# US 7,609,433 B2 · Electrochromic device and method of making the same

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- Number: US 7,609,433 B2
- Document ID: US7609433B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/778,619
- Filed: 2007-07-16
- Published: 2008-12-11
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2007-06-07
- Assignees: Soladigm, Inc.
- Inventors: Paul Nguyen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609433B2

## CPC

- G02F 1/1525: {characterised by a particular ion transporting layer, e.g. electrolyte}
- 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

## Abstract

An electrochromic device includes a first conductive layer, a dual-layer ion conductor layer, and a second conductive layer. The first ion conductor layer and the second ion conductor layer are formed from different materials and/or by different processes. The layers are deposited using PVD, CVD, or plating techniques.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for forming an electrochromic device, comprising the steps of:
(a) forming a first conductive electrochromic layer;
(b) forming a first ion conductor layer over the first conductive layer;
(c) forming a second ion conductor layer over the first ion conductor layer, wherein the second ion conductor layer is formed from a different material or using a different deposition technique than the first ion conductor layer;
(d) forming at least one additional ion conductor layer over the second ion conductor layer, wherein each additional ion conductor layer is formed from a different material or using a different deposition technique than the previously formed ion conductor layer; and
(e) forming a second conductive counter electrode layer over the last formed additional ion conductor layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first ion conductor layer includes a first material selected from the group consisting of tantalum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, niobium oxide, and zirconium oxide.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the first ion conductor layer is formed using a deposition technique selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and plating.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the second ion conductor layer includes a second material selected from the group consisting of tantalum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, niobium oxide, and zirconium oxide, and the second material is different from the first material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the second ion conductor layer is formed using a deposition technique selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and plating.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the first ion conductor layer and the second ion conductor layer are each formed in selected atmospheres, wherein the selected atmospheres maybe the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of water vapor, oxygen, and a mixture of water vapor and oxygen.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the first conductive layer is a counter-electrode layer, and the second conductive layer is an electrochromic layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first ion conductor layer is formed using a deposition technique selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and plating.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the second ion conductor layer is formed using a deposition technique selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and plating.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the first ion conductor layer includes a plurality of sublayers of the first material, and adjacent sublayers of the first material are formed using different processing or deposition conditions.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the sublayers are formed using different atmospheres.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the different atmospheres are selected from the group consisting of water vapor, oxygen, and a mixture of water vapor and oxygen.

### Claim 13 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the second ion conductor layer includes a plurality of sublayers of the second material, and adjacent sublayers of the second material are formed using different processing or deposition conditions.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the second ion conductor layer includes a second material selected from the group consisting of tantalum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, niobium oxide, and zirconium oxide, the second material is different from the first material, the second conductor layer includes a plurality of sublayers of the second material, and adjacent sublayers of the second material are formed using different processing or deposition conditions.

### Claim 15

An electrochromic device, comprising:
(a) a first conductive electrochromic layer;
(b) a first ion conductor layer formed over the first conductive layer;
(c) a second ion conductor layer formed over the first ion conductor layer, wherein the second ion conductor is formed from a different material or using a different deposition technique than the first ion conductor layer;
(d) at least one additional ion conductor layer formed over the second ion conductor layer, wherein each additional ion conductor layer is formed from a different material or using a different deposition technique than the previously formed ion conductor layer; and
(e) a second conductive counter electrode layer formed over the last formed additional ion conductor layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The electrochromic device of claim 15, wherein the first ion conductor layer includes a first material selected from the group consisting of tantalum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, niobium oxide, and zirconium oxide.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The electrochromic device of claim 16, wherein the first ion conductor layer is formed using a technique selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and plating.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The electrochromic device of claim 16, wherein second ion conductor layer includes a second material selected from the group consisting of tantalum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, niobium oxide, and zirconium oxide, and the second material is different from the first material.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The electrochromic device of claim 18, wherein the second ion conductor layer is formed using a deposition technique selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and plating.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The electrochromic device of claim 19, wherein first ion conductor layer and the second ion conductor layer are each formed in selected atmospheres, wherein the selected atmospheres may be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of water vapor, oxygen, and a mixture of water vapor and oxygen.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The electrochromic device of claim 20, wherein the first conductive layer is a counter-electrode layer, and the second conductive layer is an electrochromic layer.

### Claim 22 (depends on 15)

The electrochromic device of claim 15, wherein the first ion conductor layer is formed using a deposition technique selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and plating.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The electrochromic device of claim 22, wherein the second ion conductor layer is formed using a deposition technique selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and plating.

### Claim 24 (depends on 16)

The electrochromic device of claim 16, wherein the first ion conductor layer includes a plurality of sublayers of the first material, and adjacent sublayers of the first material are formed using different processing or deposition conditions.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The electrochromic device of claim 24, wherein the sublayers are formed using different atmospheres.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The electrochromic device of claim 25, wherein the different atmospheres are selected from the group consisting of water vapor, oxygen, and a mixture of water vapor and oxygen.

### Claim 27 (depends on 18)

The electrochromic device of claim 18, wherein the second ion conductor layer includes a plurality of sublayers of the second material, and adjacent sublayers of the second material are formed using different processing or deposition conditions.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

The electrochromic device of claim 24 wherein the second ion conductor layer includes a second material selected from the group consisting of tantalum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, niobium oxide, and zirconium oxide, the second material is different from the first material, the second conductor layer includes a plurality of sublayers of the second material, and adjacent sublayers of the second material are formed using different processing or deposition conditions.

### Claim 29 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising providing ions for conduction through the ion conductor layers, wherein the provided ions are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and lithium ions.

### Claim 30 (depends on 15)

The electrochromic device of claim 15, further comprising a source of ions for conduction through the ion conductor layers, wherein the ions are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and lithium ions.

### Claim 31 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein ion traps are formed at the interface between the first ion conductor layer and the second ion conductor layer.

### Claim 32 (depends on 15)

The electrochromic device of claim 15, wherein ion traps are formed at the interface between the first ion conductor layer and the second ion conductor layer.