TRANSPARENT ARTICLE HAVING HIGH VISIBLE TRANSMITTANCE

A transparent article comprising a base, at least four coated layers, and a top protective layer is disclosed. The coated layers include a first dereflecting region, a transparent layer of silver or other metal, and a second dereflecting region comprising a layer of titanium dioxide and a layer of another dielectric material. A titanium dioxide layer may also be a component of the first dereflecting region. Each dereflecting region that includes a titanium dioxide layer also comprises a layer of a transparent oxide or other dielectric material having an index of refraction intermediate between about 2.7, the approximate index of titanium dioxide, and the index of the nearby base ortop layer, respectively. The intermediate index material is preferably zinc oxide because this material can be relatively quickly and inexpensively deposited by reactive sputtering. Also disclosed is a method for depositing the coated layers by sputtering and reactive sputtering of titanium and silver, zinc or other materials. The coating is useful as a component of a laminated window, particularly on electrically heated windshields for automobiles.