| Technology |
Magnetron coating deposition
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The purpose of coatings is to alter glass properties. Several glass characteristics such as light transmission, reflection, thermal performance, etc. can be changed by applying suitable coating systems.
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 The invention of glass coatings has altered the influence of glass as it used in architecture. Today?s coatings can be practically custom-made to fit into any environmental conditions and offer a specific look and performance. The applications of coating technology are endless, so it comes as no surprise that coated-glass production and research increase every year.
There are two major processes used to produce coated glass: on-line and off-line. As its name suggests, the on-line process consists of applying the coating during production while the off-line process indicates that the coating is applied when the glass has already cooled down.
The method used to produce thin films and coatings in the off-line process is referred to as magnetron sputtering, which indicates the spraying on of a coating to a glass surface. Magnetron sputtering was introduced in the seventies and increased the effectiveness of glass produced in the off-line process. When performed off the float-line, the glass passes through a series of vacuum chambers where metal oxide coatings are deposited onto the glass surface.
The process works by passing an electrical current through ionised gas, thus bombarding the surface of a metal cathode with ions. The atoms of the desired metal are vaporised and then deposited in a thin film on the surface of glass. Magnetron sputtering is an environment-friendly technology, as it does not produce any waste or ecological damage.
This type of coated glass is often referred to as 'soft-coated', because the coating is more susceptible to damage than with hard-coated glass. Due to its fragility, this soft-coated glass has some special handling and processing requirements. For example, glass produced by magnetron sputtering deposition is used mostly in double-glazed units, must be heat-threaded prior to coating deposition, and edge removal of the coating is required to allow a proper seal.
The major advantages are a highly-visible transmission of light, good thermal performance, and no color haze. Today magnetron-sputtering deposition is the most important vacuum process used in the glass sector.
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Photos: Web
Last review: November, 2003 |
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