Electric potentially-driven shade with CIGS solar cell, and/or method of making the same

A method of making an insulating glass (IG) unit, the method comprising:

• providing first and second substrates, each having interior and exterior major surfaces;
• forming a first conductive coating, directly or indirectly, on the interior major surface of the first substrate;
• providing a dielectric or insulator film, directly or indirectly, on the first conductive coating;
• locating, adjacent to the dielectric or insulator film, a shutter including a polymer substrate supporting, in order moving away from the polymer substrate, a second conductive coating, a CIGS absorber, a third conductive coating, and an upper contact layer, wherein the polymer substrate is extendible to serve as a shutter closed position and retractable to serve a shutter open position;
• electrically connecting the first and second conductive coatings to a power source, wherein the first conductive coating, dielectric or insulator film, and shutter at least partially form a dynamic shade that is controllable in connection with the power source to selectively set up an electric potential difference and correspondingly drive the polymer substrate between the shutter open and closed positions;
• and
• connecting the first and second substrates together in substantially parallel spaced apart relation to one another in connection with a spacer system such that the interior surfaces of the first and second substrates face one another in making the IG unit, a gap being defined therebetween, the dynamic shade being interposed between the first and second substrates in the gap.

A method of making an insulating glass (IG) unit, the method comprising:

• having first and second substrates, each having interior and exterior major surfaces, the interior major surface of the first substrate facing the interior major surface of the second substrate,
• wherein a first conductive coating is formed, directly or indirectly, on the interior major surface of the first substrate and a dielectric or insulator film is provided, directly or indirectly, on the first conductive coatings;
• wherein a shutter is located, adjacent to the dielectric or insulator film, the shutter including a polymer substrate supporting, in order moving away from the polymer substrate, a second conductive coating, a CIGS absorber, a third conductive coating, and an upper contact layer, wherein the polymer substrate is extendible to serve as a shutter closed position and retractable to serve a shutter open position;
• wherein the first and second conductive coatings are electrically connectable to a power source, wherein the first conductive coatings, dielectric or insulator film, and shutter at least partially form a dynamic shade that is controllable in connection with the power source to selectively set up an electric potential difference and correspondingly drive the polymer substrate between the shutter open and closed positions;
• and
• connecting the first and second substrates together in substantially parallel spaced apart relation to one another in connection with a spacer system such that the interior surfaces of the first and second substrates face one another in making the IG unit, a gap being defined therebetween, the dynamic shade being interposed between the first and second substrates in the gap.