Method of making sputtered coatings
US4421622A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 20, 1982 |
| Grant date | Dec 20, 1983 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 20, 2002 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC03C2217/78
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A degradable substrate surface (e.g. a glass sheet covered by a pure metal film) is overcoated with an oxide film deposited by high rate reactive sputtering in the presence of hydrogen to avoid degradation of the substrate. The addition of hydrogen to the sputtering chamber atmosphere substantially eliminates degradation of pure metal films, etc. which would otherwise be damaged during the reactive sputtering of an oxide overcoat. The method is disclosed for producing low emissivity symmetrical three layer coatings formed on a substrate by high rate sputtering with the intermediate layer formed by a conductive silver film and the adjacent layers formed from stoichiometric tin oxide films. Alternatively a degradable substrate surface is overcoated with an oxide film having a thickness exceeding 100 angstroms without degradation by reactively sputtering an extremely thin oxide coating onto the surface at a relatively high sputtering rate and the remainder of the oxide film is thereafter deposited over the thin initial oxide coating. A brief interval is required to enable the initial oxide film to "relax", or take a set, before the additional film is deposited.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.