Electrochromic devices
View Patent ↗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. 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 various embodiments, a counter electrode is fabricated to include a base anodically coloring material and one or more additives.
1. An electrochromic device comprising:
(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material,
(b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material comprising a nickel oxide-based material, and
(c) an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region is formed, at least partially, from an oxygen-rich portion of the electrochromic layer and/or from an oxygen-rich portion of the counter electrode layer,
wherein the device does not contain a compositionally homogeneous layer of electrically insulating, ion conducting material between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer.
2. The electrochromic device of claim 1 , wherein the counter electrode material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: nickel tungsten oxide, nickel vanadium oxide, nickel chromium oxide, nickel aluminum oxide, nickel manganese oxide, nickel magnesium oxide, and combinations thereof.
3. The electrochromic device of claim 1 , wherein the counter electrode material further comprises tantalum.
4. The electrochromic device of claim 1 , wherein the counter electrode material is doped with tungsten and/or tantalum.
5. The electrochromic device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a tungsten oxide-based material, a molybdenum oxide-based material, a niobium oxide-based material, a titanium oxide-based material, a vanadium oxide-based material, and combinations thereof.
6. The electrochromic device of claim 5 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a tungsten oxide-based material.
7. The electrochromic device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic material is doped with one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: lithium, sodium, potassium, molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, titanium, and combinations thereof.
8. An electrochromic device comprising:
(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material, and
(b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material comprising a material selected from the group consisting of: a chromium oxide-based material, a manganese oxide-based material, a Prussian blue-based material, and combinations thereof, and
(c) an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region is formed, at least partially, from an oxygen-rich portion of the electrochromic layer and/or from an oxygen-rich portion of the counter electrode layer,
wherein the device does not contain a compositionally homogeneous layer of electrically insulating, ion conducting material between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer.
9. The electrochromic device of claim 8 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a tungsten oxide-based material.
10. The electrochromic device of claim 8 , wherein the counter electrode material further comprises tantalum.
11. The electrochromic device of claim 8 , wherein the counter electrode material is doped with tungsten and/or tantalum.
12. The electrochromic device of claim 8 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a tungsten oxide-based material, a molybdenum oxide-based material, a niobium oxide-based material, a titanium oxide-based material, a vanadium oxide-based material, and combinations thereof.
13. The electrochromic device of claim 8 , wherein the electrochromic material is doped with one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: lithium, sodium, potassium, molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, titanium, and combinations thereof.
14. An electrochromic device comprising:
(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material, and
(b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material comprising a vanadium oxide-based material, and
(c) an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region is formed, at least partially, from an oxygen-rich portion of the electrochromic layer and/or from an oxygen-rich portion of the counter electrode layer,
wherein the device does not contain a compositionally homogeneous layer of electrically insulating, ion conducting material between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer.
15. The electrochromic device of claim 14 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a tungsten oxide-based material.
16. The electrochromic device of claim 14 , wherein the counter electrode material further comprises tantalum.
17. The electrochromic device of claim 14 , wherein the counter electrode material is doped with tungsten and/or tantalum.
18. The electrochromic device of claim 14 , further comprising an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region is formed, at least partially, from an oxygen-rich portion of the electrochromic layer and/or an oxygen-rich portion of the counter electrode layer.
19. The electrochromic device of claim 14 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a tungsten oxide-based material, a molybdenum oxide-based material, a niobium oxide-based material, a titanium oxide-based material, a vanadium oxide-based material, and combinations thereof.
20. The electrochromic device of claim 14 , wherein the electrochromic material is doped with one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: lithium, sodium, potassium, molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, titanium, and combinations thereof.
21. An electrochromic device comprising:
(a) an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material, and
(b) a counter electrode layer comprising a counter electrode material comprising a cerium zirconium oxide-based material,
wherein the device does not contain a compositionally homogeneous layer of electrically insulating, ion conducting material between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer.
22. The electrochromic device of claim 21 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a tungsten oxide-based material.
23. The electrochromic device of claim 21 , wherein the counter electrode material further comprises tantalum.
24. The electrochromic device of claim 21 , wherein the counter electrode material is doped with tungsten and/or tantalum.
25. The electrochromic device of claim 21 , further comprising an interfacial region between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the interfacial region is formed, at least partially, from an oxygen-rich portion of the electrochromic layer and/or an oxygen-rich portion of the counter electrode layer.
26. The electrochromic device of claim 21 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a tungsten oxide-based material, a molybdenum oxide-based material, a niobium oxide-based material, a titanium oxide-based material, a vanadium oxide-based material, and combinations thereof.
27. The electrochromic device of claim 21 , wherein the electrochromic material is doped with one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: lithium, sodium, potassium, molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, titanium, and combinations thereof.
28. A method of fabricating an electrochromic device, the method comprising:
forming an electrochromic layer comprising an electrochromic material;
forming a counter electrode layer in contact with the electrochromic layer without first providing an ion conducting electronically insulating layer between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, wherein the counter electrode layer comprises a counter electrode material comprising a material selected from the group consisting of: a nickel oxide-based material, a chromium oxide-based material, a manganese oxide-based material, a Prussian blue-based material, a vanadium oxide-based material, a cerium titanium oxide-based material, a cerium zirconium oxide-based material, a nickel oxide-based material, and combinations thereof; and
forming an interfacial region, between the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer, using components of one or both the electrochromic layer and counter electrode layer, wherein said interfacial region is substantially ion conducting and substantially electronically insulating.
29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the counter electrode material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: nickel tungsten oxide, nickel vanadium oxide, nickel chromium oxide, nickel aluminum oxide, nickel manganese oxide, nickel magnesium oxide, and combinations thereof.
30. The method of claim 28 , wherein the counter electrode material is doped with tungsten and/or tantalum.
31. The method of claim 28 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a tungsten oxide-based material, a molybdenum oxide-based material, a niobium oxide-based material, a titanium oxide-based material, a vanadium oxide-based material, and combinations thereof.
32. The method of claim 28 , wherein the electrochromic material comprises a tungsten oxide-based material.