Electrochromic multi-layer devices with composite current modulating structure
A multi-layer device comprising a first substrate, a first electrically conductive layer and a first current modulating structure on a surface thereof, the first current modulating structure comprising a composite of a resistive material and a patterned insulating material, the first current modulating structure having a cross-layer resistance to the flow of electrical current through the first current modulating structure that varies as a function of position.
1. A multi-layer device, comprising:
a first substrate comprising a surface, and;
a first patterned composite electrically conductive layer on the surface of the first substrate, the first patterned composite electrically conductive layer comprising:
a first patterned conductive layer; and
a first transparent conductive material layer, wherein the first patterned composite electrically conductive layer comprises a spatially varying resistance to current flow substantially parallel to a major surface of the first patterned electrically conductive layer that varies as a function of position in the first composite electrically conductive layer.
2. The multi-layer device of claim 1 , wherein the first patterned conductive layer comprises indium tin oxide and the first transparent conductive material layer comprises doped tin oxide.
3. The multi-layer device of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the resistance to current flow substantially parallel to a major surface of the first patterned composite electrically conductive layer in a first region of the first patterned composite electrically conductive layer circumscribed by a first convex polygon to the resistance to current flow substantially parallel to the major surface of the first patterned composite electrically conductive layer in a second region of the first patterned composite conductive layer circumscribed by a second convex polygon is at least 2, the first and second regions circumscribed by the first and second convex polygons, respectively, each comprising at least 25% of the major surface of the first patterned composite electrically conductive layer.
4. The multi-layer device of claim 1 , wherein the first patterned conductive layer comprises a constant thickness and constant resistivity film comprising a laser patterned series of scribes.
5. The multi-layer device of claim 1 , further comprising a second substrate and a second patterned composite electrically conductive layer on a surface of the second substrate, the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer being transmissive to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the range of infrared to ultraviolet, the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer comprising:
a second patterned conductive layer; and
a second transparent conductive material layer, wherein the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer comprises a spatially varying resistance to current flow substantially parallel to a major surface of the second patterned electrically conductive layer that varies as a function of position in the second composite electrically conductive layer.
6. The multi-layer stack of claim 5 , wherein the second patterned conductive layer comprises indium tin oxide and the second transparent conductive material comprises doped tin oxide.
7. The multi-layer device of claim 5 , wherein a ratio of the resistance to current flow substantially parallel to a major surface of the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer in a first region of the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer circumscribed by a first convex polygon to the resistance to current flow substantially parallel to a major surface of the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer in a second region of the second patterned composite conductive layer circumscribed by a second convex polygon is at least 2, the first and second regions circumscribed by the first and second convex polygons, respectively, each comprising at least 25% of the major surface of the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer.
8. The multi-layer device of claim 5 , wherein the second patterned conductive layer comprises a constant thickness and constant resistivity film having a series of laser scribes.
9. The multi-layer device of claim 5 , wherein the spatially varying resistance to current flow substantially parallel to the major surfaces of the first and second electrically conductive layers provides a uniform potential drop, or a desired non-uniform potential drop, across the area of the device.
10. The multi-layer device of claim 5 , further comprising:
a first electrode layer in electrical contact with the first patterned composite electrically conductive layer;
a second electrode layer in electrical contact with the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer; and
an ion conductor,
wherein the first electrode layer is on one side of and in contact with a first surface of the ion conductor layer, and the second electrode layer is on the other side of and in contact with a second surface of the ion conductor layer.
11. The multi-layer device of claim 10 , wherein the first or second electrode layer comprises an electrochromic material comprising cathodically coloring thin films comprising oxides based on tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, titanium, lead, bismuth, or combinations thereof, or anodically coloring thin films comprising oxides, hydroxides or oxy-hydrides based on nickel, iridium, iron, chromium, cobalt, rhodium, or combinations thereof.
12. The multi-layer device of claim 10 , wherein the first or second electrode layer comprises an electrochromic material comprising tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, niobium oxide, titanium oxide, copper oxide, iridium oxide, chromium oxide, manganese oxide, vanadium oxide, nickel oxide, cobalt oxide, or combinations thereof.
13. The multi-layer device of claim 11 , wherein the first or second electrode layer further comprises one or more dopants comprising lithium, sodium, potassium, molybdenum, vanadium, titanium, or combinations thereof.
14. A method for the preparation of a multi-layer device, comprising:
forming a first patterned composite electrically conductive layer arranged against a first substrate;
forming a first electrode layer in electrical contact with the first patterned composite electrically conductive layer;
forming a second patterned composite electrically conductive layer on a second substrate;
forming a second electrode layer in electrical contact with the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer;
wherein patterns are introduced into the first and second composite electrically conductive layers by laser patterning a series of scribes into constant thickness and constant resistivity films, the first and second patterned composite electrically conductive layers comprising spatially varying resistance to current flow substantially parallel to a major surface of the first and second patterned electrically conductive layers that varies as a function of position in the first and second composite electrically conductive layers, and wherein the first and second electrode layers comprise electrochromic materials.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first and second patterned composite electrically conductive layers comprise indium tin oxide and a transparent conductive material comprising doped tin oxide.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein a ratio of the resistance to current flow substantially parallel to the major surface of the first patterned composite electrically conductive layer in a first region of the first patterned composite electrically conductive layer circumscribed by a first convex polygon to the resistance to current flow substantially parallel to a major surface of the first patterned composite electrically conductive layer in a second region of the first patterned composite conductive layer circumscribed by a second convex polygon is at least 2, the first and second regions circumscribed by the first and second convex polygons, respectively, each comprising at least 25% of the major surface of the first patterned composite electrically conductive layer.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein a ratio of the resistance to current flow substantially parallel to the major surface of the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer in a first region of the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer circumscribed by a first convex polygon to the resistance to current flow substantially parallel to the major surface of the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer in a second region of the second patterned composite conductive layer circumscribed by a second convex polygon is at least 2, the first and second regions circumscribed by the first and second convex polygons, respectively, each comprising at least 25% of the major surface of the second patterned composite electrically conductive layer.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the spatially varying resistance to current flow substantially parallel to a major surface of the first and second electrically conductive layers provides a uniform potential drop, or a desired non-uniform potential drop, across the area of the device.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first or second electrode layers are formed using a sol-gel deposition process, and wherein the first or second electrode layers comprise an electrochromic material comprising an oxide.
20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising forming an organic ion conductor layer by processes employing liquid components, wherein the first electrode layer is on one side of and in contact with a first surface of the ion conductor layer, and the second electrode layer is on the other side of and in contact with a second surface of ion conductor layer.