Fabrication of low defectivity electrochromic devices
First Claim
1. A method of fabricating an electrochromic stack, the method comprising:
- forming a cathodically coloring layer comprising a cathodically coloring electrochromic material; and
forming an anodically coloring layer comprising an anodically coloring electrochromic material and one or more additives, wherein the anodically coloring electrochromic material comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), vanadium (V), and iridium (Ir), and wherein the additive comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silver (Ag), arsenic (As), gold (Au), cadmium (Cd), cesium (Cs), copper (Cu), europium (Eu), mercury (Hg), osmium (Os), lead (Pb), palladium (Pd), promethium (Pm), polonium (Po), platinum (Pt), radium (Ra), rubidium (Rb), terbium (Tb), technetium (Tc), thorium (Th), thallium (Tl), and combinations thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Prior electrochromic devices frequently suffer from high levels of defectivity. The defects may be manifest as pin holes or spots where the electrochromic transition is impaired. This is unacceptable for many applications such as electrochromic architectural glass. Improved electrochromic devices with low defectivity can be fabricated by depositing certain layered components of the electrochromic device in a single integrated deposition system. While these layers are being deposited and/or treated on a substrate, for example a glass window, the substrate never leaves a controlled ambient environment, for example a low pressure controlled atmosphere having very low levels of particles. These layers may be deposited using physical vapor deposition. In certain embodiments, the device includes a counter electrode having an anodically coloring electrochromic material in combination with an additive.
166 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating an electrochromic stack, the method comprising:
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forming a cathodically coloring layer comprising a cathodically coloring electrochromic material; and forming an anodically coloring layer comprising an anodically coloring electrochromic material and one or more additives, wherein the anodically coloring electrochromic material comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), vanadium (V), and iridium (Ir), and wherein the additive comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silver (Ag), arsenic (As), gold (Au), cadmium (Cd), cesium (Cs), copper (Cu), europium (Eu), mercury (Hg), osmium (Os), lead (Pb), palladium (Pd), promethium (Pm), polonium (Po), platinum (Pt), radium (Ra), rubidium (Rb), terbium (Tb), technetium (Tc), thorium (Th), thallium (Tl), and combinations thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An electrochromic stack, comprising:
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a cathodically coloring layer comprising a cathodically coloring material; and an anodically coloring layer comprising an anodically coloring electrochromic material and one or more additives, wherein the anodically coloring electrochromic material comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), vanadium (V), and iridium (Ir), and wherein the additive comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silver (Ag), arsenic (As), gold (Au), cadmium (Cd), cesium (Cs), copper (Cu), europium (Eu), mercury(Hg), osmium (Os), lead (Pb), palladium (Pd), promethium (Pm), polonium (Po), platinum (Pt), radium (Ra), rubidium (Rb), terbium (Tb), technetium (Tc), thorium (Th), thallium (Tl), and combinations thereof. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An integrated deposition system for fabricating an electrochromic stack, the system comprising:
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a plurality of deposition stations aligned in series and interconnected and operable to pass a substrate from one station to the next without exposing the substrate to an external environment, wherein the plurality of deposition stations comprise (i) a first deposition station containing one or more material sources for depositing a cathodically coloring layer; (ii) a second deposition station containing one or more material sources for depositing an anodically coloring layer, wherein the one or more material sources for depositing the anodically coloring layer comprise at least a first metal and an additive, the first metal selected from the group consisting of chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), rhodium (Rh), and iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru), and vanadium (V), and the additive selected from the group consisting of silver (Ag), arsenic (As), gold (Au), cadmium (Cd), cesium (Cs), copper (Cu), europium (Eu), mercury (Hg), osmium (Os), lead (Pb), palladium (Pd), promethium (Pm), polonium (Po), platinum (Pt), radium (Ra), rubidium (Rb), terbium (Tb), technetium (Tc), thorium (Th), and thallium (Tl); and a controller containing program instructions for passing the substrate through the plurality of stations in a manner that deposits on the substrate (i) the cathodically coloring layer, and (ii) the anodically coloring layer to form a stack comprising at least the cathodically coloring layer and the anodically coloring layer. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification