauses 18 to 33, wherein the protective layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 70 nm, 5 nm to 30 nm, 30 nm to 70 nm, or 10 nm to 30 nm.

[0115] Item 35. The coated article of any one of Items 21 or 23 to 34, wherein the base layer has a thickness of 30 nm to 110 nm, 30 nm to 80 nm, or 70 nm to 110 nm.

[0116] Item 36. A method for preparing a coated article, comprising: providing a substrate; and forming a metallic functional layer over at least a portion of the substrate; wherein the metallic functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from a silicon aluminum alloy and a silicon cobalt alloy; and wherein the metallic functional layer is formed by a process comprising depositing the metal alloy by magnetron sputtering vapor deposition.

[0117] Item 37. The method of Item 36, wherein the metallic functional layer has a thickness in a range of 20 nm to 40 nm, 20 nm to 60 nm, 30 nm to 45 nm, or 20 nm to 30 nm.

[0118] Item 38. The method of Item 36 or 37, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 60 wt % to 99 wt % silicon.

[0119] Item 39. The method of any one of Items 36 to 38, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises a silicon aluminum alloy or a silicon cobalt alloy.

[0120] Item 40. The method of any one of Items 36 to 39, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 70 wt % to 100 wt % silicon and 0 wt % to 30 wt % aluminum, 80 wt % to 95 wt % silicon and 5 wt % to 20 wt % aluminum, or 85 wt % to 95 wt % silicon and 5 wt % to 15 wt % aluminum.

[0121] Item 41. The method of any of Items 36 to 39, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 30 wt % to 85 wt % silicon and 15 wt % to 70 wt % cobalt, or 50 wt % to 70 wt % silicon and 30 wt % to 50 wt % cobalt.

[0122] Item 42. The method of any one of Items 36 to 41, wherein the metallic functional layer is substantially free of iron, essentially free of iron, or completely free of iron.

[0123] Item 43. The method of any one of Items 36 to 42, further comprising a protective layer over the metallic functional layer.

[0124] Item 44. The method of Item 43, wherein the protective layer comprises a metal oxide layer, a metal nitride layer, or a mixture thereof.

[0125] Item 45. The method of Item 43 or 44, wherein the protective layer comprises titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum silicon nitride, aluminum silicon oxynitride, zirconium oxide, or a mixture thereof.

[0126] Clause 46. The method of any of Clauses 43 to 45, wherein the protective layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 70 nm, 5 nm to 30 nm, 30 nm to 70 nm, or 10 nm to 30 nm.

[0127] Item 47. The method of any one of Items 36 to 46, further comprising a base layer above the substrate and below the metallic functional layer.

[0128] Item 48. The method of Item 47, wherein the base layer has a thickness of 30 nm to 110 nm, 30 nm to 80 nm, or 70 nm to 110 nm.

[0129] Item 49. The method of any one of Items 36 to 48, further comprising at least one dielectric layer.

[0130] Item 50. The method of Item 49, wherein the dielectric layer comprises one or more films selected from zinc tin oxide, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon aluminum nitride, titanium oxide, and titanium nitride.

[0131] Clause 51. The method of Clause 49 or 50, wherein each dielectric layer has a thickness of from 5 nm to 140 nm, from 80 nm to 120 nm, from 100 nm to 140 nm, or from 1 nm to 10 nm.

[0132] Clause 52. The method of any one of Clauses 36 to 51, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate.

[0133] Item 53. A method for preparing a coated article, comprising: providing a substrate; and forming a coating over at least a portion of the substrate; wherein the coating comprises a dielectric layer over the substrate; a metallic functional layer; and a protective layer over the metallic functional layer; wherein the metallic functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from a silicon aluminum alloy and a silicon cobalt alloy; and wherein the metallic functional layer is formed by a process comprising depositing the metal alloy by magnetron sputtering vapor deposition.

[0134] Item 54. The method of Item 53, wherein the metallic functional layer is located above the dielectric layer.

[0135] Item 55. The method of Item 53 or 54, further comprising a second dielectric layer over the metal functional layer; wherein the protective layer is over the second dielectric layer.

[0136] Item 56. The method of any one of Items 53 to 55, further comprising a base layer over the dielectric layer; wherein the metal functional layer is located over the base layer.

[0137] Item 57. The method of Item 53 or 55, wherein the dielectric layer is located over the protective layer.

[0138] Item 58. The method of any of Items 53 to 57, wherein the metallic functional layer has a thickness in a range of 20 nm to 40 nm, 20 nm to 60 nm, 30 nm to 45 nm, or 20 nm to 30 nm.

[0139] Item 59. The method of any one of Items 53 to 58, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 60 wt % to 99 wt % silicon.

[0140] Clause 60. The method of any one of Clauses 53 to 59 or 67, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises a silicon aluminum alloy or a silicon cobalt alloy.

[0141] Item 61. A method according to any one of Items 53 to 59, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 70 wt % to 100 wt % silicon and 0 wt % to 30 wt % aluminum, 80 wt % to 95 wt % silicon and 5 wt % to 20 wt % aluminum, or 85 wt % to 95 wt % silicon and 5 wt % to 15 wt % aluminum.

[0142] Item 62. The coated article of any one of Items 53 to 59, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 30 wt % to 85 wt % silicon and 15 wt % to 70 wt % cobalt, or 50 wt % to 70 wt % silicon and 30 wt % to 50 wt % cobalt.

[0143] Item 63. The method of any one of Items 53 to 62, wherein the metallic functional layer is substantially free of iron, essentially free of iron, or completely free of iron.

[0144] Item 64. The method of any one of Items 53 to 63, wherein the dielectric layer comprises one or more films selected from zinc tin oxide, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon aluminum nitride, titanium oxide, and titanium nitride.

[0145] Clause 65. The method of any of Clauses 53 to 64, wherein the dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride or aluminum silicon nitride.

[0146] Clause 66. The method of any of Clauses 53 to 65, wherein the dielectric layer has a thickness of from 5 nm to 140 nm, from 80 nm to 120 nm, from 100 nm to 140 nm, or from 1 nm to 10 nm.

[0147] Clause 67. The method of any one of Clauses 53 to 66, wherein the protective layer comprises a metal oxide layer, a metal nitride layer, or a mixture thereof.

[0148] Item 68. The method of any one of Items 53 to 67, wherein the protective layer comprises at least one of titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum silicon nitride, aluminum silicon oxynitride, zirconium oxide, or mixtures thereof.

[0149] Clause 69. The method of any one of clauses 53 to 68, wherein the protective layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 70 nm, 5 nm to 30 nm, 30 nm to 70 nm, or 10 nm to 30 nm.

[0150] Clause 70. The method of any one of Clauses 56 or 58 to 69, wherein the base layer has a thickness of 30 nm to 110 nm, 30 nm to 80 nm, or 70 nm to 110 nm.

[0151] The following examples illustrate various embodiments of the present invention. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments.

[0152] Example

[0153] Table 1 shows exemplary coated articles 1-3 of the present invention. The reported thickness is the physical thickness in nanometers (nm). The substrate is 6 mm clear glass. A base layer is deposited on the glass surface. A silicon aluminum metal alloy (SiAl, 95 wt % silicon and 5 wt % aluminum) is deposited on the base layer. A protective silicon aluminum oxide layer (SiAlO x ).

[0154] Table 1

[0155] Table 2 shows exemplary coated articles 4 and 5 of the present invention. The reported thickness is the physical thickness in nm. The substrate is 3.2 mm clear glass. A silicon aluminum metal alloy (95 wt % silicon and 5 wt % aluminum) was deposited on the glass substrate. A protective silicon aluminum oxide layer (SiAlO x ). A silicon aluminum nitride (SiAlN) layer is deposited over the protective layer.

[0156] Table 2

[0157] Table 3 shows exemplary coated articles of the present invention. The reported thickness is the physical thickness in nm. The substrate is 6 mm clear glass. Aluminum silicon nitride (SiAlN xA base layer is deposited on the aluminum silicon nitride. A silicon aluminum metal alloy (90 weight percent silicon and 10 weight percent aluminum) is deposited on the base layer. A protective layer is deposited on the SiAl layer.

[0158] Table 3

[0159] Spectral properties

[0160] Table 4 shows the spectral properties of samples 1-3 of Table 1. "T" represents transmittance, "Rf" represents lateral reflection of the film or coating, and "Rg" represents lateral reflection of the glass.

[0161] Table 4

[0162] Table 5 shows the spectral properties of samples 4 and 5 of Table 2.

[0163] Table 5

[0164] Table 6 shows the spectral properties of sample 6 of Table 3.

[0165] Table 6

[0166] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention may be modified without departing from the concepts disclosed in the foregoing description. Therefore, the specific embodiments described in detail herein are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present invention, which is given by the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A coated product comprising: substrate; and a metallic functional layer over at least a portion of the substrate; The metal functional layer comprises: A metal alloy selected from silicon aluminum alloys and silicon cobalt alloys. 2 . The coated article according to claim 1 , wherein the metallic functional layer has a thickness of 20 nm to 40 nm.

3. The coated article according to claim 1, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises 60% to 99% by weight of silicon.

4. The coated article according to claim 3, wherein the metallic functional layer comprises a silicon-aluminum alloy or a silicon-cobalt alloy.

5. The coated article according to claim 1, further comprising a protective layer over the metallic functional layer, The protective layer comprises a metal oxide layer, a metal nitride layer or a mixture thereof.

6. The coated article according to claim 5, wherein the protective layer comprises titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum silicon nitride, aluminum silicon oxynitride, zirconium oxide, or mixtures thereof.

7. The coated article according to claim 5, further comprising a base layer above the substrate and below the metallic functional layer.

8. The coated article according to claim 1, further comprising at least one dielectric layer, The dielectric layer comprises one or more films selected from zinc tin oxide, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon aluminum nitride, titanium oxide and titanium nitride.

9. A coated product comprising: Glass substrate; as well as A coating over at least a portion of the substrate, the coating comprising: a dielectric layer over the substrate; Metal functional layer; as well as a protective layer over the metallic functional layer; The metal functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from silicon-aluminum alloy and silicon-cobalt alloy.

10. The coated article according to claim 9, wherein the metallic functional layer is located above the dielectric layer.

11. The coated article according to claim 10, further comprising a second dielectric layer over the metallic functional layer; The protection layer is located above the second dielectric layer.

12. The coated article according to claim 10, further comprising a base layer over the dielectric layer; wherein the metallic functional layer is located over the base layer.

13. The coated article of claim 9, wherein the dielectric layer is located over the protective layer.

14. The coated article of claim 9, wherein the dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride or aluminum silicon nitride.

15. A method for preparing a coated article, comprising: Providing a substrate; as well as forming a metallic functional layer over at least a portion of the substrate; wherein the metal functional layer comprises a metal alloy selected from silicon-aluminum alloy and silicon-cobalt alloy; as well as The metal functional layer is formed by a process comprising depositing the metal alloy by magnetron sputtering vapor deposition.

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