EP3262005A1

EP3262005A1 - Glass panel including a substrate coated with a stack that includes at least one silver functional layer

Info

Publication number: EP3262005A1
Application number: EP16713528.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sophie BROSSARD; Florent Martin
Original assignee: Saint Gobain Glass France SAS; Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA
Current assignee: Saint Gobain Glass France SAS
Priority date: 2015-02-25
Filing date: 2016-02-24
Publication date: 2018-01-03
Also published as: WO2016135420A1; FR3032959A1; US20180072616A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a material including a transparent substrate coated with a stack of thin layers including at least one silver functional metal layer that contains a doping element having a thickness E, is formed from monocrystalline grains having a side dimension D defined as a chord of the grain edge, and is characterized in that the ratio D/E is greater than 1.05. Said material is characterized by a stack of thin layers including at least one silver functional metal layer arranged between two dielectric material coatings. Said dielectric coatings include at least one dielectric layer, advantageously located on the bottom of said silver functional layer and made of optionally doped zinc oxide. The invention also relates to the method for preparing such a material, said method including a step for laterally growing the grains via heat treatment. Said growth is induced by diffusing the doping elements.

Description

GLAZING COMPRISING A STACK-COATED SUBSTRATE COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE FUNCTIONAL LAYER BASED ON SILVER

The invention relates to a material such as a glazing unit comprising a transparent substrate coated with a stack of thin layers comprising at least one silver-based functional metal layer.

Functional metal layers based on silver (or silver layers) have advantageous electrical conduction and reflection properties of infrared (IR) radiation, hence their use in "solar control" glazing aimed at reducing the amount of incoming solar energy and / or in so-called "low emissivity" glazing aimed at reducing the amount of energy dissipated to the outside of a building or a vehicle.

These silver layers are deposited between coatings based on dielectric materials which generally comprise several dielectric layers to adjust the optical properties of the stack. These dielectric layers also make it possible to protect the silver layer from chemical or mechanical aggression.

The optical and electrical properties of the glazings depend directly on the quality of the silver layers such as:

- their crystalline state, the silver layers comprise monocrystalline grains based on silver,

- their homogeneity,

- their environment such as the nature and surface roughness at the interfaces above and below the silver layer.

In order to improve the quality of the functional silver-based metallic layers, it is known to use dielectric-based coatings comprising dielectric layers with a stabilizing function intended to promote the wetting and nucleation of the silver layer.

The quality of the silver layer affects not only the visual appearance but also the optical properties including the presence of blur, electrical conductivity and chemical resistance including the corrosion resistance of the stack.

The applicant has discovered that it is possible to improve the homogeneity of the silver layer both in terms of thickness, surface area and volume by optimizing the crystallization. Homogenization is achieved by controlling the distribution, shape and size of monocrystalline silver grains. Obtaining a better homogenization affects several properties, in particular the mechanical durability of the stacks, the plasticity of the silver layer but also the electrical properties such as square resistance. The subject of the invention is a material comprising a transparent substrate coated with a stack of thin layers comprising at least one silver-based functional metal layer, comprising a doping element of thickness E formed of monocrystalline grains having a lateral dimension. D, defined as a grain edge cord characterized in that the D / E ratio is greater than 1.05.

The invention also relates to a method for preparing a material comprising a transparent substrate coated with a stack of thin layers, according to which:

above the transparent substrate, at least one silver-based functional layer comprising a doping element over a thickness E is deposited, the functional layer is formed of monocrystalline grains having a lateral dimension d defined as a rope of the edge of grain and then

a lateral growth of the grains induced by diffusion of the doping elements leading to obtaining monocrystalline grains having a lateral dimension D defined as a grain edge cord such that the D / E ratio is greater than 1.05.

DIGM-induced diffusion growth is a phenomenon known in the field of metallurgy. However, the applicant has discovered that this growth technique is particularly advantageous when it is applied to silver-based functional layers which have, by their small thickness, to be formed of columnar monocrystalline grains. "Columnar" means that the monocrystalline silver grains are arranged so that there is essentially a single monocrystalline grain occupying the thickness of the silver layer at any point.

The doping of silver-based metal layers with other elements allows for increased and controlled growth of monocrystalline silver-based grains during heat treatment. Advantageously, the lateral growth of the grains induced by diffusion of the doping elements is carried out by a heat treatment of quenching or annealing type.

Silver-based metal functional layers in stacks are deposited at thicknesses less than 20 nm. The lateral dimension of the grains is generally of the order of thickness. During a heat treatment, depending on the temperature and the duration, the lateral dimension of the grains increases, but in a limited way when the layer does not comprise doping elements. A heat treatment equivalent to quenching, for example about 10 minutes at 620 ° C., thus produces an increase of about 45% in the average size of the monocrystalline grains in the absence of a doping element. The grain growth induced by diffusion of doping elements operates according to the diagram presented in FIG. A silver layer 1 comprises several monocrystalline grains 2 separated by grain boundaries 4. These monocrystalline grains 2 comprise doping elements 3 in solution. The diffusion rate of the doping elements 3 is a function of the temperature. For a so-called "low" temperature, the doping elements 3 diffuse little or no while the grain boundaries 4 can in turn diffuse. When the grain boundaries 4 diffuse, they "sweep" an area of material represented by the two horizontal arrows. The doping elements 3 will then concentrate in the grain boundaries 4 where their presence disturbs less the crystal lattice. The doping elements concentrated at the grain boundaries are then in a more favorable energy position. This energy balance will then further promote the movement of grain boundaries and thus the lateral growth of monocrystalline grains.

According to the invention, a lateral dimension (d or D) is defined as a rope of the grain edge. We call "chord" (D or d), a line segment joining two points of the outline of a grain. The lateral dimension of the grains can be measured by image processing obtained by any microscopic observation mode, direct or indirect, such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, backscatter electron diffraction (Electron backscatter diffraction "), Atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy.

"D" corresponds to the lateral dimension of the grains before lateral growth of grains induced by diffusion of the doping elements and "D" corresponds to the lateral dimension of the grains after lateral growth of grains induced by diffusion of the doping elements.

According to the invention, the D / E characteristic greater than 1 is considered to be satisfied when at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, better still at least 95% and even better 100% of the grains have at least one lateral dimension D satisfying this relationship. For this, the lateral dimension of 100 to 200 grains is measured manually.

Advantageously, the monocrystalline grain or grains have, in order of increasing preference, a lateral dimension D, defined as a chord of the grain edge, on all grains, greater than 15 nm, greater than 16 nm, greater than 17 nm, greater at 18 nm, greater than 19 nm, greater than 20 nm and better still greater than 23 nm.

Preferably, the lateral dimension D is less than 300 nm, or even less than 200 nm or better still less than 100 nm. Advantageously, the ratio D / E is, in order of increasing preference, greater than 1, 10, greater than 1, 20, greater than 1, 30, greater than 1, 40, greater than 1, 50 and better still greater than 1, 60. Preferably, the ratio D / E is less than 10.

The stack is deposited by sputtering assisted by a magnetic field (magnetron process). According to this advantageous embodiment, all the layers of the stack are deposited by sputtering assisted by a magnetic field.

Unless otherwise stated, the thicknesses discussed herein are physical thicknesses and the layers are thin layers. By thin film is meant a layer having a thickness of between 0.1 nm and 100 micrometers.

Throughout the description the substrate according to the invention is considered laid horizontally. The stack of thin layers is deposited above the substrate. The meaning of the terms "above" and "below" and "below" and "above" should be considered in relation to this orientation. In the absence of specific stipulation, the terms "above" and "below" do not necessarily mean that two layers and / or coatings are arranged in contact with each other. When it is specified that a layer is deposited "in contact" with another layer or a coating, this means that there can not be one or more layers interposed between these two layers.

A silver-based metal functional layer comprises at least 95.0%, preferably at least 96.5% and most preferably at least 97.0% by weight of silver based on the weight of the functional layer. Preferably, the silver-based functional metal layer comprises less than 3.5 mass% of non-silver metals relative to the weight of the silver-based functional metal layer.

The limitation according to which the functional silver-based metal layer comprises at least 95.0%, preferably at least 96.5% and better still at least 97.0% by weight of silver relative to the weight of the layer functional means that the total mass of doping elements or impurities does not exceed 5.0%, preferably 3.5% and better 3.0% of the mass of the functional layer.

The silver-based functional metal layers have a thickness E of less than 20 nm. The thickness of the silver-based functional layers is in order of increasing preference ranging from 5 to 20 nm, from 8 to 15 nm.

The silver-based metal functional layers comprise a doping element. These layers can be obtained by sputter deposition either from two targets or from a silver target doped with the element. dopant. The doping element is preferably a metal chosen from aluminum, nickel, zinc or chromium.

Advantageously, the doping element is chosen from aluminum, nickel and zinc, and even more advantageously, it is chosen from aluminum and nickel. Better yet, it is aluminum.

The silver-based functional metal layer may comprise in particular 0.5 to 5.0% by weight of doping element relative to the mass of doping element and silver in the functional layer.

The silver-based functional metal layer may be doped with aluminum and possibly only with aluminum. It comprises less than 1.0%, preferably less than 0.5%, or even less than 0.1% by weight of metals other than silver and aluminum relative to the weight of the functional metallic layer. based on money. When the doping element is aluminum, its weight proportions are from 1.0 to 4.0%, preferably from 1.5 to 3.5% with respect to the mass of doping element and silver in the functional layer.

The silver-based functional metal layer may be doped with nickel and possibly only with nickel. It comprises less than 1.0%, preferably less than 0.5%, or even less than 0.1% by weight of metals other than silver and nickel relative to the weight of the functional metal layer based on silver. When the doping element is nickel, its weight proportions are from 1.0 to 3.0%, preferably from 1.0 to 2.0% relative to the mass of doping element and silver in the layer. functional.

The silver-based functional metal layer may be doped with zinc and optionally only with zinc. It comprises less than 1.0%, preferably less than 0.5%, or even less than 0.1% by weight of metals other than silver and zinc relative to the weight of the functional metal layer based on silver.

The silver-based functional metal layer can be doped with chromium and optionally only with chromium. It comprises less than 1.0%, preferably less than 0.5%, or even less than 0.1% by weight of metals other than silver and chromium relative to the weight of the functional metal layer based on silver.

Doping measurement can be performed for example by microprobe analysis of Castaing (ElectroProbe MicroAnalyzer or EPMA in English).

The thin film stack advantageously comprises at least one silver-based functional metal layer and at least two dielectric material-based coatings, each coating comprising at least one layer dielectric, so that each functional layer is disposed between two dielectric material-based coatings.

Coatings based on dielectric materials have a thickness greater than 15 nm, between 15 and 50 nm or between 30 and 40 nm.

The dielectric layers of dielectric-based coatings have the following characteristics alone or in combination:

they are deposited by magnetic field assisted sputtering,

they are chosen from among the dielectric layers with a barrier function or with a stabilizing function, advantageously they are chosen from among the dielectric layers with a stabilizing function,

they are chosen from oxides or nitrides of one or more elements chosen from titanium, silicon, aluminum, tin and zinc,

they have a thickness greater than 5 nm, preferably between 8 and 35 nm.

The term barrier dielectric layers means a layer of a material capable of barrier to the diffusion of oxygen and water at high temperature, from the ambient atmosphere or the transparent substrate, to the functional layer. The barrier-type dielectric layers may be based on silicon and / or aluminum compounds chosen from oxides such as SiO ₂ , nitrides such as silicon nitride Si ₃ N ₄ and aluminum nitrides AlN, and the oxynitrides SiO _x N _y optionally doped with at least one other element. The barrier-type dielectric layers may also be based on zinc oxide and tin.

The term "dielectric layers with stabilizing function" means a layer made of a material capable of stabilizing the interface between the functional layer and this layer. The dielectric layers with a stabilizing function are preferably based on crystalline oxide, in particular based on zinc oxide, optionally doped with at least one other element, such as aluminum. The dielectric layer (s) with a stabilizing function are preferably zinc oxide layers.

The stabilizing function dielectric layer (s) may be above and / or below, preferably below, at least one silver-based functional metal layer or each functional metal-based layer. money, either directly to him or separated by a blocking layer.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the material according to the invention is characterized in that the stack of thin layers comprises at least one functional metal layer based on silver and at least two coatings based on dielectric materials, each coating with less a dielectric layer, so that each silver-based functional metal layer is disposed between two dielectric material-based coatings, said dielectric layer being selected from the barrier-function or stabilizer-function dielectric layers. Said dielectric layer is particularly advantageously a stabilizing function dielectric layer lying beneath said silver-based functional layer. It is preferably based on zinc oxide, optionally doped with at least one other element. Advantageously, said element is aluminum.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the stack comprises a dielectric layer based on silicon nitride and / or aluminum located above at least a portion of the functional layer. The dielectric layer based on silicon nitride and / or aluminum has a thickness:

- less than or equal to 100 nm, less than or equal to 50 nm or less than or equal to 40 nm, and / or

- greater than or equal to 15 nm, greater than or equal to 20 nm or greater than or equal to 25 nm.

The stacks may further include blocking layers whose function is to protect the functional layers by avoiding possible degradation related to the deposition of a coating based on dielectric materials or linked to a heat treatment. According to one embodiment, the stack comprises at least one blocking layer located below and in contact with a silver-based functional metal layer and / or at least one blocking layer situated above and -contact of a functional metallic layer based on silver.

Among the blocking layers traditionally used, especially when the functional layer is a metal layer based on silver, mention may be made of the metal-based blocking layers chosen from among niobium Nb, tantalum Ta, titanium Ti, Cr chromium or nickel Ni or based on an alloy obtained from at least two of these metals, in particular an alloy of nickel and chromium (NiCr).

The thickness of each blocking layer is preferably:

- at least 0,5 nm or at least 0,8 nm and / or

- not more than 5.0 nm or not more than 2.0 nm.

The stack may comprise an upper protective layer deposited as the last layer of the stack, in particular to give anti-scratch properties. The upper layers of protection may be chosen from among the layers based on titanium oxide, zirconium oxide and / or zinc oxide. These layers have a thickness of between 2 and 5 nm.

An example of a stack that is suitable according to the invention comprises: a coating based on dielectric materials located beneath the functional metallic layer based on silver, the coating possibly comprising at least one dielectric layer based on silicon nitride and / or aluminum,

- possibly a blocking layer,

a functional metallic layer based on silver,

- possibly a blocking layer,

a coating based on dielectric materials situated above the silver-based functional metal layer, the coating possibly comprising at least one dielectric layer based on silicon nitride and / or aluminum, a top layer of protection.

The transparent substrates according to the invention are preferably made of a mineral rigid material, such as glass, in particular silico-soda-lime or organic based on polymers (or polymer).

The transparent organic substrates according to the invention can also be made of polymer, rigid or flexible. Examples of suitable polymers according to the invention include, in particular:

- polyethylene,

polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN);

polyacrylates such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA);

polycarbonates;

polyurethanes;

polyamides;

polyimides;

fluorinated polymers such as fluoroesters such as ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymers (FEP);

photocurable and / or photopolymerizable resins, such as thiolene, polyurethane, urethane-acrylate, polyester-acrylate and

- polythiourethanes.

The thickness of the substrate generally varies between 0.5 mm and 19 mm. The thickness of the substrate is preferably less than or equal to 6 mm or even 4 mm.

The invention also relates to the process for preparing the material according to the invention. According to this method, the stack of thin layers is deposited on the substrate by a vacuum technique of the cathode sputtering type possibly assisted by a magnetic field. The lateral grain growth induced by diffusion of the doping elements is preferably carried out by a heat treatment. This heat treatment can be carried out at temperatures between 350 and 800 ° C, preferably between 500 and 700 ° C.

The heat treatment may in particular be quenching carried out at a temperature of at least 500 ° C., preferably at least 600 ° C.

The heat treatment may in particular be annealing carried out at a temperature of between 200 ° C. and 550 ° C., or even between 350 ° C. and 500 ° C. for a period of preferably at least 1 hour.

The material according to the invention, that is to say the transparent substrate coated with the stack defined above, may therefore have undergone a heat treatment, said heat treatment being advantageously chosen from annealing, quenching and / or a bending. It is said that it is a heat-treated material. Advantageously, it is an annealed, tempered and / or curved material.

The material may be monolithic glazing, laminated glazing or multiple glazing including double glazing or triple glazing.

Example I. Preparation of materials

Stacks of thin layers defined below are deposited on clear soda-lime glass substrates with a thickness of 2 mm.

For these examples, the deposition conditions of the layers deposited by sputtering ("cathodic magnetron" sputtering) are summarized in the table below.

Doping of the silver layer can be achieved:

or by co-spraying from two targets, a silver target and a doping element target,

or by sputtering from a silver target comprising the doping element.

When deposition by co-spraying from two targets, the two targets are placed inclined and lit at the same time. The desired doping is obtained by adjusting the deposition powers. The deposition power of the silver target is fixed and the deposition power of the doping element target is varied.

Doped silver layers with different doping elements and proportions of doping elements were tested. Silver layers doped with zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) are obtained by co-spraying from two targets. The silver layers doped with aluminum are obtained by sputtering from a single already doped target (3% doped Ag / Al target).

In all the examples which follow, the composition of the layers, and in particular the proportions of doping elements in the doped silver layer, were measured by conventional microprobe techniques of Castaing (also known as Electron Probe Microanalyser or EPMA). Concentration as a doping element is expressed as a mass of doping element with respect to the mass of silver and of the doping element.

at. Atomic wt: weight; ^* : at 550 nm.

Different materials have been prepared comprising stacks which differ in the nature of the silver-based functional layer and in particular by the presence and nature of the doping element. The stacks comprise the following thin layers, defined starting from the substrate, according to the physical thicknesses in nanometers given:

a layer of aluminum-doped zinc oxide of 5 nm

a silver layer comprising or not a doping element 15 nm thick,

a 0.5 nm NiCr layer and

a 5 nm silicon nitride layer.

The table below specifies for each tested material, the nature and the proportions of doping elements.

Lateral grain growth can be measured by transmission electron microscopy. FIG. 2 presents a light-field transmission electron microscopy image of a substrate comprising a stack comprising at least one silver-based functional metal layer. In this figure, the grain boundaries are redrawn by white dotted lines. The lateral dimension of the monocrystalline grains is determined by measuring this quantity over 100 to 200 grains.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the evolution of the mean lateral grain size as a function of temperature and annealing time, for pure silver-based layers and for silver-based layers comprising a doping element . These results, shown in the table below, are obtained:

by heating stacks comprising silver-based layers with and without a doping element in situ in the transmission electron microscope, by performing successive temperature increments every 100 ° C and

- taking pictures after 1 and 40 minutes each time.

^*: Lateral dimension of the grains, measured on average 100 to 200 grains.

The measurement of the evolution of the mean lateral dimension of the grains as a function of the temperature, the annealing time and the doping element confirms that the addition of doping element makes it possible to obtain an increased growth of the monocrystalline grains of money. Indeed, the lateral growth of the grains induced by diffusion of doping elements chosen especially from aluminum and nickel makes it possible to obtain grains having a lateral dimension of about 25 nm. In comparison, a silver-based layer without a doping element comprises grains having a lateral dimension, generally less than 15 nm. This method of doping makes it possible to obtain a layer based on silver with grains almost twice as large.

Claims

1. A material comprising a transparent substrate coated with a stack of thin layers comprising at least one silver-based functional metal layer, comprising a doping element, of thickness E formed of monocrystalline grains having a lateral dimension D, defined as a chord grain edge characterized in that the ratio D / E is greater than 1.05.

2. Material according to claim 1 characterized in that the silver-based functional metal layer has a thickness E less than 20 nm.

3. Material according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the ratio D / E is greater than 1, 30.

4. Material according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monocrystalline grain or grains have a lateral dimension D, defined as a chord of the grain edge, on all grains greater than 15 nm, preferably greater than 20 nm. .

5. Material according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the doping element is a metal selected from aluminum, nickel, zinc or chromium.

6. Material according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the silver-based functional metal layer comprises 0.5 to 5.0% by weight of doping element relative to the mass of doping element and money in the functional layer.

7. Material according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the doping element is (i) aluminum, the weight proportions of which are from 1.0 to 4.0% relative to the mass of doping element. and silver in the functional layer or (ii) nickel whose weight proportions are from 1.0 to 3.0% with respect to the mass of doping element and silver in the functional layer.

8. Material according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stack of thin layers comprises at least one silver-based functional metal layer and at least two dielectric-based coatings, each coating comprising at least one dielectric layer, so that each silver-based functional metal layer is disposed between two dielectric material-based coatings, said dielectric layer being selected from the barrier-function or stabilizer-function dielectric layers.

9. Material according to the preceding claim wherein the dielectric layer is a stabilizing function dielectric layer lying below said silver-based functional layer.

10. Material according to the preceding claim wherein said dielectric layer with stabilizing function is based on zinc oxide, optionally doped.

1 1. Material according to any one of the preceding claims, such that the substrate is made of glass, in particular silica-soda-lime or polymer, in particular polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate.

12. Material according to any one of the preceding claims having undergone a heat treatment.

13. Material according to the preceding claim characterized in that the heat treatment is selected from annealing, quenching and / or bending.

14. A process for preparing a material comprising a transparent substrate coated with a stack of thin layers, according to which:

above said transparent substrate, at least said silver-based functional layer, comprising a doping element, is deposited over a thickness E, said functional layer being formed of monocrystalline grains having a lateral dimension d defined as a chord grain edge and then

15. Process for the preparation of a material according to claim 14, characterized in that the lateral growth of the grains induced by diffusion of the doping elements is carried out by a heat treatment.

16. Process for the preparation of a material according to claim 15, characterized in that the heat treatment is carried out at temperatures of between 350 and 800 ° C, preferably between 500 and 700 ° C.

17. Process for the preparation of a material according to claim 15, characterized in that the heat treatment is a quenching carried out at a temperature of at least 500 ° C, preferably at least 600 ° C.

18. A method of preparing a material according to claim 15 characterized in that the heat treatment is an annealing performed at a temperature between 350 ° C and 550 ° C for a period of at least 1 hour.