Method of making thermally tempered coated article with transparent conductive oxide (TCO) coating and product made using same

Abstract

A method of making a coated article including a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film supported by a tempered glass substrate is provided. Initially, an amorphous metal oxide film is sputter-deposited onto a non-tempered glass substrate, either directly or indirectly. The glass substrate with the amorphous film thereon is then thermally tempered using high temperatures. The thermal tempering causes the amorphous film to be transformed into a crystalline transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film. The heat used in the thermal tempering of the glass substrate causes the amorphous film to turn into a crystalline film, causes the visible transmission of the film to increase, and/or causes the film to become electrically conductive.

1 . A method of making a thermally tempered coated article including a transparent conductive film on a tempered glass substrate, the method comprising: 
 providing a glass substrate;    sputter-depositing an amorphous film comprising Sn and Sb on the glass substrate;    thermally tempering the glass substrate with the amorphous film comprising Sn and Sb thereon; and    wherein heat used in said tempering causes the amorphous film to transform into a crystalline film, and wherein the crystalline film is transparent to visible light and electrically conductive.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat used in said tempering causes sheet resistance of the film to decrease by at least about 20 ohms/square.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat used in said tempering causes sheet resistance of the film to decrease by at least about 50 ohms/square.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crystalline film has a sheet resistance of no greater than about 200 ohms/square.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crystalline film has a sheet resistance of no greater than about 100 ohms/square.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the crystalline film comprises an oxide of Sn, and wherein Sb content of the crystalline film is from about 0.001 to 30%.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the crystalline film comprises an oxide of Sn, and wherein Sb content of the crystalline film is from about 1 to 15%.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein another layer is provided on the glass substrate so as to be located between the glass substrate and the crystalline film.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crystalline film comprises SnO x :Sb and is at least about 70% transparent to visible light.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein following tempering the coated article has a visible transmission of at least about 70%.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sputter-depositing comprises sputtering at least one ceramic sputtering target comprising an oxide of Sn:Sb.  
     
     
         12 . A method of making a thermally tempered coated article including a transparent conductive film on a tempered glass substrate, the method comprising: 
 providing a glass substrate;    sputter-depositing an amorphous film on the glass substrate;    thermally tempering the glass substrate with the amorphous film thereon; and    wherein heat used in said tempering causes the amorphous film to transform into a crystalline film, and wherein the crystalline film is transparent to visible light and electrically conductive.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the heat used in said tempering causes sheet resistance of the film to decrease by at least about 20 ohms/square.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the heat used in said tempering causes sheet resistance of the film to decrease by at least about 50 ohms/square.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the crystalline film has a sheet resistance of no greater than about 200 ohms/square.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the crystalline film has a sheet resistance of no greater than about 100 ohms/square.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein following tempering the coated article has a visible transmission of at least about 70%.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the amorphous film and/or the crystalline film comprises tin oxide.  
     
     
         19 - 21 . (canceled)