Electrochromic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759975-B2
Application number	US-201615004794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2016
Priority date	Apr 30, 2010
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Conventional electrochromic devices frequently suffer from poor reliability and poor performance. Improvements are made using entirely solid and inorganic materials. Electrochromic devices are fabricated by forming an ion conducting electronically-insulating interfacial region that serves as an IC layer. In some methods, the interfacial region is formed after formation of an electrochromic and a counter electrode layer. The interfacial region contains an ion conducting electronically-insulating material along with components of the electrochromic and/or the counter electrode layer. Materials and microstructure of the electrochromic devices provide improvements in performance and reliability over conventional devices. In various embodiments, a counter electrode is fabricated to include a base anodically coloring material and one or more additives.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochromic device comprising:
(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material,
(b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material comprising a nickel oxide-based material, and
(c) an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region is formed, at least partially, from an oxygen-rich portion of the electrochromic layer and/or from an oxygen-rich portion of the counter electrode layer,
wherein the device does not contain a compositionally homogeneous layer of electrically insulating, ion conducting material between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer.

2. The electrochromic device of claim 1 , wherein the counter electrode material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: nickel tungsten oxide, nickel vanadium oxide, nickel chromium oxide, nickel aluminum oxide, nickel manganese oxide, nickel magnesium oxide, and combinations thereof.

3. The electrochromic device of claim 1 , wherein the counter electrode material further comprises tantalum.

4. The electrochromic device of claim 1 , wherein the counter electrode material is doped with tungsten and/or tantalum.

5. The electrochromic device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a tungsten oxide-based material, a molybdenum oxide-based material, a niobium oxide-based material, a titanium oxide-based material, a vanadium oxide-based material, and combinations thereof.

6. The electrochromic device of claim 5 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a tungsten oxide-based material.

7. The electrochromic device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic material is doped with one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: lithium, sodium, potassium, molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, titanium, and combinations thereof.

8. An electrochromic device comprising:
(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material, and
(b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material comprising a material selected from the group consisting of: a chromium oxide-based material, a manganese oxide-based material, a Prussian blue-based material, and combinations thereof, and
(c) an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region is formed, at least partially, from an oxygen-rich portion of the electrochromic layer and/or from an oxygen-rich portion of the counter electrode layer,
wherein the device does not contain a compositionally homogeneous layer of electrically insulating, ion conducting material between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer.

9. The electrochromic device of claim 8 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a tungsten oxide-based material.

10. The electrochromic device of claim 8 , wherein the counter electrode material further comprises tantalum.

11. The electrochromic device of claim 8 , wherein the counter electrode material is doped with tungsten and/or tantalum.

12. The electrochromic device of claim 8 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a tungsten oxide-based material, a molybdenum oxide-based material, a niobium oxide-based material, a titanium oxide-based material, a vanadium oxide-based material, and combinations thereof.

13. The electrochromic device of claim 8 , wherein the electrochromic material is doped with one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: lithium, sodium, potassium, molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, titanium, and combinations thereof.

14. An electrochromic device comprising:
(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material, and
(b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material comprising a vanadium oxide-based material, and
(c) an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region is formed, at least partially, from an oxygen-rich portion of the electrochromic layer and/or from an oxygen-rich portion of the counter electrode layer,
wherein the device does not contain a compositionally homogeneous layer of electrically insulating, ion conducting material between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer.

15. The electrochromic device of claim 14 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a tungsten oxide-based material.

16. The electrochromic device of claim 14 , wherein the counter electrode material further comprises tantalum.

17. The electrochromic device of claim 14 , wherein the counter electrode material is doped with tungsten and/or tantalum.

18. The electrochromic device of claim 14 , further comprising an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region is formed, at least partially, from an oxygen-rich portion of the electrochromic layer and/or an oxygen-rich portion of the counter electrode layer.

19. The electrochromic device of claim 14 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a tungsten oxide-based material, a molybdenum oxide-based material, a niobium oxide-based material, a titanium oxide-based material, a vanadium oxide-based material, and combinations thereof.

20. The electrochromic device of claim 14 , wherein the electrochromic material is doped with one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: lithium, sodium, potassium, molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, titanium, and combinations thereof.

21. An electrochromic device comprising:
(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material, and
(b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material comprising a cerium zirconium oxide-based material,
wherein the device does not contain a compositionally homogeneous layer of electrically insulating, ion conducting material between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer.

22. The electrochromic device of claim 21 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a tungsten oxide-based material.

23. The electrochromic device of claim 21 , wherein the counter electrode material further comprises tantalum.

24. The electrochromic device of claim 21 , wherein the counter electrode material is doped with tungsten and/or tantalum.

25. The electrochromic device of claim 21 , further comprising an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region is formed, at least partially, from an oxygen-rich portion of the electrochromic layer and/or an oxygen-rich portion of the counter electrode layer.

26. The electrochromic device of claim 21 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a tungsten oxide-based material, a molybdenum oxide-based material, a niobium oxide-based material, a titanium oxide-based material, a vanadium oxide-based material, and combinations thereof.

27. The electrochromic device of claim 21 , wherein the electrochromic material is doped with one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: lithium, sodium, potassium, molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, titanium, and combinations thereof.

28. A metho

Assignees

• View Inc

Inventors

• Wang Zhongchun
• Pradhan Anshu A
• Rozbicki Robert T

Classifications

• H01J37/347

  Thickness uniformity of coated layers or desired profile of target erosion · CPC title

• H01J37/3435

  Target holders (includes backing plates and endblocks) · CPC title

• H01J37/3423

  Shape · CPC title

• H01J37/3429

  Plural materials · CPC title

• C23C14/083

  of refractory metals or yttrium · CPC title