Granted Patent B2

US 12,370,624 · App. 18/491,638 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Inventors: Abhishek Anant Dixit (Collierville, TN); Todd William Martin (Mountain View, CA); Anshu A. Pradhan (Collierville, TN); Fabian Strong (Hayward, CA); Robert T. Rozbicki (Saratoga, CA)

Assignee: View Operating Corporation

B23K26/0624B23K26/082B23K26/0846B23K26/361B23K26/38B23K26/402B23K26/57B32B17/06C03B33/076E06B9/24G02F1/1523G02F1/1524G02F1/153G02F1/1533G02F1/155H01B5/14H10F39/103B23K2101/40B23K2103/172B23K2103/18B23K2103/54E06B2009/2464

Abstract

Claims (26)

1. A method of fabricating an electrochromic device comprising a first transparent conductor layer, an electrochromic stack, a second transparent conductor layer, and a vapor barrier layer and/or an encapsulation layer disposed, in order, on a substantially transparent substrate, the vapor barrier layer and/or the encapsulation layer disposed over the second transparent conductor layer, the method comprising:

punching through the vapor barrier layer and/or the encapsulation layer to form at least one hole down to, or into, the second transparent conductor layer; and

applying a bus bar material through the at least one hole to make electrical contact with the second transparent conductor layer,

wherein at least a portion of the second transparent conductor layer is disposed between the bus bar material and the substantially transparent substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrochromic stack comprises an electrochromic layer and a counter electrode layer.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the electrochromic stack further comprises at least one defect mitigation insulating layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hole includes a plurality of holes that are spaced apart from each other along a side of the substantially transparent substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hole is punched through using electromagnetic radiation.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a wavelength of 248 nm, 355 nm, 1030 nm, 1064 nm, or 532 nm.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is laser radiation applied from a film side or from a substrate side.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising tapering an edge of the first transparent conductor layer.

9. An electrochromic device comprising:

a substantially transparent substrate;

a first transparent conductor layer disposed on the substantially transparent substrate;

an electrochromic stack disposed on the first transparent conductor layer;

a second transparent conductor layer disposed on the electrochromic stack;

a vapor barrier layer and/or an encapsulation layer disposed on the second transparent conductor layer;

at least one hole through the vapor barrier layer and/or the encapsulation layer down to, or into, the second transparent conductor layer; and

a bus bar material in the at least one hole configured to make electrical contact with the second transparent conductor layer,

wherein at least a portion of the second transparent conductor layer is disposed between the bus bar material and the substantially transparent substrate.

10. The electrochromic device of claim 9 , wherein the electrochromic stack comprises an electrochromic layer and a counter electrode layer.

11. The electrochromic device of claim 10 , wherein the electrochromic stack further comprises at least one defect mitigation insulating layer.

12. The electrochromic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one hole includes a plurality of holes that are spaced apart from each other along a side of the substantially transparent substrate.

13. The electrochromic device of claim 9 , wherein the bus bar material is a conductive ink, a solder material, or a metal foil.

14. The electrochromic device of claim 9 , wherein the vapor barrier layer and/or the encapsulation layer comprises (I) one or more of an aluminum zinc oxide, a tin oxide, a silicon oxide, a silicon aluminum oxide, a silicon oxynitride, or a silicon dioxide or (II) an amorphous morphology, a crystalline morphology, or a mixed amorphous crystalline morphology.

15. The electrochromic device of claim 9 , wherein the first transparent conductor layer comprises a tapered edge.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (10)

References Cited (400)