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 metal layers of increasing thickness and of four dielectric coatings denoted, starting from the substrate, M1, M2, M3 and M4, wherein each dielectric coating includes at least one high-index dielectric layer, the refractive index of which is at least 2.15 and the optical thickness of which is greater than 20 nm.

A coated article includes a substrate, a first dielectric layer, a subcritical metallic layer having discontinuous metallic regions, a primer over the subcritical layer, and a second dielectric layer over the primer layer. The primer can be a nickel-chromium alloy. The primer can be a multilayer primer having a first layer of a nickel-chromium alloy and a second layer of titania.

A low-E coating has good color stability (a low E* value) upon heat treatment (HT). Thermal stability may be improved by the provision of an as-deposited crystalline or substantially crystalline layer of or including zinc oxide, doped with at least one dopant (e.g., Sn), immediately under an infrared (IR) reflecting layer of or including silver; and/or by the provision of at least one dielectric layer of or including at least one of: (a) an oxide of silicon and zirconium, (b) an oxide of zirconium, and (c) an oxide of silicon. These have the effect of significantly improving the coating's thermal stability (i.e., lowering the E* value). An absorber film may be designed to adjust visible transmission and provide desirable coloration, while maintaining durability and/or thermal stability.

A low-E coating has good color stability (a low E* value) upon heat treatment (HT). Thermal stability may be improved by the provision of an as-deposited crystalline or substantially crystalline layer of or including zinc oxide, doped with at least one dopant (e.g., Sn), immediately under an infrared (IR) reflecting layer of or including silver; and/or by the provision of at least one dielectric layer of or including at least one of: (a) an oxide of silicon and zirconium, (b) an oxide of zirconium, and (c) an oxide of silicon. These have the effect of significantly improving the coating's thermal stability (i.e., lowering the E* value). An absorber film may be designed to adjust visible transmission and provide desirable coloration, while maintaining durability and/or thermal stability.

The invention provides a glazing sheet and a low-emissivity coating on the glazing sheet. The low-emissivity coating comprises, in sequence moving outwardly from the glazing sheet, a layer comprising oxide film, nitride film, or oxynitride film, an infrared-reflective layer, a nickel-aluminum blocker layer, and an oxide layer. Also provided are methods of depositing such a low-emissivity coating.

The invention provides a glazing sheet and a coating on the glazing sheet. The coating comprises, in sequence moving outwardly from the glazing sheet, a dielectric base coat comprising oxide film, nitride film, or oxynitride film, a first infrared-reflective layer, a first nickel-aluminum blocker layer in contact with the first infrared-reflective layer, a first dielectric spacer coat comprising an oxide film in contact with the first nickel-aluminum blocker layer, a second infrared-reflective layer, a second nickel-aluminum blocker layer in contact with the second infrared-reflective layer, a second dielectric spacer coat comprising an oxide film in contact with the second nickel-aluminum blocker layer, a third infrared-reflective layer, a third nickel-aluminum blocker layer in contact with the third infrared-reflective layer, and a dielectric top coat comprising an oxide film in contact with the third nickel-aluminum blocker layer. Also provided are methods of depositing such a coating.

A coated article includes a substrate, a first dielectric layer, a first metallic layer, a second dielectric layer, a second metallic layer, a third dielectric layer, a third metallic layer, a fourth dielectric layer, a fourth metallic layer and a fifth dielectric layer. At least one of the metallic layers is a discontinuous metallic layer having discontinuous metallic regions. An optional primer is positioned over any one of the metallic layers. Optionally a protective layer is provided as the outer most layer over the fifth dielectric layer.

A process for obtaining a material includes a substrate coated with a photocatalytic coating, the process including depositing on the substrate, by sputtering, a stack of thin layers successively including a first layer of titanium metal having a thickness of from 1 to 3 nm, an intermediate layer of at least partially oxidized titanium having a thickness of from 0.5 to 5 nm, and a second layer of titanium metal having a thickness of from 2 to 5 nm; and oxidizing the stack, with the aid of a heat treatment by laser radiation, wherein the stack is in contact with an oxidizing atmosphere.

The invention provides a glazing sheet and a coating on the glazing sheet. The coating comprises, in sequence moving outwardly from the glazing sheet, a dielectric base coat comprising oxide film, nitride film, or oxynitride film, a first infrared-reflective layer, a first nickel-aluminum blocker layer in contact with the first infrared-reflective layer, a first dielectric spacer coat comprising an oxide film in contact with the first nickel-aluminum blocker layer, a second infrared-reflective layer, a second nickel-aluminum blocker layer in contact with the second infrared-reflective layer, a second dielectric spacer coat comprising an oxide film in contact with the second nickel-aluminum blocker layer, a third infrared-reflective layer, a third nickel-aluminum blocker layer in contact with the third infrared-reflective layer, and a dielectric top coat comprising an oxide film in contact with the third nickel-aluminum blocker layer. Also provided are methods of depositing such a coating.

A process for obtaining an item including a substrate made of glass or glass ceramic coated on at least one portion of at least one of its faces with a stack of thin-layers including no silver layers and including at least one thin layer of a transparent electrically conductive oxide, the process including: a step of depositing the stack, in which step the thin layer of a transparent electrically conductive oxide and at least one thin homogenizing layer are deposited, the thin homogenizing layer being a metal layer or a layer based on a metal nitride other than aluminum nitride, or a layer based on metal carbide; then a heat treatment step in which the stack is exposed to radiation.