Large area glass coating

Abstract Since the end of the seventies vacuum coating technology for the deposition of optical thin films on large area glass substrates has enjoyed a steady growth. Nowadays, the main applications are low emissivity and solar control thin film systems on architectural glass as well as transparent electrodes for flat panel displays. Future markets like electrochromic or anti-reflective coatings appear on the horizon; the latter covering a wide range of products like picture frames, show-cases, shop windows, and all kinds of data and TV screens. The paper gives an introduction into the above-mentioned applications and outlines the present state of sputtering technology for large area glass coating.