Electrochromic multi-layer devices with spatially coordinated switching
View Patent ↗A multi-layer device comprising a first substrate and a first electrically conductive layer on a surface thereof, the first electrically conductive layer having a sheet resistance to the flow of electrical current through the first electrically conductive layer that varies as a function of position.
1. A method of forming an electrochromic multilayer stack comprising:
providing a first substrate comprising a first transparent electrically conductive layer;
patterning the first transparent electrically conductive layer with laser patterning to form a patterned first transparent electrically conductive layer having a first spatially varying resistance to the flow of electrical current through the first transparent electrically conductive layer that varies as a function of position in the first transparent electrically conductive layer; and
forming a first electrode layer comprising an electrochromic material over the patterned first transparent electrically conductive layer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein patterning the first transparent electrically conductive layer comprises laser patterning a series of laser scribes.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the first transparent electrically conductive layer on the substrate comprises forming a film having a constant thickness and a constant resistivity.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein patterning the first transparent electrically conductive layer varies the first spatially varying resistance such that a ratio of a value of a maximum sheet resistance to a value of minimum sheet resistance in the first electrically conductive layer is at least 10.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a second substrate comprising a second transparent electrically conductive layer and patterning the second transparent electrically conductive layer with laser patterning to form a patterned second transparent electrically conductive layer having a second spatially varying resistance to the flow of electrical current through the second transparent electrically conductive layer that varies as a function of position in the second transparent electrically conductive layer;
forming a second electrode layer over the patterned second transparent electrically conductive layer;
forming an ion conductor layer between the first and the second electrode layers to form an electrochromic multilayer device.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first spatially varying resistance varies as a function of position opposite to that of the second spatially varying resistance.