Methods for producing lower electrical isolation in electrochromic films

An electroactive device formed by a process comprising the steps of:

• forming one or more electroactive layers on a substrate, wherein the electroactive layers comprise a first conductive layer and a first electrode layer;
• removing a portion of the one or more electroactive layers using a laser to define a gap in the one or more electroactive layers, wherein a width at a top of the gap is larger than a width at a bottom of the gap and wherein the gap is formed in a single step, wherein at least one of the one or more electroactive layers has a tapered sidewall;
• and
• forming one or more additional layers over the one or more electroactive layers and the gap, wherein the one or more additional layers comprises an ion conducting layer, a second electrode layer, and a second conductive layer, wherein the second conductive layer comprises a tapered sidewall indirectly formed by the laser, wherein the second electrode layer directly contacts either the first electrode layer or the first conductive layer, and wherein the one or more electroactive layers is at least twice as thick as the second electrode layer.

An electroactive device comprising:

• a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, wherein one of said first and second conductive layers comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion is spaced apart from said second portion by a gap having tapered sidewalls, wherein a width at a top of the gap is larger than a width at a bottom of the gap and wherein the tapered sidewall is uniform;
• wherein the gap is formed in a single step and
• one or more electroactive layers disposed between said first and second conductive layers, wherein the one or more electroactive layers extend over said gap;
• wherein the one or more electroactive layers comprises a first electrode comprising one of an electrochromic electrode layer and a counter electrode layer, a second electrode comprising the other of said electrochromic electrode layer and said counter electrode layer, and an ion-conductor layer for conducting ions between said first and second electrodes;
• and wherein the other of said first and second conductive layers comprises a tapered sidewall indirectly formed by the laser.