Utku Er, SISECAM Science Technology and Design Center, Gebze Kocaeli Turkey
Low emissivity (Low-E) materials exhibit excellent transparency in the visible spectrum and high reflectance in the far-infrared range. This not only fulfills the illumination needs of buildings but also hinders the transmission of far-infrared heat through the treated glass, often quantified as the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). There are two types of Low-E glasses, which are distinguished by their manufacturing methods: offline and online. Offline Low-E glass undergoes coating through magnetron sputtering technique, involving silver layers usually integrated within metal oxide, nitride or oxynitride layers. The thickness uniformity for the non-metallic layers in the structure is crucial in order to adjust reflection colors. In this study, ultra-selective Low-E structures were developed and the effects of layer thicknesses on reflection colors were examined. Moreover, reflection color change was modelled using CODE software in the range of +/- 2% thickness fluctuations. This research aims to provide valuable insights into delineating production tolerances for the large-area deposition of highly selective low-e stacks.