# US 11,898,233 B2 · Electrochromic devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,898,233 B2 - Document ID: US11898233B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/445,245 - Filed: 2021-08-17 - Published: 2021-12-02 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2009-03-31 - Assignees: View, Inc. - Applicants: View, Inc. - Inventors: Zhongchun Wang; Anshu Pradhan; Robert Rozbicki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11898233B2 ## CPC - C23C 14/083: {of refractory metals or yttrium} - C23C 14/34: Sputtering - C23C 14/5806: {Thermal treatment} - G02F 1/1524: Transition metal compounds - G02F 1/153: Constructional details - G02F 1/155: Electrodes - H01J 37/3426: {Material} - G02F 1/1508: {using a solid electrolyte} - G02F 2001/1555: {Counter electrode} - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## 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, which are in direct contact with one another. 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 addition to the improved electrochromic devices and methods for fabrication, integrated deposition systems for forming such improved devices are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming an electrochromic device, the method comprising: (a) depositing an electrochromic layer on a substrate; (b) depositing a metal on the electrochromic layer, wherein the metal is lithium; and (c) oxidizing at least a portion of the metal to form an ion conducting and electronically insulating material, wherein at least one of the following conditions is met: (i) the electrochromic layer comprises tungsten oxide and the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises lithium tungstate, (ii) the electrochromic layer comprises molybdenum oxide and the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises lithium molybdate, (iii) the electrochromic layer comprises tantalum oxide and the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises lithium tantalate, and/or (iv) the electrochromic layer comprises titanium oxide and the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises lithium titanate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrochromic layer comprises tungsten oxide and the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises lithium tungstate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrochromic layer comprises molybdenum oxide and the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises lithium molybdate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrochromic layer comprises tantalum oxide and the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises lithium tantalate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrochromic layer comprises titanium oxide and the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises lithium titanate. ### Claim 6 A method of forming an electrochromic device, the method comprising: (a) depositing an electrochromic layer on a substrate; (b) depositing a metal on the electrochromic layer; and (c) oxidizing at least a portion of the metal to form an ion conducting and electronically insulating material, wherein oxidizing at least the portion of the metal to form the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises exposing the substrate and/or the metal to oxygen. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the electrochromic layer comprises niobium oxide and the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises lithium niobate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the electrochromic layer comprises zirconium oxide and the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises lithium zirconate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the oxygen is provided as part of the electrochromic layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising depositing a counter electrode layer, wherein the oxygen is provided as part of the counter electrode layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the oxygen is provided as a superstoichiometric oxygen material on the substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the oxygen is provided in an atmosphere to which the substrate is exposed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein oxidizing at least a portion of the metal to form the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises heating the substrate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein heating the substrate causes a reaction between the metal and a material of the electrochromic layer to form the ion conducting and electronically insulating material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising depositing a counter electrode layer, wherein heating the substrate causes a reaction between the metal and a material of the counter electrode layer to form the ion conducting and electronically insulating material. ### Claim 16 A method of forming an electrochromic device, the method comprising: (a) depositing an electrochromic layer on a substrate; (b) depositing a metal on the electrochromic layer; (c) oxidizing at least a portion of the metal to form an ion conducting and electronically insulating material; and (d) depositing a counter electrode layer, wherein at least one of the following conditions is met: (i) oxidizing at least the portion of the metal to form the ion conducting and electronically insulating material occurs before depositing the counter electrode layer, (ii) oxidizing at least the portion of the metal to form the ion conducting and electronically insulating material occurs while depositing the counter electrode layer, and/or (iii) oxidizing at least the portion of the metal to form the ion conducting and electronically insulating material occurs after depositing the counter electrode layer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the metal is lithium. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the ion conducting and electronically insulating material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of lithium tungstate (Li2WO4), lithium molybdate (Li2MoO4), lithium niobate (LiNbO3), lithium tantalate (LiTaO3), lithium titanate (Li2TiO3), lithium zirconate (Li2ZrO3), and combinations thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein oxidizing at least the portion of the metal to form the ion conducting and electronically insulating material occurs while depositing the counter electrode layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein oxidizing at least the portion of the metal to form the ion conducting and electronically insulating material occurs after depositing the counter electrode layer. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising depositing additional metal on the counter electrode layer. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the additional metal is sufficient to fully bleach the counter electrode layer. ### Claim 23 A method of forming an electrochromic device, the method comprising: (a) depositing an electrochromic layer on a substrate; (b) depositing a metal on the electrochromic layer; and (c) oxidizing at least a portion of the metal to form an ion conducting and electronically insulating material, wherein (a) and (b) are performed while under vacuum, and wherein the vacuum is not broken between (a) and (b). ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, calcium, barium, strontium, magnesium, and combinations thereof.