Absorbing layers of a low-emissivity (low-E) coating are designed to cause the coating to have a reduced film side reflectance which is advantageous for aesthetic purposes. In certain embodiments, the absorbing layers are metallic or substantially metallic (e.g., NiCr or NiCrN.sub.x) and are positioned in order to reduce or prevent oxidation of the absorbing layers during optional heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering, heat bending, and/or heat strengthening). Coated articles according to certain example embodiments of this invention may be used in the context of insulating glass (IG) window units, other types of windows, etc.

A window includes a base substrate including a planar portion and a curved portion surrounding at least a part of the planar portion, a front cover layer disposed on the base substrate, a flat cover layer overlapping the planar portion and disposed on the base substrate, and a bending cover layer overlapping the curved portion and disposed on the base substrate. The front cover layer and the bending cover layer each include an inorganic material.

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to heatable glass substrates that may be used in connection with lighting applications, and/or methods of making the same. In certain example embodiments, a glass substrate supports an antireflective (AR) coating on a first major surface thereof, and a conductive coating on a second, opposite major surface thereof. Bus bars connect the conductive coating to a power source in certain example embodiments. The substrate may be heat treated (e.g., heat strengthened and/or thermally tempered), with one or both coatings thereon. The heatable glass substrate thus may help provide a chemical and/or environmental barrier for the luminaire or lighting system disposed behind it. In addition, or in the alternative, the heatable glass substrate may help reduce the amount of moisture (e.g., snow, rain, ice, fog, etc.) that otherwise could accumulate on the luminaire or lighting system.

One or more aspects of the disclosure pertain to an article including a film disposed on a glass substrate, which may be strengthened, where the interface between the film and the glass substrate is modified, such that the article has an improved average flexural strength, and the film retains key functional properties for its application. Some key functional properties of the film include optical, electrical and/or mechanical properties. In one or more embodiments, the interface exhibits an effective adhesion energy of about less than about 4 J/m.sup.2. In some embodiments, the interface is modified by the inclusion of a crack mitigating layer containing an inorganic material between the glass substrate and the film.

Embodiments of durable, anti-reflective articles are described. In one or more embodiments, the article includes a substrate and an optical coating disposed on the major surface. The optical coating includes an anti-reflective coating and a scratch-resistant coating forming an anti-reflective surface. The article exhibits a maximum hardness of 12 GPa or greater, as measured on the anti-reflective surface by a a Berkovich Indenter Hardness Test along an indentation depth of about 100 nm or greater. The articles of some embodiments exhibit a single side average light reflectance measured at the anti-reflective surface of about 8% or less over an optical wavelength regime in the range from about 400 nm to about 800 nm and a reference point color shift in transmittance or reflectance of less than about 2. In some embodiments, the article exhibits an angular color shift of about 5 or less at all angles from normal incidence to an incident illumination angle that is 20 degrees or greater.

The invention provides an IG unit comprising two panes and a between-pane space located between the two panes. A desired surface of a selected one of the two panes bears a coating comprising both a transparent conductive oxide film, and an overcoat film located over the transparent conductive oxide film. The IG unit further comprises a bus bar and a transparent conductor bridge each located over the desired surface. The bus bar is spaced apart from the coating and is connected electrically to the transparent conductive oxide film by virtue of the transparent conductor bridge extending from the bus bar to a top surface of the overcoat film. In some embodiments, the IG unit further comprises a frit located over the desired surface and extending around a perimeter thereof. The bus bar is located over the frit. Certain embodiments provide a refrigerator having a door comprising such an IG unit.

A coated article includes a low-E coating having an absorbing layer located over a functional layer (IR reflecting layer) and designed to cause the coating to have an increased outside reflectance (e.g., in an IG window unit) and good selectivity. In certain embodiments, the absorbing layer is metallic, or substantially metallic, and is provided directly over and contacting a lower of two IR reflecting layers. In certain example embodiments, a nitride based layer (e.g., silicon nitride or the like) may be located directly over and contacting the absorbing layer in order to reduce or prevent oxidation thereof during heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering, heat bending, and/or heat strengthening) thereby permitting predictable coloration, high outside reflectance values, and/or good selectivity to be achieved. 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.

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%.

The invention provides transparent conductive coatings based on indium tin oxide. The coating has an oxide overcoat, such as an alloy oxide overcoat. In some embodiments, the coating further includes one or more overcoat films comprising silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon dioxide, or titanium dioxide.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to methods and apparatus of processing transparent substrates, such as glass substrates. In one implementation, a film stack for optical devices includes a glass substrate including a first surface and a second surface. The film stack includes a device function layer formed on the first surface, a hard mask layer formed on the device function layer, and a substrate recognition layer formed on the hard mask layer. The hard mask layer includes one or more of chromium, ruthenium, or titanium nitride. The film stack includes a backside layer formed on the second surface. The backside layer formed on the second surface includes one or more of a conductive layer or an oxide layer.