Electrochromic devices

• US 8,432,603 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: View Incorporated
• Original Assignee: View Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Zhongchun, Kurman, Eric, Kozlowski, Mark, Scobey, Mike, Dixon, Jeremy, Pradhan, Anshu
• Primary Examiner(s): TRA, TUYEN Q
• Application Number:
  US12/645,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20100245973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 359265-275, 427/124, 427/126.3
• US Class Current: 359/275
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/06 to obtain multicolour or other optical effects B05D5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/10 making use of vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic welding
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/94 Transparent conductive oxide layers [TCO] being part of a multilayer coating
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/183 of the refractory metals, i.e. Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta or W
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/187 of the iron group metals, i.e. Fe, Co or Ni
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 9/00 Tenebrescent materials, i.e. materials for which the range of wavelengths for energy absorption is changed as a result of excitation by some form of energy
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 10/28 using solids, e.g. powders, pastes
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/021 Cleaning or etching treatments
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/022 by means of bombardment with energetic particles or radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/024 Deposition of sublayers, e.g. to promote adhesion of the coating C23C14/027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/046 Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/08 Oxides C23C14/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/083 of refractory metals or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/085 of iron group metals
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/14 Metallic material, boron or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/185 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3407 Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/568 Transferring the substrates through a series of coating stations C23C14/562 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/58 : After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/5806 : Thermal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/5853 : Oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1524 : Transition metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1525 : characterised by a particular ion transporting layer, e.g. electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/153 : Constructional details
• 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

Abstract

Prior electrochromic devices frequently suffer from poor reliability and poor performance. Some of the difficulties result from inappropriate design and construction of the devices. In order to improve device reliability two layers of an electrochromic device, the counter electrode layer and the electrochromic layer, can each be fabricated to include defined amounts of lithium. Further, the electrochromic device may be subjected to a multistep thermochemical conditioning operation to improve performance. Additionally, careful choice of the materials and morphology of some components of the electrochromic device provides improvements in performance and reliability. In some devices, all layers of the device are entirely solid and inorganic.

Claims

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

sequentially depositing layers on a glass substrate while in a substantially vertical orientation at multiple deposition stations within a single pass integrated vacuum deposition system to fabricate an entirely inorganic and solid state electrochromic device having a low level of electric short related defects, visible during tinting of the electrochromic device;

depositing a tungsten oxide electrochromic layer while the glass substrate is in a first deposition station of the multiple deposition stations;

depositing a nickel tungsten oxide counter electrode layer while the glass substrate is in a second deposition station of the multiple deposition stations to form a stack of the electrochromic device including the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer;

depositing lithium while the glass substrate is in a third deposition station of the multiple deposition stations; and

depositing a transparent conductive oxide while the glass substrate is in a fourth deposition station of the multiple deposition stations,

wherein the glass substrate is in the substantially vertical orientation during translational movement between the multiple stations depositing the layers on the glass substrate within the integrated vacuum deposition system,

wherein the glass substrate does not leave the integrated vacuum deposition system at any time during the sequential deposition of the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, and

wherein the glass substrate has a size of at least 20×

20 inches and up to about 80 inches by 120 inches.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the nickel tungsten oxide counter electrode layer produces a nickel tungsten oxide in which the atomic ratio of tungsten to nickel is between about 0.15 to 0.35.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrochromic device further includes an ion conducting layer comprising a silicate, a silicon oxide, a tungsten oxide, a tantalum oxide, a niobium oxide or a borate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrochromic layer comprises WO_x, wherein x is less than 3.0 and at least 2.7.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the WO_x has a substantially nanocrystalline morphology.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein depositing the counter electrode layer comprises sputtering a target comprising about 10 to about 40 atomic % of tungsten in nickel in an oxygen containing environment to produce the layer of nickel tungsten oxide.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein each of (i) the tungsten oxide electrochromic layer, (ii) the inorganic and solid lithium ion conducting layer, and (iii) the nickel tungsten oxide counter electrode layer is physical vapor deposited.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the counter electrode layer comprises depositing the counter electrode layer to a thickness of between about 150 nm and about 350 nm.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio of thicknesses of the electrochromic layer to the counter electrode layer is between about 1.7:

1 and 2.3;

1.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the counter electrode layer comprises depositing nickel tungsten oxide at a pressure of between about 1 mTorr and about 50 mTorr.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing a layer of transparent conductive oxide on the stack.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises architectural glass.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is in the substantially vertical orientation during translational and linear movement between multiple deposition stations in the integrated vacuum deposition system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the sequentially deposited layers is deposited at a different deposition station of the multiple deposition stations.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple deposition stations of the single integrated vacuum deposition system operate in a controlled environment.

16. The method of claim 3, further comprising depositing lithium on at least one of the tungsten oxide electrochromic layer, the inorganic and solid lithium ion conducting layer and the nickel tungsten oxide counter electrode layer.