IP Library Granted Patent US 9,995,986
Granted Patent B2
US 9,995,986 · App. 15/406,048 · Granted Jun 12, 2018

Light control element, light control device, and method for producing light control element

Inventors: Ayuko Imai (Kawasaki, JP); Ken Sumiyoshi (Kawasaki, JP)
Assignee: NLT Technologies, Ltd.
G02F1/1533B32B37/14G02F1/1506G02F1/1525G02F1/163B32B2307/202B32B2307/412G02F2001/1519G02F2001/1536G02F2202/38
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,995,986
App. No.
15/406,048
Granted
Jun 12, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is provided a light control element including a transparent conductive film, a proton accumulation layer on the transparent conductive film, an inorganic electrolyte layer on the proton accumulation layer, an organic electrolyte layer on the inorganic electrolyte layer, a catalyst layer on the organic electrolyte layer, and a light control mirror layer on the catalyst layer.

Claims (44)

1. A light control element comprising:

a transparent conductive film;

a proton accumulation layer on the transparent conductive film;

an inorganic electrolyte layer on the proton accumulation layer;

an organic electrolyte layer on the inorganic electrolyte layer;

a catalyst layer on the organic electrolyte layer; and

a light control mirror layer on the catalyst layer.

2. The light control element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the catalyst layer is formed by a material that increases a velocity of protons supplied to the light control mirror layer or discharged from the light control mirror layer, and

the organic electrolyte layer is formed by a material which prevents a material forming the catalyst layer from being diffused into the inorganic electrolyte layer.

3. The light control element according to claim 2 ,

wherein when a first voltage is applied between the transparent conductive film and the light control mirror layer, protons contained in the proton accumulation layer move to the light control mirror layer so that the light control mirror layer transitions from a transmission state to a reflection state, and

when a second voltage different from the first voltage is applied between the transparent conductive film and the light control mirror layer, protons contained in the light control mirror layer move to the proton accumulation layer so that the light control mirror layer transitions from the reflection state to the transmission state.

4. The light control element according to claim 3 ,

wherein the organic electrolyte layer is a tantalum oxide layer, a polyether ether ketone layer, or a Nafion layer.

5. A light control device comprising:

the light control element according to claim 3 ; and

an application circuit configured to apply the first voltage or the second voltage between the transparent conductive film and the light control mirror layer to cause the light control mirror layer to transition from the transmission state to the reflection state or from the reflection state to the transmission state.

6. The light control element according to claim 2 ,

wherein the organic electrolyte layer is a tantalum oxide layer, a polyether ether ketone layer, or a Nafion layer.

7. The light control element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the organic electrolyte layer includes a polyether ether ketone layer, or a Nafion layer.

8. A method for producing a light control element, the method comprising:

laminating a transparent conductive film on a substrate;

laminating a proton accumulation layer on the transparent conductive film;

laminating an inorganic electrolyte layer on the proton accumulation layer;

laminating an organic electrolyte layer on the inorganic electrolyte layer;

laminating a catalyst layer on the organic electrolyte layer; and

laminating a light control mirror layer on the catalyst layer.

9. The method for producing a light control element according to claim 8 , wherein the organic electrolyte layer is a tantalum pentoxide layer formed by a sol-gel method.

10. The method for producing a light control element according to claim 9 ,

wherein the inorganic electrolyte layer is a tantalum pentoxide layer formed by a sputtering method, and

the organic electrolyte layer is a tantalum pentoxide layer laminated on the inorganic electrolyte layer by a sol-gel method.

11. The method for producing a light control element according to claim 10 ,

wherein the organic electrolyte layer is a tantalum pentoxide layer formed by a spin coating method.

12. The method for producing a light control element according to claim 9 ,

wherein the organic electrolyte layer is a tantalum pentoxide layer formed by a spin coating method.

13. The method for producing a light control element according to claim 8 ,

wherein the inorganic electrolyte layer is a tantalum pentoxide layer formed by a sputtering method, and

the organic electrolyte layer is a tantalum pentoxide layer laminated on the inorganic electrolyte layer by a sol-gel method.

14. The method for producing a light control element according to claim 13 ,

wherein the organic electrolyte layer is a tantalum pentoxide layer formed by a spin coating method.

15. The method for producing a light control element according to claim 8 ,

wherein the organic electrolyte layer is a tantalum pentoxide layer formed by a spin coating method.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2019
From: TIANMA JAPAN, LTD.
To: TIANMA MICROELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 050395/0931 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 12, 2019
From: NLT TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
To: TIANMA JAPAN, LTD.
Reel/Frame 050359/0923 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 13, 2017
From: IMAI, AYUKO; SUMIYOSHI, KEN
To: NLT TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 040998/0935 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2016-005567 · Jan 14, 2016 · national
JP 2016-168300 · Aug 30, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170205681A1 · Jul 20, 2017