Photosensitive electrochromic device

• US 7,855,822 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Huang, Lee-May, Chen, Chun-Heng
• Primary Examiner(s): Spector; David N
• Application Number:
  US12/464,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20100208324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 136/244, 136/251, 136/252, 136/256, 136/263, 359/265, 359/275, 429/111
• US Class Current: 359/275
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13324 Circuits comprising solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1503 caused by oxidation-reduction reactions in organic liquid solutions, e.g. viologen solutions
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/163 Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/15145 the electrochromic layer comprises a mixture of anodic and cathodic compounds

Abstract

A photosensitive electrochromic device includes a transparent non-conductive substrate, a thin-film solar cell module and an electrochromic solution. The thin-film solar cell module is a monolithic series-connected module and includes a transparent substrate and a plurality of thin-film solar cells located on the transparent substrate, wherein all the thin-film solar cells in the thin-film solar cell module are connected in series, and the above-mentioned electrochromic solution is located between the transparent non-conductive substrate and the thin-film solar cell module.

Claims

1. A photosensitive electrochromic device, comprising:

a transparent non-conductive substrate;

a thin-film solar cell module having a monolithic series-connected module structure, the thin-film solar cell module comprising;

a transparent substrate; and

a plurality of thin-film solar cells located on the transparent substrate, wherein the thin-film solar cells are connected in series; and

an electrochromic solution disposed between the transparent non-conductive substrate and the thin-film solar cell module.

2. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin-film solar cell module comprises a silicon thin-film solar cell module, a CIGS thin-film solar cell module or a CdTe thin-film solar cell module.

3. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent nonconductive substrate comprises glass, plastic or flexible substrate.

4. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate of the thin-film solar cell module comprises glass, plastic or flexible substrate.

5. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a DC/AC converter converting the current provided by the thin-film solar cell module into a AC power supply.

6. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a DC charge storage device storing the current generated by the thin-film solar cell module.

7. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one thin film transistor, respectively connected to an anode terminal and a cathode terminal of the thin-film solar cell module to individually control a switch between the thin-film solar cell module and an external circuit.

8. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a composition of the electrochromic solution comprises at least one redox-type organic small molecule electrochromic material and at least one solvent.

9. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the redox-type organic small molecule electrochromic material is one selected from the group consisting of a cathodic electrochromic material, an anodic electrochromic material, and a combination thereof.

10. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a reflective layer deposited on the transparent non-conductive substrate to form a mirror surface.

11. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein a material of the reflective layer comprises one of silver and aluminium thin film coatings.

12. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin-film solar cells comprise:

a plurality of anode layers disposed on the surface of the transparent substrate;

a plurality of cathode layers disposed on the anode layers; and

a plurality of semiconductor thin films disposed between the cathode layers and the anode layers.

13. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the anode layer of one of the thin-film solar cells is electrically connected to the cathode layer of another thin-film solar cell.

14. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a plurality of passivation layers respectively disposed on a plurality of sidewalls of each semiconductor thin film in the thin-film solar cells.

15. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the anode layers are exposed between the cathode layers and an electrochromic shading area of the electrochromic solution is adjustable by controlling an interval between the cathode layers.

16. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein a material of the anode layers comprises transparent conductive oxide.

17. The photosensitive electrochromic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein a material of the cathode layers comprises transparent conductive oxide and metal.