Thin-film devices and fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12403676-B2
Application number	US-202117446566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2021
Priority date	Dec 12, 2011
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

Thin-film devices, for example electrochromic devices for windows, and methods of manufacturing are described. Particular focus is given to methods of patterning optical devices. Various edge deletion and isolation scribes are performed, for example, to ensure the optical device has appropriate isolation from any edge defects. Methods described herein apply to any thin-film device having one or more material layers sandwiched between two thin film electrical conductor layers. The described methods create novel optical device configurations.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of cutting an optical device laminate, the method comprising, in order:
receiving an optical device assembly comprising a first substrate with a plurality of electrochromic stacks disposed thereon;
testing at least some of the plurality of electrochromic stacks to find defects;
mitigating at least some of the found defects;
laminating a second substrate onto the first substrate to form an optical device laminate; and
cutting, using a laser, the optical device laminate into a plurality of optical device lites.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein laser radiation from the laser is provided from a first side of the optical device laminate opposite a second side upon which the electrochromic stacks are disposed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic stacks comprise one or more material layers including at least one conductive layer.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising forming one or more bus bars on the at least one conductive layer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical device laminate is cut in direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the optical device laminate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate is an annealed glass substrate or a polymeric substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate and/or the second substrate is a glass substrate.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate and/or the second substrate comprises a flexible substrate having a thickness of (i) less than 0.3 mm, (ii) less than 0.2 mm, (iii) or less than 0.1 mm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate and/or the second substrate comprises a flexible substrate having a thickness of about 0.5 mm or less.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate and/or the second substrate comprises a flexible substrate having a thickness between 0.5 mm and 2.0 mm.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate is laminated to the first substrate with a lamination adhesive.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic stacks are all solid-state and inorganic.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising incorporating the optical device lites into windows.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising incorporating the optical device lites into insulated glass units.

Assignees

• View Inc
• View Operating Corp

Inventors

• Strong Fabian
• Bhatnagar Yashraj
• Dixit Abhishek Anant
• Martin Todd
• Rozbicki Robert T

Classifications

• G02F1/1533

  structural features not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G02B1/18

  Coatings for keeping optical surfaces clean, e.g. hydrophobic or photo-catalytic films (G02B1/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/086

  of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth · CPC title

• H01B13/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing conductors or cables · CPC title

• G02F1/155

  Electrodes · CPC title