ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICES AND METHODS FOR FORMING SUCH DEVICES

• US 20140285866A1
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clearist Inc.
• Original Assignee: Paul Phong Nguyen
• Inventors: NGUYEN, Paul Phong
• Granted Patent: US 10,310,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133357 Planarisation layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1347 Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1503 caused by oxidation-reduction reactions in organic liquid solutions, e.g. viologen solutions
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1523 comprising inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1524 Transition metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1533 structural features not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1536 additional, e.g. protective, layer inside the cell
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/38 Sol-gel materials

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally provide electrochromic devices and materials and processes for forming such electrochromic devices and materials. In one embodiment, an electrochromic device contains a lower transparent conductor layer disposed on a substrate, wherein an upper surface of the lower transparent conductor layer has a surface roughness of greater than 50 nm and a primary electrochromic layer having planarizing properties is disposed on the lower transparent conductor layer. The upper surface of the primary electrochromic layer has a surface roughness less than the surface roughness of upper surface of the lower transparent conductor layer, such as about 50 nm or less. The electrochromic device further contains an ion conductor layer disposed on the primary electrochromic layer, a secondary electrochromic layer disposed on the ion conductor layer, an upper transparent conductor layer disposed on the secondary electrochromic layer, and an antireflection layer disposed on the upper transparent conductor layer.

Claims

1. An electrochromic device comprising a plurality of layers, including at least one planarizing layer having an upper surface roughness which is less than or equal to half of the upper surface roughness of an underlying layer in contact with a lower surface of the at least one planarizing layer.

2. The electrochromic device of claim 1, comprising from bottom to top:

a substrate;

a lower transparent conductor layer;

a first electrochromic layer;

an ion conductor layer;

a second electrochromic layer; and

an upper transparent conductor layer,

wherein;

(a) the first electrochromic layer is a primary electrochromic layer and the second electrochromic layer is a secondary electrochromic layer, or (b) the first electrochromic layer is the secondary electrochromic layer and the second electrochromic layer is the primary electrochromic layer.

3. The electrochromic device of claim 2, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is at least one of, or is each of:

the lower transparent conductor layer;

the first electrochromic layer;

the ion conductor layer;

the second electrochromic layer; and

the upper transparent conductor layer.

4. The electrochromic device of claim 2, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is located on at least one of, or is on each of:

the upper surface of the substrate and below the lower transparent conductor layer;

the upper surface of the lower transparent conductor layer and below the first electrochromic layer;

the upper surface of the first electrochromic layer and below the ion conductor layer;

the upper surface of the ion conductor layer and below the second electrochromic layer;

the upper surface of the second electrochromic layer and below the upper transparent conductor layer; and

the upper surface of the upper transparent conductor layer.

5. The electrochromic device of claim 2, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is located on the upper surface of the ion conductor layer.

6. The electrochromic device of claim 2, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is located on the upper surface of the second electrochromic layer.

7. The electrochromic device of claim 2, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is located on the upper surface of ion conductor layer and the upper surface of the second electrochromic layer.

8. The electrochromic device of claim 2, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is located on the upper surface of the lower transparent conductor layer.

9. The electrochromic device of claim 2, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is located on the upper surface of the first electrochromic layer.

10. The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein the upper surface roughness is defined as:

(a) an arithmetic average of absolute values of peak-to-valley heights;

(b) a square root of a mean of squares of peak-to-valley heights;

or (c) a maximum peak-to-valley height.

11. The electrochromic device of claim 10, wherein the upper surface roughness is from 1 nm to 300 nm.

12. The electrochromic device of claim 2, wherein the upper surface roughness of the underlying layer in contact with the lower surface of the at least one planarizing layer is greater than 50 nm and the upper surface roughness of the at least one planarizing layer is 50 nm or less.

13. The electrochromic device of claim 2, wherein the at least one planarizing layer reduces at least one of light scattering, haze, pinholes and electrical shorts.

14. The electrochromic device of claim 2, further comprising an antireflection layer on an upper surface of the upper transparent conductor layer.

15. The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein all layers of the electrochromic device are planarizing layers.

16. A method for fabricating the electrochromic device of claim 2, said method comprising:

forming the first electrochromic layer on the upper surface of the lower transparent conductor layer disposed on the substrate;

forming the ion conductor layer on the upper surface of the first electrochromic layer;

forming the second electrochromic layer on the upper surface of the ion conductor layer; and

forming the upper transparent conductor layer on the upper surface of the second electrochromic layer,

wherein the at least one planarizing layer is formed by at least one technique selected from the group consisting of dip coating, spin coating, electrophoresis, inkjet printing, roll coating, spray coating, spray pyrolysis, electrostatic coating, meniscus coating, curtain coating, sputtering, evaporation or chemical vapor deposition.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is at least one of, or is each of:

the lower transparent conductor layer;

the first electrochromic layer;

the ion conductor layer;

the second electrochromic layer; and

the upper transparent conductor layer.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is located on at least one of, or on each of:

the upper surface of the substrate and below the lower transparent conductor layer;

the upper surface of the lower transparent conductor layer and below the first electrochromic layer;

the upper surface of the first electrochromic layer and below the ion conductor layer;

the upper surface of the ion conductor layer and below the second electrochromic layer;

the upper surface of the second electrochromic layer and below the upper transparent conductor layer; and

the upper surface of the upper transparent conductor layer.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is located on the upper surface of the ion conductor layer.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is located on the upper surface of the second electrochromic layer.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is located on the upper surface of ion conductor layer and the upper surface of the second electrochromic layer.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is located on the upper surface of the lower transparent conductor layer.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one planarizing layer is located on the upper surface of the first electrochromic layer.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the upper surface roughness is defined as:

(a) an arithmetic average of absolute values of peak-to-valley heights;

(b) a square root of a mean of squares of peak-to-valley heights;

or (c) a maximum peak-to-valley height.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the upper surface roughness is from 1 nm to 300 nm.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the upper surface roughness of the underlying layer in contact with the lower surface of the at least one planarizing layer is greater than 50 nm and the upper surface roughness of the at least one planarizing layer is 50 nm or less.

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising an antireflection layer on an upper surface of the upper transparent conductor layer.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein all layers of the electrochromic device are planarizing layers.