A coated article including a substrate and a low emissivity coating. The coated article includes increased T.sub.UV and/or actinic transmissivity for use in windows and similar applications.

A method for producing a reflector element and a reflector element are disclosed. In an embodiment the method includes depositing a layer sequence on a substrate, wherein the layer sequence includes at least one mirror layer and at least one reactive multilayer system and igniting the reactive multilayer system in order to activate heat input in the layer sequence.

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 an oxide of zirconium. 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 dielectric layer (e.g., of or including an oxide of Zr) may be sputter-deposited so as to have a monoclinic phase in order to improve thermal stability.

A material including a transparent substrate coated with a stack acting on infrared radiation includes at least one functional layer and at least one upper protective layer deposited above at least a part of the functional layer. The upper protective layer is a hydrogenated carbon layer, within which layer the carbon atoms form carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds and are essentially in an sp.sup.2 hybridization state.

A coated substrate having a coating and a method of forming the same is disclosed, wherein the coating includes a plurality of discrete layers. The coating includes three reflective layers, an alloy layer disposed between two of the reflective layers, and two oxide layers and has a total thickness of 4000 or less.

A low-E coating has good color stability (a low E* value) upon heat treatment (HT). 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 in a low-E coating has effect of significantly improving the coating's thermal stability (i.e., lowering the E* value). One or more such crystalline, or substantially crystalline, layers may be provided under one or more corresponding IR reflecting layers comprising silver.

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.

The present invention is directed to metal preparations containing metal particles, in particular noble metal particles, to the use of such metal preparations for the production of attractive metallic decorative elements on articles having an outer silicatic surface such as of porcelain, ceramic, china, bone china, glass or enamel, to metallic coatings on such substrates and to a process for the production of coatings of this kind.

A low-emissivity (low-E) coating includes first and second infrared (IR) reflecting layers of or including a material such as silver. The coating includes a bottom dielectric portion including a layer of or including silicon zirconium oxynitride, and a center dielectric portion including a layer of or including zinc stannate. The coating is configured to realize a combination of desirable visible transmission, consistent and low emissivity values, thermal stability upon optional heat treatment such as thermal tempering, desirable U-value, desirable LSG value, and desirable coloration and/or reflectivity values to be achieved. In certain example embodiments, an absorber layer sandwiched between a pair of dielectric layers may be provided in. Coated articles herein may be used in the context of insulating glass (IG) window units, or in other suitable applications such as monolithic window applications, laminated windows, and/or the like.

A coated article includes a substrate, a functional layer over at least a portion of the substrate, and a protective coating over at least a portion of the functional layer, wherein an uppermost layer of the functional layer is a metal oxide layer, and wherein the protective coating comprises a metal nitride layer and a metal oxynitride layer that is disposed between and in contact with at least part of the metal nitride layer and the metal oxide layer of the functional layer.