Dynamic glass and method of formation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11292029-B2
Application number	US-201816629201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 20, 2017
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure enables high contrast, fast, uniform, and color-neutral dynamic-glass elements based on uniform and reversible electrodeposition of metals a surface of the element. Elements in accordance with the present disclosure include a surface-modified transparent-conductor-based window electrode, wherein the surface modification of the window electrode includes a nucleation layer that is anchored to the transparent conductor via a non-metallic adhesion layer. In some embodiments, a plurality of traces is disposed on and electrically connected to the window electrode to reduce the voltage drop across the total area of the element, where the traces have a core made of a low-resistivity material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming dynamic-glass element comprising a first electrode disposed on a first substrate, a second electrode disposed on a second substrate, and an electrolyte that is located between the first and second electrodes, wherein the first electrode comprises three layers comprising a transparent conductor layer, an adhesive layer and a nucleation layer, and is formed by operations of a method comprising:
enabling first contact between a first liquid and a first surface of a of the transparent conductor layer comprising a first material, the transparent conductor layer being disposed on the first substrate, wherein the first liquid comprises a non-metallic solution, wherein the first contact gives rise to the adhesion layer disposed on the first surface of the transparent conductor layer, the adhesion layer being non-metallic; and
enabling second contact between the adhesion layer and a second liquid containing a plurality of nanoparticles comprising a second material, wherein the second contact gives rise to the nucleation layer disposed on the adhesion layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adhesion layer is formed as a self-assembled monolayer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adhesion layer is formed as an organic self-assembled monolayer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first liquid comprises a third material selected from the group consisting of thiols, silanes, phosphonic acids, mercapto-organic acids, cyanic acids, silanes, phosphoric acid, and amino acids.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second material is selected from the group consisting of noble metals, inert conductors and inert semiconductors.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second material comprises platinum.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
forming a plurality of traces on the transparent conductor layer, at least one trace of the plurality thereof including a core comprising a third material and a shell comprising a fourth material, wherein the third material has an electrical conductivity that is higher than that of the first material, and wherein the shell is formed over the core in conformal fashion.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the third material comprises copper and the fourth material comprises platinum.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the shell is formed via atomic-layer deposition.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a plurality of traces on the transparent conductor layer, at least one trace of the plurality thereof being formed by operations comprising:
defining a mold that exposes the first surface in a first region;
forming a core on the first region, wherein the core includes a third material having an electrical conductivity that is higher than that of the first material; and
forming a capping layer that is disposed on the core, wherein the capping layer includes a fourth material that is substantially chemically inert with respect to the electrolyte.

Assignees

• Univ Leland Stanford Junior

Inventors

• Barile Christopher J
• Slotcavage Daniel J
• Mcgehee Michael David
• Hernandez Tyler S
• Strand Michael T

Classifications

• B05D7/56

  Three layers or more · CPC title

• G02F1/155 Primary

  Electrodes · CPC title

• C23C16/45555

  applied in non-semiconductor technology · CPC title

• C23C16/45525

  Atomic layer deposition [ALD] · CPC title

• G02F1/1506 Primary

  caused by electrodeposition, e.g. electrolytic deposition of an inorganic material on or close to an electrode · CPC title