Electrochromic devices
First Claim
1. An electrochromic device comprising:
- (a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material;
(b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material; and
(c) an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region comprises a mixture of;
(i) a substantially electronically insulating ion conductor material, and (ii) the electrochromic material, the counter electrode material and/or an additional material, where the additional material includes distinct electrochromic or counter electrode material, wherein the electrochromic material is operable for a first electrochromic transition, wherein the counter electrode material is operable for a second electrochromic transition, and wherein the electrochromic device has only one electrochromic layer and only one counter electrode layer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Conventional electrochromic devices frequently suffer from poor reliability and poor performance. Improvements are made using entirely solid and inorganic materials. Electrochromic devices are fabricated by forming an ion conducting electronically insulating interfacial region that serves as an IC layer. In some methods, the interfacial region is formed after formation of an electrochromic and a counter electrode layer. The interfacial region contains an ion conducting electronically insulating material along with components of the electrochromic and/or the counter electrode layer. Materials and microstructure of the electrochromic devices provide improvements in performance and reliability over conventional devices.
109 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An electrochromic device comprising:
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(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material; (b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material; and (c) an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region comprises a mixture of;
(i) a substantially electronically insulating ion conductor material, and (ii) the electrochromic material, the counter electrode material and/or an additional material, where the additional material includes distinct electrochromic or counter electrode material, wherein the electrochromic material is operable for a first electrochromic transition, wherein the counter electrode material is operable for a second electrochromic transition, and wherein the electrochromic device has only one electrochromic layer and only one counter electrode layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An electrochromic device comprising:
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(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material; and (b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material; wherein the device does not contain a compositionally homogeneous layer of electrically insulating, ion conductor material between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the electrochromic material is operable for a first electrochromic transition, wherein the counter electrode material is operable for a second electrochromic transition, and wherein the electrochromic device has only one electrochromic layer and only one counter electrode layer.
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15. An electrochromic device comprising:
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(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material that is operable for undergoing a first electrochromic transition; and (b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material that is operable for undergoing a second electrochromic transition; wherein the electrochromic device does not contain a layer of electrically insulating, ion conductor material between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, and wherein the electrochromic device has only one electrochromic layer and only one counter electrode layer.
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16. An electrochromic device comprising:
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a two-layer stack, the two layers of said two-layer stack being in contact with one another, said two-layer stack comprising; (a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material that is operable for undergoing a first electrochromic transition; and (b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material that is operable for undergoing a second electrochromic transition; wherein a region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer is ion conducting and substantially electronically insulating, and wherein the electrochromic device has only one electrochromic layer and only one counter electrode layer.
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17. An electrochromic device comprising:
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(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic metal oxide operable for undergoing a first electrochromic transition; (b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material operable for undergoing a second electrochromic transition; and (c) an intermediate layer between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the intermediate layer comprises an oxygen rich form of the electrochromic metal oxide in the electrochromic layer. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31)
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29. An electrochromic device comprising:
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(a) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material operable for undergoing a first electrochromic transition; (b) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material operable for undergoing a second electrochromic transition; and (c) an intermediate layer between the counter electrode layer and the electrochromic layer, wherein the intermediate layer comprises an oxygen rich form of the counter electrode material in the counter electrode layer.
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Specification