Certain example embodiments relate to electric, potentially-driven shades usable with insulating glass (IG) units, IG units including such shades, and/or associated methods. In such a unit, a dynamic shade is located between the substrates defining the IG unit, and is movable between retracted and extended positions. The dynamic shade includes on-glass layers including a transparent conductor and an insulator or dielectric film, as well as a shutter. The shutter includes a resilient polymer, a conductor, and optional ink. The polymer may be capable of surviving high-temperature environments and may be colored in some instances. Material selection and/or processing helps improve coil strength.

The present invention relates to a method for forming an amorphous layer on one surface of a second substrate through a simple method of performing laser irradiation on a multilayered metal layer provided on a first substrate.

A material includes a transparent substrate coated with a stack of thin layers successively including, starting from the substrate, an alternation of three silver-based functional metallic layers and of four dielectric coatings, so that each functional metallic layer is positioned between two dielectric coatings. The thicknesses of the three functional layers and the thicknesses of the dielectric coatings are selected in order to give the materials solar factor values of less than 20% for a light transmission of the order of 40%.

A coated article is provided for use in a surveillance window or the like. The coated article is a second surface one-way mirror that allows an observer(s) on an observer side to be able to see an object(s)/subject(s) on the opposite side of the coated article, but a viewer on the opposite side cannot reasonably see through the coated article to view things on the observer side of the coated article. The second surface mirror is designed to have a high glass side visible reflectance (R.sub.GY), and an extremely low film side visible reflectance (R.sub.FY), so that visible transmission (T.sub.vis or TY) of the coated article is lower than the glass side visible reflectance but higher than the film side visible reflectance.

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle glazing, comprising: a first glass substrate having surfaces S1 and S2 wherein S1 faces a vehicle exterior; a second glass substrate having surfaces S3 and S4 wherein S4 faces a vehicle interior; at least one polymer interlayer between the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate; and a coating on at least one surface of at least one of the first and second glass substrates, wherein at least one opening is formed in the coating, and the opening is filled with an electrically conductive material, wherein the electrically conductive material is attached to at least one electrical connector.

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to coated articles having a metamaterial-inclusive layer, coatings having a metamaterial-inclusive layer, and/or methods of making the same. Metamaterial-inclusive coatings may be used, for example, in low-emissivity applications, providing for more true color rendering, low angular color dependence, and/or high light-to-solar gain. The metamaterial material may be a noble metal or other material, and the layer may be made to self-assemble by virtue of surface tensions associated with the noble metal or other material, and the material selected for use as a matrix. An Ag-based metamaterial layer may be provided below a plurality (e.g., 2, 3, or more) continuous and uninterrupted layers comprising Ag in certain example embodiments. In certain example embodiments, barrier layers comprising TiZrOx may be provided between adjacent layers comprising Ag, as a lower-most layer in a low-E coating, and/or as an upper-most layer in a low-E coating.

Certain example embodiments relate to ultra-fast laser treatment of silver-inclusive (low-emissivity) low-E coatings, coated articles including such coatings, and/or associated methods. The low-E coating is formed on a substrate (e.g., borosilicate or soda lime silica glass), with the low-E coating including at least one sputter-deposited silver-based layer, and with each said silver-based layer being sandwiched between one or more dielectric layers. The low-E coating is exposed to laser pulses having a duration of no more than 10.sup.12 seconds, a wavelength of 355-500 nm, and an energy density of more than 30 kW/cm.sup.2. The exposing is performed so as to avoid increasing temperature of the low-E coating to more than 300 degrees C. while also reducing (a) grain boundaries with respect to, and vacancies in, each said silver-based layer, (b) each said silver-based layer's refractive index, and (c) emissivity of the low-E coating compared to its as-deposited form.

In an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a device having a substrate, a first polymeric layer, a second polymeric layer, a metallic layer, and a third polymeric layer. In some embodiments, the metallic layer is between the second polymeric layer and the third polymeric layer. In an additional embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method of forming a metallic film. In some embodiments, the method includes depositing a first polymeric layer on a substrate, depositing a second polymeric layer on the first polymeric layer, depositing a metallic layer on the second polymeric layer, and depositing a third polymeric layer on the metallic layer. In some embodiments, the metallic layer is between the second polymeric layer and the third polymeric layer.

A material includes a transparent substrate coated with a stack of thin layers including at least one silver-based functional layer, wherein the stack includes a protective coating deposited on top of at least one portion of the functional layer, the protective coating including: a lower protective layer having a thickness of between 1 and 10 nm, a central protective layer based on carbon graphite located on top of the lower protective layer, and an upper protective layer having a thickness of between 1 and 10 nm located on top of the central protective layer.

A material includes a transparent substrate coated with a stack of thin layers successively including, starting from the substrate, an alternation of three silver-based functional metallic layers and of four dielectric coatings, referred to, starting from the substrate, as M1, M2, M3 and M4, wherein the thickness of the first functional layer is less than the thickness of the second functional layer and less than the thickness of the third functional layer, the dielectric coatings M1 and M2 each have an optical thickness Eo1 and Eo2 satisfying the following equation: Eo2<1.1 Eo1.