HIGHLY ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE TRANSPARENT LAYER WITH A METAL GRID HAVING OPTIMIZED ELECTROCHEMICAL RESISTANCE

• US 20100132988A1
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Steers, Emilie, Kim, Se-Jong, Valentin, Emmanuel, Jousse, Didier, Dubrenat, Samuel, Letocart, Philippe, Giron, Jean-Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 8,411,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/257
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/1077 containing polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1536 additional, e.g. protective, layer inside the cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

An electroconductive layer (2) designed to be combined with a substrate having a glass function, said layer (2) being composed of a metal grid (9), characterized in that the metal grid (9) consists of a pure metal and in that it is coated with at least one electrochemical protection layer (10), especially a metal layer or a metal nitride layer.

Claims

1. An electroconductive layer designed to be combined with a substrate having a glass function, said layer, comprising a metal grid that consists of a pure metal which is coated with at least one electrochemical protection layer, the electrochemical protection layer being combined with at least one barrier layer based on a metal oxide.

2. The electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide, zinc oxide doped with another metal selected from the family of the following metals:

Al, Ga, B, and Sc, tin-doped indium oxide and antimony-doped tin oxide.

3. The electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grid is based on a pure material selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, zinc, aluminum, nickel, chromium and a nickel-chromium alloy.

4. The electroconductive layer according to the claim 1, wherein the electrochemical protection layer is based on a material selected from group consisting of titanium, gold, platinum and palladium, said material optionally being nitrided.

5. The electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the grid ranges from 1 to 15 μ

m.

6. The electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grid has a periodic or aperiodic structure representing a light occultation of 15 to 25%.

7. The electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the electrochemical protection layer ranges from 10 to 100 nm.

8. The electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the barrier layer ranges from 40 to 400 nm.

9. The electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grid is deposited on a second barrier layer.

10. The electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resistivity of the electroconductive layer ranges from 0.01 ohms/□

to 1 ohms/□

.

11. The electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grid retains its electrical conductivity properties before and after heat treatment.

12. A method of fabricating an electrochemical device, comprising:

placing the electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 1 as an electrode of an electrochemical/electrically controllable device having variable optical and/or energy properties, or as an active layer in an electrochemical and/or electrically controllable device having variable optical and/or energy properties, or an electrochromic system or a photovoltaic device or an electroluminescent device or a heating device, or optionally a flat-lamp device or an electromagnetic shielding device.

13. An electrochemical/electrically controllable device having variable optical and/or energy properties comprising at least one carrier substrate provided with an electroactive layer or with a stack of electroactive layers between what is called a “

lower”

electrode and what is called an “

upper”

electrode, wherein at least one of the lower and upper electrodes comprises at least one electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 1.

14. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said electrochromic system, is an “

all solid”

electrochromic system or an “

all solid”

or “

all polymer”

electrochromic system, a liquid-crystal system, a viologen system or an electroluminescent system.

15. A glazing, comprising the device as claimed in claim 13.

16. A method, comprising:

manufacturing the glazing as claimed in claim 13 for producing architectural glazing, glazing panels for equipping internal partitions or windows or roofs, or equipping transport means, of the airplane, train, car, boat or worksite vehicle type, display screens, of the type of computer or television screens or projection screens or touch-sensitive screens, or for producing spectacles or camera lenses or for protecting solar panels, or illuminating surfaces.

17. A method, comprising:

manufacturing the glazing as claimed in claim 14 for producing architectural glazing, glazing panels for equipping internal partitions or windows or roofs, or equipping transport means, of the airplane, train, car, boat or worksite vehicle type, display screens, of the type of computer or television screens or projection screens or touch-sensitive screens, or for producing spectacles or camera lenses or for protecting solar panels, or illuminating surfaces.

18. The electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the grid ranges from 2 and 8 μ

m.

19. The electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the thickness of the electrochemical protection layer ranges from 25 to 75 nm.

20. The electroconductive layer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the thickness of the barrier layer ranges from 60 to 300 nm.