Abstract: A coated article is provided, having a coating supported by a glass substrate where the coating includes at least one color and/or reflectivity-adjusting absorber layer. The absorber layer(s) allows color tuning, and reduces the glass side reflection of the coated article and/or allows sheet resistance of the coating to be reduced without degrading glass side reflection. In certain example embodiments the absorber layer is provided between first and second dielectric layers which may be of substantially the same material and/or composition. In certain example embodiments, the coated article is capable of achieving desirable transmission, together with desired color, low reflectivity, and low selectivity, when having only one infrared (IR) reflecting layer of silver and/or gold. Coated articles according to certain example embodiments of this invention may be used in the context of insulating glass (IG) window units, monolithic windows, or the like.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments relate to coated articles with sequentially activated low-E coatings, and/or methods of making the same. In certain example embodiments, one or more infrared reflecting layers is/are activated via a non-equilibrium preconditioning activation that uses photons with specific frequencies/frequency ranges, followed by a more equilibrium thermal activation. The preconditioning activation aids in rearranging the silver atoms to energetically favorable positions, while helping to avoid their unwanted agglomeration. The more equilibrium thermal stage of activation aids in aligning the chemical potentials of the layers of the stack and in further densification of the preconditioned silver layer. Doing so, in turn, helps to reduce the likelihood of stresses building-up in the coating, the formation of point and dimensional defects, other unwanted efficiency-reducing phenomena, and/or the like.

Abstract: A method of making a heat treated (HT) substantially transparent coated article to be used in shower door applications, window applications, tabletop applications, or any other suitable applications. For example, certain embodiments relate to a method of making a coated article including a step of heat treating a glass substrate coated with at least layer of or including carbon (e.g., diamond-like carbon (DLC)) and an overlying protective film thereon. The protective film may be of or include both (a) an oxygen blocking or barrier layer, and (b) a release layer, with the release layer being located between at least the carbon based layer and the oxygen blocking layer. The release layer is of or includes zinc oxynitride (e.g., ZnOxNz). Following and/or during heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering, or the like) the protective film may be entirely or partially removed. Other embodiments of this invention relate to the pre-HT coated article, or the post-HT coated article.

Abstract: A low-E coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating from the glass substrate outwardly including at least the following layers: a dielectric layer of or including silicon nitride; a high index layer having a refractive index of at least 2.1; another dielectric layer of or including silicon nitride; a layer comprising zinc oxide; an infrared (IR) reflecting layer, wherein the coating includes only one IR reflecting layer; and an overcoat including (i) a layer comprising tin oxide and (ii) a layer comprising silicon nitride located over and contacting the layer comprising tin oxide. An IG unit including the coating may have a visible transmission of at least 70%.

Abstract: An endblock for a rotatable sputtering target, such as a rotatable magnetron sputtering target, is provided. A sputtering apparatus, including one or more such endblock(s), includes locating the electrical contact(s) (e.g., brush(es)) between the collector and rotor in the endblock(s) in an area under vacuum (as opposed to in an area at atmospheric pressure).

Abstract: Certain example embodiments relate to a coated article including at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer of a material such as silver or the like in a low-E coating, and methods of making the same. In certain cases, at least one layer of the coating is of or includes nickel and/or titanium (e.g., NixTiyOz). The provision of a layer including nickel titanium and/or an oxide thereof may permit a layer to be used that has good adhesion to the IR reflecting layer, and reduced absorption of visible light (resulting in a coated article with a higher visible transmission). When a layer including nickel titanium oxide is provided directly over and/or under the IR reflecting layer (e.g., as a barrier layer), this may result in improved chemical and mechanical durability. Thus, visible transmission may be improved if desired, without compromising durability; or, durability may simply be increased.

Abstract: A coated article is provided which may be heat treated (e.g., thermally tempered) and/or heat bent in certain example instances. In certain example embodiments, a zinc stannate based layer is provided between a tin oxide based layer and a silicon nitride based layer, and this has been found to significantly reduce undesirable mottling damage upon heat treatment/bending. This results in significantly improved bendability of the coated article in applications such as vehicle windshields and the like.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments relate to a coated article including at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer of a material such as silver or the like in a low-E coating, and methods of making the same. In certain cases, at least one layer of the coating is of or includes nickel and/or titanium (e.g., NixTiyOz). The provision of a layer including nickel titanium and/or an oxide thereof may permit a layer to be used that has good adhesion to the IR reflecting layer, and reduced absorption of visible light (resulting in a coated article with a higher visible transmission). When a layer including nickel titanium oxide is provided directly over and/or under the IR reflecting layer (e.g., as a barrier layer), this may result in improved chemical and mechanical durability. Thus, visible transmission may be improved if desired, without compromising durability; or, durability may simply be increased.

Abstract: A coated article is provided with at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer. The IR reflecting layer may be of silver or the like. In certain example embodiments, a titanium oxide layer is provided over the IR reflecting layer, and it has been found that this surprisingly results in an IR reflecting layer with a lower specific resistivity (SR) thereby permitting thermal properties of the coated article to be improved.

Abstract: This invention relates to a window designed to prevent or reduce bird collisions therewith. In certain example embodiments, the window may include an insulating glass (IG) window unit having first and second substrates spaced apart from one another, wherein at least one of the substrates supports an ultraviolet (UV) reflecting coating for reflecting UV radiation so that birds are capable of more easily seeing the window. By making the window more visible to birds, bird collisions and thus bird deaths can be reduced.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to articles including anticondensation and/or low-E coatings that are exposed to an external environment, and/or methods of making the same. In certain example embodiments, the anticondensation and/or low-E coatings may be survivable in an outside environment. The coatings also may have a sufficiently low sheet resistance and hemispherical emissivity such that the glass surface is more likely to retain heat from the interior area, thereby reducing (and sometimes completely eliminating) the presence condensation thereon. The articles of certain example embodiments may be, for example, skylights, vehicle windows or windshields, IG units, VIG units, refrigerator/freezer doors, and/or the like.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to sputtered aluminum second surface mirrors with permanent protective coatings optionally provided thereto, and/or methods of making the same. A mirror coating supported by a substrate may include, for example, first and second silicon-inclusive layers sandwiching a metallic or substantially metallic layer including aluminum, and an optional layer including Ni and/or Cr in direct contact with the metallic or substantially metallic layer comprising aluminum. A protective paint is disposed directly over and contacting an outermost layer of the mirror coating. The protective paint, once applied and cured, is adapted to survive seven day exposure to an 85 degree C. temperature at 85% relative humidity, as well as seven day exposure to a 49 degree C. temperature at 100% relative humidity.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to insulating glass (IG) units including three substantially parallel spaced apart glass substrates, wherein at least two of the surfaces include low-emissivity (low-E) coatings and at least some of the non-low E coated surfaces have antireflective (AR) coatings disposed thereon. In certain example embodiments, low-E coatings are provided on the second and fifth surfaces of the IG unit, and each internal surface of the IG unit that does not support a low-E coating does support an AR coating. Additional AR coatings may be provided on one or both of the outermost surfaces in certain example embodiments. In some cases, the center substrate need not be heat treated because of the reduced absorption enabled by providing the low-E coatings on the two outermost substrates, as well as the reduced heat accumulation in the center lite itself and in the two adjacent spacers.

Abstract: An IG window unit includes a coating supported by a glass substrate. The coating includes at least the following: a dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride; a dielectric layer comprising an oxide of titanium; another dielectric layer; a layer comprising zinc oxide; an infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver on the glass substrate, located over and directly contacting the layer comprising zinc oxide, wherein the coating includes only one IR reflecting layer; and an overcoat comprising (i) a layer comprising tin oxide and (ii) a layer comprising silicon nitride located over and contacting the layer comprising tin oxide. The IG unit may have an SHGC value of at least 0.65, a visible transmission of at least 70%, and/or an Energy Rating of at least 25.

Abstract: A coated article is provided, having a coating supported by a glass substrate where the coating includes at least one color and/or reflectivity-adjusting absorber layer. The absorber layer(s) allows color tuning, and reduces the glass side reflection of the coated article and/or allows sheet resistance of the coating to be reduced without degrading glass side reflection. In certain example embodiments the absorber layer is provided between first and second dielectric layers which may be of substantially the same material and/or composition. In certain example embodiments, the coated article is capable of achieving desirable transmission, together with desired color, low reflectivity, and low selectivity, when having only one infrared (IR) reflecting layer of silver and/or gold. Coated articles according to certain example embodiments of this invention may be used in the context of insulating glass (IG) window units, monolithic windows, or the like.

Abstract: This invention relates to a coated article including a low-emissivity (low-E) coating. In certain example embodiments, the low-E coating is provided on a substrate (e.g., glass substrate) and includes at least first and second infrared (IR) reflecting layers (e.g., silver based layers) that are spaced apart by contact layers (e.g., NiCr based layers) and a dielectric layer of or including a material such as silicon nitride. In certain example embodiments, the coated article has a low visible transmission (e.g., no greater than 60%, more preferably no greater than about 55%, and most preferably no greater than about 50%).

Abstract: A coated article is provided with at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer. The IR reflecting layer may be of silver or the like. In certain example embodiments, a titanium oxide layer is provided over the IR reflecting layer, and it has been found that this surprisingly results in an IR reflecting layer with a lower specific resistivity (SR) thereby permitting thermal properties of the coated article to be improved.

Abstract: An IG window unit includes a coating supported by a glass substrate. The coating from the glass substrate outwardly comprising at least the following: a dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride; a dielectric layer comprising an oxide of titanium; another dielectric layer; a layer comprising zinc oxide; an infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver on the glass substrate, located over and directly contacting the layer comprising zinc oxide, wherein the coating includes only one IR reflecting layer; a layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr located over and directly contacting the IR reflecting layer comprising silver; and an overcoat comprising (i) a layer comprising tin oxide located over the layer comprising the oxide of Ni and/or Cr and (ii) a layer comprising silicon nitride located over and contacting the layer comprising tin oxide.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to coated articles with low-E coatings having one or more barrier layer systems including multiple dielectric layers, and/or methods of making the same. In certain example embodiments, providing barrier layer systems that each include three or more adjacent dielectric layers advantageously increases layer quality, mechanical durability, corrosion resistance, and/or thermal stability, e.g., by virtue of the increased number of interfaces. These barrier layer systems may be provided above and/or below an infrared (IR) reflecting layer in the low-E coating in different embodiments. Coated articles according to certain example embodiments of this invention may be used in the context of insulating glass (IG) window units, vehicle windows, other types of windows, or in any other suitable application.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to articles including anticondensation and/or low-E coatings that are exposed to an external environment, and/or methods of making the same. In certain example embodiments, the anticondensation and/or low-E coatings may be survivable in an outside environment. The coatings also may have a sufficiently low sheet resistance and hemispherical emissivity such that the glass surface is more likely to retain heat from the interior area, thereby reducing (and sometimes completely eliminating) the presence condensation thereon. The articles of certain example embodiments may be, for example, skylights, vehicle windows or windshields, IG units, VIG units, refrigerator/freezer doors, and/or the like.