Iridium oxide film for electrochromic device

• US 5,520,851 A
• Filed: 11/14/1994
• Issued: 05/28/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PPG Industries Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Original Assignee: PPG Industries Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: O'Brien, Nada A., Yu, Phillip C., Hichwa, Bryant P., Backfisch, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieberman, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOPEC, MARK T
• Application Number:
  US08/337,783
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 252/518, 106/1.28, 420/461, 423/22, 428/357, 204/157.46
• US Class Current: 423/22
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/08 Oxides C23C14/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/15245 based on iridium oxide or hydroxide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/29 Coated or structually defined flake, particle, cell, strand, strand portion, rod, filament, macroscopic fiber or mass thereof

Abstract

A method of depositing a nitrogen-containing electrochromic iridium oxide film by sputtering iridium in an atmosphere comprising oxygen and nitrogen is disclosed for use in producing a transparent electrochromic article. The article includes electroconductive films, e.g., ITO, on two substrates, one of which has a superimposed electrochromic film, e.g., tungsten oxide, and the other of which has superimposed the iridium oxide film of the invention. An ion conductive layer between the electrochromic films completes the article.

Claims

1. An electrochromically active iridium oxide film comprising iridium oxide, wherein said iridium oxide film has incorporated therein an amount of nitrogen which is sufficient to prevent a significant change in transmittance after the film is electrochemically precharged.

2. An electrochromically active iridium oxide film comprising iridium oxide and about 2 to 20 atomic percent.

3. The film of claim 2 wherein the amount of nitrogen is from about 8 to 18 atomic percent.

4. The film of claim 2 wherein the iridium oxide film comprises from about 66 to 68 atomic percent oxygen, 4 to 12 atomic percent nitrogen, and wherein the ratio of atomic oxygen to iridium is in the range of about 2 to 3.