Fabrication of electrochromic devices

• US 20180046053A1
• Filed: 10/26/2017
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: View Incorporated
• Original Assignee: View Incorporated
• Inventors: Rozbicki, Robert T.
• Granted Patent: US 11,079,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/028 Physical treatment to alter the texture of the substrate surface, e.g. grinding, polishing
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/06 characterised by the coating material C23C14/0021 , C23C14/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0635 Carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0641 Nitrides C23C14/0617 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0652 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0676 Oxynitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/08 Oxides C23C14/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/081 of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/083 of refractory metals or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/34 Sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1309 Repairing; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133345 Insulating layers G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/15 based on an electrochromic effect
• 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 2001/1555 Counter electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/508 : Pseudo repairing, e.g. a defective part is brought into a condition in which it does not disturb the functioning of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/00 : Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing conductors or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 5/14 : comprising conductive layers or films on insulating-supports
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3429 : Plural materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3476 : Testing and control

Abstract

Electrochromic devices and methods may employ the addition of a defect-mitigating insulating layer which prevents electronically conducting layers and/or electrochromically active layers from contacting layers of the opposite polarity and creating a short circuit in regions where defects form. In some embodiments, an encapsulating layer is provided to encapsulate particles and prevent them from ejecting from the device stack and risking a short circuit when subsequent layers are deposited. The insulating layer may have an electronic resistivity of between about 1 and 10⁸ Ohm-cm. In some embodiments, the insulating layer contains one or more of the following metal oxides: aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, silicon aluminum oxide, cerium oxide, tungsten oxide, nickel tungsten oxide, and oxidized indium tin oxide. Carbides, nitrides, oxynitrides, and oxycarbides may also be used.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an electrochromic device, the method comprising:

(a) forming a first layer of the electrochromic device on a substrate;

(b) after (a), performing a first particle removal operation to remove particles from a surface of the substrate;

(c) after (b), forming a second layer of the electrochromic device;

(d) after (c), performing a second particle removal operation on the surface of the substrate; and

(e) after (d), completing fabrication of the electrochromic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second particle removal operations comprises contact cleaning the substrate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the contact cleaning uses static attraction and/or adhesion to remove the particles.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the contact cleaning comprises contacting the substrate with at least one roller, strip, or brush.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second particle removal operations comprises applying acoustic energy to the substrate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the acoustic energy is ultrasonic, supersonic, or megasonic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the acoustic energy is ultrasonic.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second particle removal operations comprises applying fluid to the substrate.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the fluid comprises carbon dioxide.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the fluid is sprayed onto the substrate.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first particle removal operation removes the particles from the surface of the substrate, thereby forming one or more gaps where the particles were previously positioned in the first layer of the electrochromic device, wherein the second layer of the electrochromic device forms on the first layer of the electrochromic device, thereby at least partially filling the one or more gaps.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a substrate particle removal operation, wherein the third particle removal operation is performed on the surface of the substrate prior to (a).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein (a) is performed immediately after the substrate particle removal operation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second layer of the electrochromic device is formed directly on the first layer of the electrochromic device, without any intervening layers.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the second layer of the electrochromic device is formed directly on the first layer of the electrochromic device, without any intervening layers.