Patent ID: 8691337

Claim:
A method of making a coated article by applying a mar reducing overcoat to an intermediate coated article, the method comprising: having the intermediate coated article, the intermediate coated article comprising a substrate with a low-E coating disposed thereon; applying the mar reducing overcoat to the intermediate coated article via an evacuative process such that the coated article with the mar reducing overcoat applied thereon has an average surface roughness of less than 0.1 um, as well as a contact angle greater than, and a surface friction less than, a contact angle and a surface friction of the intermediate coated article with the low-E coating, the low-E coating being located between at least the substrate and the mar reducing overcoat; wherein said applying comprises: providing a low vapor pressure material in liquid form to a heatable vacuum compatible chamber connected to a coater, with a coater vent buffer being interposed between the heatable chamber and the coater; evacuating the heatable chamber as the coater pumps to the same pressure as the coater vent buffer; when vacuum is achieved, building up vapor in the heatable chamber; and when the coater needs to be vented, venting the vent buffer, and purging the heated chamber to draw substantially all of the vapor into the coater vent buffer, and when venting is complete, partially evacuating the chamber, and wherein the mar reducing overcoat has a thickness selected so that the mar reducing overcoat provides a delta E* color shift of no more than 5 relative to the underlying low-E coating.