How Silver Sputtering Targets Help Keep the Heat out, Let the Sunshine in.

Oct 10

Energy efficient building made with Low-E Glass manufactured with large area silver sputtering targets

Low-E glass, manufactured with silver sputtering targets, has inspired architects to design stunning, energy efficient spaces.

Low-E (aka Low-Emissivity) glass was invented to allow buildings to reflect the sun’s ultraviolet and infrared light and keep the hot sun outside while allowing beautiful, cool natural light inside.

Most Low-E glass coatings are applied in a vacuum using a magnetron-sputtering process. These coatings, which together measure around 1/500th of the thickness of a sheet of paper, give Low-E glass its unique ability to block nearly all infrared light, making it an ideal material for glass buildings in warmer climates. But Low-E glass is also ideal for cold climates. When the building’s interior is warmer than the outside, the coating works in reverse, reflecting the heat back inside.

How silver sputtering targets are making a difference.

Of the materials that make up a Low-E sputter coating, the MVPM (Most Valuable Precious Metal) in enhancing energy performance is silver. In general, more layers of silver added to the coating increases the spectral selectivity of the Low-E glass.

The emergence of Low-E glass accelerated the decline of the ultra-reflective, mirrored glass coatings that had become popular in the 1980s.

The go-to material for architects in every corner of the globe.

Today, Low-E glass is highly sought after in all types of buildings for its beauty, glare reducing properties and ideal energy efficiency in all environments. Low-E coatings give architects the freedom to create stunning glass facades that also draw attention to the inside of their buildings.

As energy code requirements become more rigid, Low-E coatings help architects and builders exceed their goals of creating beautiful, energy efficient spaces.

At DHF Technical Products, we’re proud to provide silver sputtering targets to Low-E glass manufacturers. We also get great satisfaction in discovering the innovative uses of Low-E glass and watching as awe-inspiring, imaginative and even whimsical projects from architects and builders come to life.