Low emissivity (low-E) coating

technologies for Energy saving

window applications

Guowen Ding and Minh Le

Intermolecular Inc.
Intermolecular Confidential
 Contents
 Introduction to Low-E coatings
― Why low-E coating windows are needed
― What are Ideal low-E coating windows
― Common Terminologies in the low-E field
 Examples for Building Energy Savings
 What can make Transparent low-emissivity coating
― Typical transparent low-E coating materials comparison
― How to make Low-E glass coating:
 type I: Pyrolytic low-E
 type II: sputtered low-E
 Brief Low-E coating history
 How the new low-E stacks were developed
 Future trends in low-E

2
 Why low-E coating window is needed
 Windows are often considered the least
energy efficient component in a building.

 Radiation losses occur through the window

glass and represent about 60% of total heat
loss in a standard window*

 Radiative heat flow can be reduced by

Thermal
choosing low-emissivity (low-E) materials: Materials surface**
emissivity

― Emissivity is the value given to materials Aluminum foil

Asphalt
0.03
0.88
based on the ratio of heat emitted Brick 0.9
Concrete, rough 0.91
compared to a blackbody, on a scale from Glass, smooth (uncoated) 0.91
zero to one. A blackbody would have an Limestone 0.92
Marble, Polished or white 0.89 to 0.92
emissivity of 1 and a perfect reflector would Marble, Smooth 0.56
have a value of 0. Paper, roofing or white 0.88 to 0.86
Plaster, rough 0.89
Silver, polished 0.02

• “low-E basics.ppt , Guardian Industries-NT window” http://www.ntwindow.com/uploads/Forms/Additional%20information/Low-E%20Basics.ppt

• ** Low emissivity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

3
 What are Ideal low-E coating window

 Ideal low-E coating window Low-E windows Low-E windows for

for HOT climates COLD climates
1. Low emissivity
a. Blocking the IR radiation,
especially the IR spectrum
corresponding to the room
temperature radiation
2. High visible transmission,
neutral color
a. Good human feeling
3. Solar spectrum
a. High visible to solar Gain
ratio for hot weather
i. Reduce the cooling cost
b. High solar gain for cold
weather
a. Reduce the heating cost
* “how window work”, http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/buildings/basics/windows/how/solar_gain.htm
4
Common Terminologies in the low-E field
Schematic single substrate phenomena

Tvis

SHGC
100% sun light

 Visible light transmittance (Tvis): The percentage of visible light (380-780nm)

within the solar spectrum that is transmitted through glass, (or Insulating Glass
unit, IGU)
 Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient (SHGC): the ratio of the solar energy passing
through the window to the incident solar energy (including direct solar
transmittance and indirect re-radiation)
 U-factor: A measure of air-to-air heat transmission (loss or gain) due to the
thermal conductance and the difference in indoor and outdoor temperatures of a
1 meter high glazing. Referred to as the overall coefficient of heat transfer.
5
 Simulated Building Model and energy Savings

Locations: Chicago & Miami glazing type %Tvis SHGC U-value

Floor Area: 120,000 sq. ft.
Number of Stories: 6 clear glass Mono 89% 81.8% 1.1
Floor/-Floor Height: 12 ft. no coating I.G. U 80% 71.3% 0.48
Foundation: Slab on grade
Window Type: Strip Windows SN 68 I.G. U 68% 37.4% 0.29
Window Area: 20,000 sq. ft.
Ceiling Insulation: R-19 in Chicago Nu 50 I.G. U 50% 39.2% 0.34
R-15 in Miami
Wall Insulation: R-13
AC 43 I.G. U 43% 29.6% 0.31
Energy Source: Heat – Natural Gas NU 40 I.G. U 40% 31.3% 0.33
A/C - Electric
silver 20 I.G. U 18% 20.0% 0.41
( 6mm clear/ 12mm as / 6mm clear, coating #2 surface)

EX118 “THE EVOLUTION OF GLASS AND HIGH‐PERFORMANCE

COATINGS” JOHN WILSON, GUARDIAN INDUSTRIES
AIA 2012 national convention and design exposition
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjA
A&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aia.org%2Faiaucmp%2Fgroups%2Faia%2Fdocuments%2Fpdf%2Faiab09
4232.pdf&ei=pv55VM-3G-mDiwLPtoAQ&usg=AFQjCNHf5fS74aWoKuICzL9cxOwk0vxngw

6
 Energy saving break down

1. One-Time Savings from Reduction

in HVAC System Cooling Capacity
(compared to a non coating unit)

2. Annual Savings from Reduced

Energy Consumption for Cooling
and heating Requirements,

3. 10 year energy saving:

EX118 “THE EVOLUTION OF GLASS AND

HIGH‐PERFORMANCE COATINGS”
AIA 2012 national convention and design exposition

7
 What materials can make Transparent low-
emissivity coating
 There is a relationship between emissivity e and
8𝜀0 𝜔
conductivity s at frequency w, * 𝜀=
𝜎
― The higher conductivity s, the lower the emissivity e

 There is an estimation relationship between emissivity e

and sheet resistance R□ e=0.0106 R□

 There are two type of materials for transparent low-

emissivity coating
― Semi-conductive coating, i.e. ITO, FTO
 the extinction co-efficient k is very small such as
0.01 at 550nm, so that typical thickness is micro-
meter with acceptable absorptions
― Metallic coating, i.e. Ag and Au
 the extinction co-efficient k is very high such as 3.5
at 550nm, so that typical thickness is below 20nm
for acceptable absorptions

8
 Typical transparent low-E coating materials
comparison
 Only at early stages, technical specifications of Indium Tin oxide
Zinc Oxide gold layer
silver
the trasparent condutive Oxide (ITO) (TO) layer
there were gold film coatins systems
coating coatings coatings systems
low-E layer thickness (nm) >20 >20 >20 >6 >6
sheet resistance R (W) >8 >8 >8 >5 >1
 Currently, silver light transmittance (5) >75 >75 >85 >25 >75
based low-E abrasion resistance very good very good very good good good
chemical resistance good very good adequate adequate adequate
dominates
thermal stability of adequate to
adequate adequate adequate good
technical parameters good
 FTO is excellent on adherence to the glass
very good very good very good good good
abrasion and surface
chemical resistance. preferred coating APCVD
sputter sputter sputter sputter
technique for deposition Pyrolytic
It’s widely used as onto flat glass
process
process
process process process

monolithic low-E pane thickness for coating

>0.3 >2 >0.3 >0.3 >0.3
(mm)
as poorer than as as as
uncoated uncoated uncoated uncoated uncoated
planess of coated pane flate glass flat glass flate glass flate glass flate glass
* “large area glass coating”, Hans Joachim Gläser, Von Ardenne Anlagen Technik, 2000

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How to make Low-E glass coating:
type I: Pyrolytic low-E
 There are two major types of low-E glass coating types

 Pyrolytic low-E (also called, on-line low-E), sometimes referred as hard-

coated, could be used in mono-lithic low-E windows, typical emissivity is
below 0.15. Highly durable.

*Coating on Glass workshop, Livermore 2000,

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEwQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fall-
experts.com%2Fassets%2Froadmaps%2F318__GlsCoatRptweb.pdf&ei=Wyl6VL_AA4_1iQLV3oG4Bg&usg=AFQjCNFgtMds8qPiT3InDp7Tl92ut4fxsA 10
How to make Low-E glass coating
type II: sputtered low-E
 Sputtered low-E glass coating (also called as off-line low-E, soft coating), is
produced by depositing a thin metallic coating onto the surface of glass in a
vacuum chamber. Currently dominates the low-E market,
― because it provides better emissivity ( below 0.06), therefore better heat
radiation control, better solar heat control, and better optical performance
― The coating price is affordable ~$2/ft2

*Coating on Glass workshop, Livermore 2000.

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Brief Low-E coating history

 Low-E industry history is short, but growth is fast since the first energy crisis
of 1974, combined modern science and technologies.
1950's 1960's 1960's 1970's 1974 1975-1980s 1980's 1981 1988 1990's 2006
first solar
market for heat 1st asymmetric
control glass to
heat insulating energ al silver
notes reduce the double silver tripple silver
reflection glass units y layer
cooling cost of
glass of building crisis system
the building
BOC Heraeus / flashglas
firm: Flaverbel Philips (NL) Pilkington Interpane interrpane Cardinal etc, PPG
Edwards DETAG /DELOG

oxide 3 cycles
BiOx/Au, BiOx/PbOx silver
film BiOx/Au ZnS/Au Tin Tin /Ag/ of
BiOx/Au IGU filled /Ag/PbOx based
stack /BiOx /ZnS oxide oxide oxide /Ag/ oxide/Ag/
Ar /BiOx coating
oxide oxide
solarban
trade name "Stop ray" "infrastop" Thermoplus Thermoplus k-glass iplus neutral double silver
glass
high IR highly ageing resistant
high high IR transmission
reflection, low high durable and color higher better solar better solar
transmittan reflection, low form
new thermal transmittanc chemical/ neutral better transmissio gain control, gain control,
ce /high thermal 40%==>60%,
features emissivity, e low-e mechanic than greenish n, better higher LSG up higher LSG
heat emissivity, good U: 1.3W/m2k,
good coating al color by Au neutral color to 2.0 up to 2.3
reflection transmittance Jumbo glass
transmittance resistance coating
deposition sputter/ APCVD
sputter evaporation pyrolysis sputter sputter sputter sputter sputter
method evaporation on-line

History of the development and industrial production of low-e coatings for high heat insulating glass units
by Hans J. Gläser, “http://www.interpane.com/m/en/history_of_low-e_coatings_123.87.html”

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Example of low-E coating

“The future high performance Glazing in commercial buildings”, James, Finley, PPG Industries, Inc.

13
How low-E stacks were developed

A. Advanced Material Investigation

spec
B. Iterative optical modeling provides predictive
capabilities to optimize the stack
Optical simulation Trends prediction

Low-E Stack

http://www.glassonweb.com/articles/article/785/ 14
 Innovative materials are the key to the low-E
performance
 Au versus Ag in history
― Au is the first low-E product
― Once the Ag process was
developed, much better
performance was achieved
― Au is no longer important in the
low-E products today

 Thin Ag film could be much different

from different growth methods, that
could significantly impact the low-E
performance.

 Each stack materials showed unique

contributions to the low-E
performance

* “large area glass coating”, Hans Joachim Gläser, Von Ardenne Anlagen Technik, 2000
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 Low-E Stack Optimization is challenging, and
new technology can help accelerate the
developments
 Multiple generations of Low-E
prototype products that
surpass the current market
products performance through
HPC™
― Materials screening and
optimization
― Modeling design
― Solving the interface
challenges
― Challenging optical limit,
thermal data limit
― Challenging heat,
durability, stability for a
wide range of conditions. Environmental
mechanical
― Reduce manufacture cost
durability test

16
More than 60 Inventions were Quickly Identified
with IMI’s HPCTM technology

P-30 #1

P-30
#2

P-30 #3

17
Summary and Future trends in low-E

 Energy savings in buildings are standardized in all developed

countries, and their functioning spec is based essentially on low-E
coating.

 Low-E technology combines materials science, optical design,

vacuum deposition that provide an unique solution for building saving
energy for different climates, and are required for the most of
commercial building and are used for more and more residential
building, worldwide.

 Low-E industry is continually growing and becoming one of the most

important sector in glass industry.
― Glass industry future trends: gradual shift in demand from low quality flat
and sheet glass toward high quality float glass.
― Low E is one of the fastest growing sectors in the glass industry due to
environmental factors being more and more important.

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Thank you

Intermolecular Confidential