FABRICATION OF ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICES

• US 20190331977A1
• Filed: 07/11/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: View Incorporated
• Original Assignee: View Incorporated
• Inventors: Rozbicki, Robert T., Kailasam, Sridhar Karthik, Friedman, Robin, Gillaspie, Dane Thomas, Pradhan, Anshu A., Mehtani, Disha
• Granted Patent: US 10,788,723 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:

forming an electrochromic stack on a first electrode layer disposed on a substrate and forming a second electrode layer over the electrochromic stack, wherein the electrochromic stack comprises an electrochromic layer of electrochromic material and a counter electrode layer of counter electrode material, and wherein the first electrode layer comprises a first transparent electronically conductive material and the second electrode layer comprises a second transparent electronically conductive material; and

depositing a defect-mitigating insulating layer to seal a pop-off defect in the electrochromic device stack;

wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer comprises a substantially transparent and electronically insulating material.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein depositing the defect-mitigating insulating layer prevents electronically conducting layers and/or electrochromically active layers of the device from contacting layers of the opposite polarity and creating a short circuit in the region of the pop-off defect.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising depositing the defect-mitigating insulating layer in a process operation after the execution of a process operation that has a propensity to cause ejection of particles from the electrochromic stack.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the process operation in which the defect-mitigating insulating layer is deposited is the next operation after the process operation that has a propensity to cause ejection of particles from the electrochromic stack.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising introducing lithium into the electrochromic stack, wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer is deposited after the introduction of lithium.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer is a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal carbide, a metal oxynitride, or a metal oxycarbide.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) cerium oxide, titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, silicon aluminum oxide, tungsten oxide, nickel tungsten oxide, tantalum oxide, and oxidized indium tin oxide;

(b) titanium nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, tungsten nitride;

(c) titanium carbide, aluminum carbide, silicon carbide, tantalum carbide, and tungsten carbide;

or

(d) silicon oxynitride.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer is between about 5 nm and 500 nm thick.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer is between about 10 nm and 100 nm thick.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the defect-mitigating insulating layer is performed after forming at least part of the electrochromic layer of the counter electrode layer, whichever is performed last.

11. An electrochromic device comprising:

a first electrode layer disposed on a substrate, the first electrode layer comprising a first transparent electronically conductive material;

an electrochromic stack on the first electrode, the electrochromic stack comprising an electrochromic layer of electrochromic material and a counter electrode layer of counter electrode material;

a second electrode layer over the electrochromic stack, the second electrode layer comprising a second transparent electronically conductive material; and

a defect-mitigating insulating layer sealing a pop-off defect in the electrochromic device stack;

wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer comprises a substantially transparent and electronically insulating material.

12. The electrochromic device of claim 11, wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer contacts at least electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer at the pop-off defect.

13. The electrochromic device of claim 12, wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer additionally contacts the first electrode layer at the pop-off defect.

14. The electrochromic device of claim 11, wherein depositing the defect-mitigating insulating layer prevents electronically conducting layers and/or electrochromically active layers of the device from contacting layers of the opposite polarity and creating a short circuit in the region of the pop-off defect.

15. The electrochromic device of claim 11, wherein the electrochromic stack comprises lithium.

16. The electrochromic device of claim 11, wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer is a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal carbide, a metal oxynitride, or a metal oxycarbide.

17. The electrochromic device of claim 11, wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) cerium oxide, titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, silicon aluminum oxide, tungsten oxide, nickel tungsten oxide, tantalum oxide, and oxidized indium tin oxide;

(b) titanium nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, tungsten nitride;

(c) titanium carbide, aluminum carbide, silicon carbide, tantalum carbide, and tungsten carbide;

or (d) silicon oxynitride.

18. The electrochromic device of claim 11, wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer is between about 5 nm and 500 nm thick.

19. The electrochromic device of claim 11, wherein the defect-mitigating insulating layer is between about 10 nm and 100 nm thick.