Electrochromic multi-layer devices with current modulating structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10838280-B2
Application number	US-201916532073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2019
Priority date	Aug 8, 2012
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A multi-layer device comprising a first substrate, a first electrically conductive layer on a surface thereof, and a first current modulating layer, the first electrically conductive layer having a sheet resistance to the flow of electrical current through the first electrically conductive layer that varies as a function of position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochromic device comprising a first substrate, a first electrically conductive layer, a first current modulating structure, a first electrode layer, a second electrically conductive layer and a second substrate, the first current modulating structure being between the first electrically conductive layer and the first electrode layer, the first current modulating structure comprising a material having a resistivity of at least 10 4 Ω·cm, the first electrically conductive layer having a sheet resistance, R S , to the flow of electrical current through the first electrically conductive layer that varies as a function of position in the first electrically conductive layer.

2. The electrochromic device of claim 1 , further comprising first and second busbars respectively coupled to the first and second electrically conductive layers wherein (i) the first and second busbars are configured to receive a drive current I DRV to enable a current driven mode for switching the electrochromic device to a target optical state with respect to a minimum optical state and a maximum optical state thereof; (ii) the electrochromic device comprises a total charge capacity having a total charge Q TOT ; (iii) the target optical state is attainable by charging the electrochromic device to a target charge Q TGT via the drive current I DRV , the target charge Q TGT comprises a percentage of the total charge Q TOT corresponding to a percentage of the target optical state relative to the maximum optical state; and (iv) the target optical state is predictably attainable for substantially all of a total optically switchable area of the electrochromic device, and within a target time T TGT , by adjustment of the drive current I DRV such that the product of the target time T TGT and the drive current I DRV substantially equals the target charge Q TGT .

3. The electrochromic device of claim 2 , wherein the optically switchable area of the electrochromic device is transitionable to the target optical state once the drive current I DRV is adjusted to a constant current value corresponding to the target time T TGT .

4. The electrochromic device of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the average sheet resistance in a first region of the first electrically conductive layer circumscribed by a first convex polygon to the average sheet resistance in a second region of the first electrically conductive layer circumscribed by a second convex polygon is at least 2, the first and second regions of the first electrically conductive layer each comprising at least 25% of the surface area of the first electrically conductive layer.

5. The electrochromic device of claim 1 wherein the first electrically conductive layer has a spatially varying sheet resistance, R S , that varies as a function of position in the first electrically conductive layer, a contour map of the sheet resistance, R S , as a function of position within the first electrically conductive layer contains a set of isoresistance lines and a set of resistance gradient lines normal to the isoresistance lines, and the sheet resistance along a gradient line in the set generally increases, generally decreases, generally increases until it reaches a maximum and then generally decreases, or generally decreases until it reaches a minimum and then generally increases.

6. The electrochromic device of claim 5 wherein the second electrically conductive layer has a spatially varying sheet resistance, R S , that varies as a function of position in the second electrically conductive layer, a contour map of the sheet resistance, R S , as a function of position within the second electrically conductive layer contains a set of isoresistance lines and a set of resistance gradient lines normal to the isoresistance lines, and the sheet resistance along a gradient line in the set generally increases, generally decreases, generally increases until it reaches a maximum and then generally decreases, or generally decreases until it reaches a minimum and then generally increases.

7. The electrochromic device of claim 1 wherein the first substrate, the first electrically conductive layer, the second substrate, and the second electrically conductive layer are transparent to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the range of infrared to ultraviolet.

8. The electrochromic device of claim 1 wherein the electrochromic device comprises, in succession, the first substrate, the first electrically conductive layer, the first current modulating structure, the first electrode layer, an ion conducting layer, a second electrode layer, the second electrically conductive layer and the second substrate.

9. The electrochromic device of claim 1 wherein the first electrically conductive layer comprises a first material and a second material, the first material being a transparent conductive oxide and the second material having a resistivity that is greater than the resistivity of the first material by a factor of at least 10 2 .

10. The electrochromic device of claim 1 wherein the current modulating structure comprises resistive material.

11. The electrochromic device of claim 1 wherein the current modulating structure comprises insulating material.

12. The electrochromic device of claim 1 wherein the first electrically conductive layer and the first current modulating structure each covering at least 0.01 m 2 of the surface of the first substrate.

13. The electrochromic device of claim 4 wherein the ratio of the average sheet resistance in a first region of the second electrically conductive layer circumscribed by a third convex polygon to the average sheet resistance in a second region of the second electrically conductive layer circumscribed by a fourth convex polygon is at least 2, the first and second regions of the second electrically conductive layer each comprising at least 25% of the surface area of the second electrically conductive layer.

14. A process for the preparation of a multi-layer device comprising forming a multi-layer layer structure comprising an electrochromic layer between and in electrical contact with a first and a second electrically conductive layer, and a first current modulating structure between the first electrically conductive layer and the electrochromic layer, the first current modulating structure comprising a material having a resistivity of at least 10 4 Ω·cm, the first and/or the second electrically conductive layer having a spatially varying sheet resistance, R S , to the flow of electrical current through the first and/or the second electrically conductive layer that varies as a function of position in the first and/or the second electrically conductive layer, respectively.

15. The process of claim 14 wherein the first electrically conductive layer has a spatially varying sheet resistance, R S , that varies as a function of position in the first electrically conductive layer, a contour map of the sheet resistance, R S , as a function of position within the first electrically conductive layer contains a set of isoresistance lines and a set of resistance gradient lines normal to the isoresistance lines, and the sheet resistance along a gradient line in the set generally increases, generally decreases, generally increases until it reaches a maximum and then generally decreases, or generally decreases until it reaches a minimum and then generally increases.

16. The process of claim 14 wherein the first electrically conductive layer comprises a first material and a second material, the first material being a transparent conductive oxide and the second material having

Assignees

• Kinestral Tech Inc

Inventors

• Bergh Howard S
• Ziebarth Jonathan
• Timmerman Nicolas

Classifications

• E06B9/24 Primary

  Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; {Slat blinds}(operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00) · CPC title

• G02F1/163

  Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor · CPC title

• Y02A30/24

  Structural elements or technologies for improving thermal insulation · CPC title

• G02F1/155

  Electrodes · CPC title

• G02F1/153

  Constructional details · CPC title