Electrochromic counter electrode
First Claim
1. A metal oxide capable of undergoing reversible lithium metal insertion, said metal oxide being characterized upon lithium ion insertion by electrochromism, lithium ion mobility under an applied emf that is substantially similar to that of electrochromic tungsten oxide, and a lack of long range crystal structure, said metal oxide comprising:
- a first transition metal present as a stable, amorphous metal oxide matrix; and
a second transition metal doped into said stable amorphous metal oxide matrix.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention discloses an amorphous material comprising nickel oxide doped with tantalum that is an anodically coloring electrochromic material. The material of the present invention is prepared in the form of an electrode (200) having a thin film (202) of an electrochromic material of the present invention residing on a transparent conductive film (203). The material of the present invention is also incorporated into an electrochromic device (100) as a thin film (102) in conjunction with a cathodically coloring prior art electrochromic material layer (104) such that the devices contain both anodically coloring (102) and cathodically coloring (104) layers. The materials of the electrochromic layers in these devices exhibit broadband optical complimentary behavior, ionic species complimentary behavior, and coloration efficiency complimentary behavior in their operation.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A metal oxide capable of undergoing reversible lithium metal insertion, said metal oxide being characterized upon lithium ion insertion by electrochromism, lithium ion mobility under an applied emf that is substantially similar to that of electrochromic tungsten oxide, and a lack of long range crystal structure, said metal oxide comprising:
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a first transition metal present as a stable, amorphous metal oxide matrix; and
a second transition metal doped into said stable amorphous metal oxide matrix. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A thin metal oxide film capable of undergoing reversible lithium metal insertion residing on a transparent substrate, said thin metal oxide film being characterized by displaying, upon lithium metal insertion, reversible anodically coloring electrochromism, said thin metal oxide film comprising:
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a first transition metal present as a stable amorphous metal oxide matrix; and
a second transition metal doped into said stable amorphous metal oxide matrix. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A metal oxide film capable of undergoing lithium metal insertion, said metal oxide being formed on a substrate by reactive oxygen ion sputtering from a target containing both tantalum and nickel and having an atomic ratio of Tantalum:
- Nickel of between about 5;
95 and about 95;
5, and lacking any long range ordered structure as determined by XRD. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
- Nickel of between about 5;
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17. An electrode containing a lithium metal injected metal oxide film layer, said metal oxide film layer being formed on a transparent glass substrate with a transparent layer of a conductive oxide interposed between said metal oxide film layer and said transparent glass substrate, wherein said metal oxide film is formed by reactive oxygen ion sputtering from a target containing both tantalum and nickel, and wherein said metal oxide film is subjected to a lithium metal injection process, said metal oxide film being characterized by the following properties:
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an atomic ratio of Tantalum;
Nickel of between about 5;
95 and about 95;
5;
an absence of any long range crystal structure as determined by XRD;
electrochromic behavior such that said metal oxide film undergoes electrochromic coloring when connected to a cathode of an emf source having sufficient potential to drive said coloring and electrochromic bleaching when connected to the anode of an emf source having sufficient potential to drive said bleaching; and
an electrochromic coloration efficiency of greater than 5 cm2/C measured at about 400 nm. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. An electrochromic device, the device comprising:
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a glass support;
a first conductive layer;
a tantalum nickel oxide layer wherein said layer is formed by sputtering and injected with lithium;
an electrolyte layer;
a tungsten oxide layer, wherein said layer is formed by vacuum evaporation; and
a second conductive layer in ohmic contact with said tungsten oxide layer. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. An electrode containing a lithium metal injected metal oxide film layer, said metal oxide film layer being formed on a transparent glass substrate with a transparent layer of a conductive tin oxide interposed between said metal oxide film layer and said transparent glass substrate, and wherein said metal oxide film is formed by reactive oxygen ion sputtering from a target containing both tantalum and nickel, wherein said metal oxide film is subjected to a lithium metal injection process, said metal oxide film being characterized by the following properties:
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an atomic ratio of Tantalum;
Nickel of between about 5;
95 and about 95;
5;
an absence of any long range crystal structure as determined by XRD;
electrochromic behavior such that said metal oxide film undergoes electrochromic coloring when connected to a cathode of an emf source having sufficient potential to drive said coloring and electrochromic bleaching when connected to the anode of an emf source having sufficient potential to drive said bleaching; and
an electrochromic coloration efficiency of greater than 5 cm2/C measured at about 400 nm. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification