Multi-cell solid-state electrochromic device

• US 7,961,375 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2008
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: View Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Soladigm, Inc.
• Inventors: Phillips, Roger W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson; Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US12/145,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20090323155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 359/265, 359/245, 359/270, 359/290, 359/296, 359/297, 359/275, 257/103
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/153 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1557 Side by side arrangements of working and counter electrodes

Abstract

A multi-cell electrochromic device comprises a plurality of solid-state electrochromic cells that are arranged in an optical alignment. Each electrochromic cell is separated from an adjacent electrochromic cell in the optical alignment by a transparent conductive layer that is shared by the two adjacent electrochromic cells.

Claims

1. A multi-cell electrochromic device, comprising:

a plurality of solid-state electrochromic cells arranged in an optical alignment, each electrochromic cell being separated from an adjacent electrochromic cell in the optical alignment by a transparent conductive layer that is shared by the two adjacent electrochromic cells,

a first electrochromic cell of the plurality of solid-state electrochromic cells comprising;

a first transparent conductive layer;

a counter electrode layer formed in contact with the first transparent conductive layer;

an ion conductor layer formed in contact with the counter electrode layer;

an electrochromic layer formed in contact with the ion conductor layer; and

the shared transparent conductive layer formed in contact with the electrochromic layer; and

a second electrochromic cell of the plurality of solid-state electrochromic cells comprising;

an electrochromic layer formed in direct contact with the shared transparent conductive layer;

an ion conductor layer formed in contact with the electrochromic layer;

a counter electrode layer formed in contact with the ion conductor layer; and

a second transparent conductive layer formed in direct contact with counter electrode layer,

each electrochromic layer comprises tungsten oxide WO₃, vanadium oxide V₂O₅, niobium oxide Nb₂O₃ or iridium oxide IrO₂,

each counter electrode layer comprises nickel oxide NiO, tungsten-doped nickel oxide, or iridium oxide IrO₂,

each ion conductor layer comprises silicon oxide SiO₂, titanium oxide TiO₂, aluminum oxide Al₂O₃, or tantalum oxide Ta₂O₅, and

a first voltage being applied between the first transparent conductive layer and the shared transparent conductive layer, and a second voltage being applied between the shared transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, the first and second voltages being different from each other.

2. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein both the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode become colored when a negative voltage is applied between the first transparent layer and the shared transparent layer.

3. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein both the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode become colorless when a positive voltage is applied between the first transparent layer and the shared transparent layer.

4. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the electrochromic layer, the ion conductor layer, or the counter electrode layer further comprises insertion ions comprising H+, Li+ or Na+.

5. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 1, further comprising a substrate, and

wherein the first transparent conductive layer is formed in contact with the substrate.

6. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the shared transparent conductive layer comprises at least one ion blocking layers.

7. A multi-cell electrochromic device, comprising:

a plurality of solid-state electrochromic cells arranged in an optical alignment, each electrochromic cell being separated from an adjacent electrochromic cell in the optical alignment by a transparent conductive layer that is shared by the two adjacent electrochromic cells,

a first electrochromic cell of the plurality of solid-state electrochromic cells comprising;

a first transparent conductive layer;

a counter electrode layer formed in contact with the first transparent conductive layer;

an ion conductor layer formed in contact with the counter electrode layer;

an electrochromic layer formed in contact with the ion conductor layer; and

the shared transparent conductive layer formed in contact with the electrochromic layer; and

a second electrochromic cell of the plurality of solid-state electrochromic cells comprising;

an electrochromic layer formed in direct contact with the shared transparent conductive layer;

an ion conductor layer formed in contact with the electrochromic layer;

a counter electrode layer formed in contact with the ion conductor layer; and

a second transparent conductive layer formed in direct contact with counter electrode layer,

each electrochromic layer comprises tungsten oxide WO₃, vanadium oxide V₂O₅, niobium oxide Nb₂O₃ or iridium oxide IrO₂,

each counter electrode layer comprises nickel oxide NiO, tungsten-doped nickel oxide, or iridium oxide IrO₂,

each ion conductor layer comprises silicon oxide SiO₂, titanium oxide TiO₂, aluminum oxide Al₂O₃, or tantalum oxide Ta₂O₅, and

a voltage being applied between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, and no voltage being applied to the shared conductive layer.

8. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the electrochromic layer, the ion conductor layer, or the counter electrode layer further comprises insertion ions comprising H+, Li+ or Na+.

9. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 7, wherein the shared transparent conductive layer comprises at least one ion blocking layers.

10. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 7, wherein both the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode become colored when a negative voltage is applied between the first transparent layer and the shared transparent layer.

11. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 7, wherein both the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode become colorless when a positive voltage is applied between the first transparent layer and the shared transparent layer.

12. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 7, further comprising a substrate, and

wherein the first transparent conductive layer is formed in contact with the substrate.

13. A multi-cell electrochromic device, comprising:

a plurality of solid-state electrochromic cells arranged in an optical alignment, each electrochromic cell being separated from an adjacent electrochromic cell in the optical alignment by a transparent conductive layer that is shared by the two adjacent electrochromic cells,

a first electrochromic cell comprises;

a first transparent conductive layer;

an electrochromic layer formed in contact with the first transparent conductive layer;

an ion conductor layer formed in contact with the electrochromic layer;

a counter electrode layer formed in contact with the ion conductor layer; and

the shared transparent conductive layer formed in contact with the counter electrode layer; and

a second electrochromic cell comprising;

a counter electrode layer formed in direct contact with the shared transparent conductive layer;

an ion conductor layer formed in contact with the counter electrode layer;

an electrochromic layer formed in contact with the ion conductor layer; and

a second transparent conductive layer formed in direct contact with electrochromic layer,

each electrochromic layer comprises tungsten oxide WO₃, vanadium oxide V₂O₅, niobium oxide Nb₂O₃ or iridium oxide IrO₂,

each counter electrode layer comprises nickel oxide NiO, tungsten-doped nickel oxide, or iridium oxide IrO₂,

each ion conductor layer comprises silicon oxide SiO₂, titanium oxide TiO₂, aluminum oxide Al₂O₃, or tantalum oxide Ta₂O₅, and

a first voltage being applied between the first transparent conductive layer and the shared transparent conductive layer, and a second voltage being applied between the shared transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, the first and second voltages being different from each other.

14. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the electrochromic layer, the ion conductor layer, or the counter electrode layer further comprises insertion ions comprising H+, Li+ or Na+.

15. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 13, wherein the shared transparent conductive layer comprises at least one ion blocking layers.

16. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 13, wherein both the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode become colored when a negative voltage is applied between the first transparent layer and the shared transparent layer.

17. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 13, wherein both the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode become colorless when a positive voltage is applied between the first transparent layer and the shared transparent layer.

18. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 13, further comprising a substrate, and

wherein the first transparent conductive layer is formed in contact with the substrate.

19. A multi-cell electrochromic device, comprising:

a plurality of solid-state electrochromic cells arranged in an optical alignment, each electrochromic cell being separated from an adjacent electrochromic cell in the optical alignment by a transparent conductive layer that is shared by the two adjacent electrochromic cells,

a first electrochromic cell comprises;

a first transparent conductive layer;

an electrochromic layer formed in contact with the first transparent conductive layer;

an ion conductor layer formed in contact with the electrochromic layer;

a counter electrode layer formed in contact with the ion conductor layer; and

the shared transparent conductive layer formed in contact with the counter electrode layer; and

a second electrochromic cell comprising;

a counter electrode layer formed in direct contact with the shared transparent conductive layer;

an ion conductor layer formed in contact with the counter electrode layer;

an electrochromic layer formed in contact with the ion conductor layer; and

a second transparent conductive layer formed in direct contact with electrochromic layer,

each electrochromic layer comprises tungsten oxide WO₃, vanadium oxide V₂O₅, niobium oxide Nb₂O₃ or iridium oxide IrO₂,

each counter electrode layer comprises nickel oxide NiO, tungsten-doped nickel oxide, or iridium oxide IrO₂,

each ion conductor layer comprises silicon oxide SiO₂, titanium oxide TiO₂, aluminum oxide Al₂O₃, or tantalum oxide Ta₂O₅, and

a voltage being applied between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, and no voltage being applied to the shared conductive layer.

20. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 19, wherein the shared transparent conductive layer comprises at least one ion blocking layers.

21. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 19, wherein both the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode become colored when a negative voltage is applied between the first transparent layer and the shared transparent layer.

22. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 19, wherein both the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode become colorless when a positive voltage is applied between the first transparent layer and the shared transparent layer.

23. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 19, further comprising a substrate, and

wherein the first transparent conductive layer is formed in contact with the substrate.

24. The multi-cell electrochromic device according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the electrochromic layer, the ion conductor layer, or the counter electrode layer further comprises insertion ions comprising H+, Li+ or Na+.