Method of processing an electrochemical device
AssigneeSaint-Gobain Vitrage
InventorsFabien Beteille, Jean-Christophe Giron
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method of processing an electrochemical device having at least one carrier substrate (1) provided with a stack (2) of functional layers, including at least one electrochemically active layer (4) which is capable of reversibly and simultaneously inserting ions and electrons and is arranged between two electroconductive layers, in particular a device of the electrochromic type. The processing consists in locally inhibiting the functionality of at least one of the functional layers, with the exception of one of the electroconductive layers (3, 8), so as to delimit an inactive peripheral region in the stack (2).
Claims16
Method of processing an electrochemical device having at least one carrier substrate (1) provided with a stack (2) of functional layers comprising at least one electrochemically active layer which is capable of reversibly and simultaneously inserting ions and which is arranged between two electroconductive layers, in particular a device of the electrochromic type with a stack (2) comprising at least, successively, a first electroconductive layer (3), an electrochemically active layer (4) capable of reversibly inserting ions such as H+, Li+ and OH−, in particular of an anodic or cathodic electrochromic material, respectively, an electrolyte layer (5, 6), a second electrochemically active layer (7) capable of reversibly inserting the said ions, in particular of a cathodic or anodic electrochromic material, respectively, and a second electroconductive layer (8), characterized in that the functionality of at least one of the functional layers, with the exception of one of the electroconductive layers (3, 8), in particular with the exception of the first (3), is locally inhibited so as to delimit an inactive peripheral region in the stack (2).
Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the processing is carried out once the substrate (1) has been provided with all the functional layers of the stack (2).
Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the functionality of at least one of the layers is locally inhibited by cutting it (them) over its (their) entire thickness(es) along a closed line (9) making it possible to delimit the inactive region (10) of the stack (2), which is located between the said closed line (9) and the edge of the said stack (2).
Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the functionality of at least one of the functional layers, with the exception of one of the electroconductive layers (3, 8), is also locally inhibited so as to delimit an “inactive contour” or a non-peripheral “inactive region” in the stack.
Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inhibition treatment affects all of the functional layers apart from the first electroconductive layer (3), by selecting the latter's deposition parameters in order to make it more resistant, harder and/or denser than the other layers, in particular than the second electroconductive layer (8).
Application of the method according to one of the preceding claims with a view to reducing/eliminating peripheral short-circuits in the stack (2) of functional layers during operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.