Layered thermochromic device for enhanced infrared emission, and method for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12306371-B2
Application number	US-202217831160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2022
Priority date	Jun 2, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A layered thermochromic device for enhanced infrared emission, and method for creating the same is disclosed. The method includes deposing a spacer layer of HfO 2 upon a metallic layer, spin coating the spacer layer with photoresist, exposing the photoresist with a photomask, creating a plurality of holes in the photoresist, and deposing vanadium on the photoresist and the plurality of holes, filling the holes and forming vanadium microdisks on the spacer layer. The method also includes removing the photoresist and the vanadium deposed on the photoresist, and forming a thermochromic layer having VO 2 coupled to the spacer layer through direct oxidation of the deposed vanadium microdisks by heating the device in a furnace under a nitrogen/oxygen flow. The device includes a metallic layer, a spacer layer coupled to the metallic layer, and a thermochromic layer deposed on the spacer layer opposite the metallic layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for creating a layered thermochromic device for enhanced infrared emission, comprising:
deposing a spacer layer on a metallic layer;
deposing a thermochromic layer on the spacer layer opposite the metallic layer,

wherein deposing the thermochromic layer on the spacer layer comprises:
deposing vanadium on the spacer layer; and
forming VO 2 coupled to the spacer layer through direct oxidation of the deposed vanadium by heating the device in a furnace under a nitrogen/oxygen flow,

wherein deposing vanadium on the spacer layer comprises:
spin coating the spacer layer with photoresist;
exposing the photoresist with a photomask, creating a plurality of holes in the photoresist;
deposing vanadium on the photoresist and the plurality of holes, filling the holes and forming vanadium microdisks on the spacer layer; and
removing the photoresist and the vanadium deposed on the photoresist.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic layer is a layer of aluminum deposed on a silicon substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein deposing the spacer layer on the metallic layer comprises deposing silicon upon the metallic layer through RF magnetron sputtering.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein deposing the spacer layer on the metallic layer comprises deposing an insulating layer of HfO 2 upon the metallic layer through atomic layer deposition.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vanadium is deposed using electron beam evaporation.

Assignees

• Wang Liping
• Long Linshuang
• Taylor Sydney
• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Wang Liping
• Long Linshuang
• Taylor Sydney

Classifications

• F28F2245/06

  having particular radiating, reflecting or absorbing features, e.g. for improving heat transfer by radiation · CPC title

• F28F13/18

  by applying coatings, e.g. radiation-absorbing, radiation-reflecting; by surface treatment, e.g. polishing · CPC title

• G02B7/008

  with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation · CPC title

• G02B5/208

  for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation · CPC title

• G02B1/002 Primary

  made of materials engineered to provide properties not available in nature, e.g. metamaterials · CPC title