Electrochromic device with self-forming ion transfer layer and lithium-fluoro-nitride electrolyte

• US 7,265,891 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eclipse Energy Systems Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eclipse Energy Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Demiryont, Hulya
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roberts; Michael P
• Application Number:
  US11/425,379
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 359/265, 359/270, 252/62.2
• US Class Current: 359/270
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1523 comprising inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1524 Transition metal compounds

Abstract

An electrochromic device is prepared by forming multiple layers of selected materials on a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber. A first of these layers is an electrode layer deposited directly on the substrate and used for making contact to a subsequently deposited precursor film, preferably tungsten oxide, from which an electrochromic layer is formed by lithium loading in the presence of ionized nitrogen. This not only forms the electrochromic layer by diffusion of the lithium into the tungsten oxide, but also forms a thin lithium nitride ion transfer layer on the then exposed surface. Subsequently, a lithium fluoro-nitride electrolyte layer is formed on the ion transfer layer by evaporation from a lithium fluoride source in the presence of ionized nitrogen. An ion storage layer, which may be a vanadium oxide and a transparent second electrode layer are subsequently vacuum deposited.

Claims

1. A thin film electrochromic device comprising:

a substrate;

a first electrode layer deposited directly on the substrate;

an electrochromic thin film comprising lithium and characterized by an optical transparency that varies when a concentration of mobile lithium ions in the electrochromic thin film changes responsive to an external applied potential, the electrochromic thin film formed from a metal oxide precursor thin film vacuum deposited directly on the first electrode layer, wherein the metal oxide is one of tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, titanium oxide, tantalum oxide, and niobium oxide;

an ion transfer thin film consisting of lithium and nitrogen, the ion transfer thin film vacuum deposited directly on the electrochromic thin film;

an electrolyte thin film consisting of lithium, fluorine and nitrogen, the electrolyte thin film vacuum deposited directly on the ion transfer thin film;

an ion storage thin film comprising lithium and vacuum deposited directly on the electrolyte thin film, the ion storage thin film further comprising an oxide of at least one of vanadium, cobalt, iridium, manganese, nickel, praseodymium, and cerium; and

a transparent second electrode layer vacuum deposited directly on the ion storage thin film.