Granted Patent B2

US 9,823,535 · App. 15/009,465 · Granted Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

Claims (22)

1. A method of manufacturing a thin film comprising:

providing a plurality of crystalline hexagonal tungsten trioxide particles;

size-reducing the crystalline hexagonal tungsten trioxide particles by grinding to produce crystalline hexagonal tungsten trioxide nanostructures; and

coating the crystalline hexagonal tungsten trioxide nanostructures onto a substrate to produce a thin film.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crystalline hexagonal tungsten trioxide particles are produced via hydrothermal synthesis.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thin film does not comprise a binder material.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a material with a softening point less than 600° C.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a material with a softening point less than 300° C.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thin film is a layer in an electrochromic device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thin film is an electrochromic cathode layer in an electrochromic device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises: an electrically conductive layer, and an outer substrate.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the electrically conductive layer is selected from a group consisting of: transparent conductive oxides, thin metallic coatings, networks of conductive nanoparticles, conductive metal nitrides, and composite conductors.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the outer substrate is selected from a group consisting of: glass, and plastic.

11. An electrochromic multi-layer stack incorporated into an electrochromic device comprising:

an electrochromic cathode layer comprising crystalline hexagonal tungsten trioxide nanostructures;

an electrically conductive layer; and

an outer substrate,

wherein the electrochromic cathode layer does not comprise a binder.

12. The electrochromic multi-layer stack of claim 11 , wherein the crystalline hexagonal tungsten trioxide nanostructures are produced via hydrothermal synthesis followed by size reduction via grinding.

13. The electrochromic multi-layer stack of claim 11 , wherein the outer substrate comprises a transparent material with a softening point less than 600° C.

14. The electrochromic multi-layer stack of claim 11 , wherein the electrically conductive layer is selected from the group consisting of: transparent conductive oxides, thin metallic coatings, networks of conductive nanoparticles, conductive metal nitrides, and composite conductors.

15. The electrochromic multi-layer stack of claim 11 , wherein the outer substrate is selected from the group consisting of: glass, and plastic.

Assignments (18)