ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICES HAVING N-DOPED CONDUCTIVE POLYMER AS TRANSPARENT CONDUCTING LAYER, ION STORAGE LAYER, AND/OR ELECTROCHROMIC LAYER
A method for forming an electrochromic device includes: forming a first conducting layer on a first substrate; forming a first electrolyte layer on the first conducting layer; forming a second conducting layer on a second substrate; forming an electrochromic layer on the second conducting layer; forming a second electrolyte layer on the electrochromic layer; and laminating the first substrate and the second substrate such that the first electrolyte layer is in contact with the second electrolyte layer.
1 . A method for forming an electrochromic device, comprising:
forming a first conducting layer on a first substrate;
forming a first electrolyte layer on the first conducting layer;
forming a second conducting layer on a second substrate;
forming an electrochromic layer on the second conducting layer;
forming a second electrolyte layer on the electrochromic layer; and
laminating the first substrate and the second substrate such that the first electrolyte layer is in contact with the second electrolyte layer.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
patterning the second conducting layer to form second areas and second electric interconnects between adjacent second areas.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
forming the electrochromic layer on the second conducting layer comprises: patterning the electrochromic layer to form an electrochromic film on each of the second areas, wherein the electrochromic films are separated from each other; and
forming the second electrolyte layer on the electrochromic layer comprises: forming the second electrolyte layer on each of the electrochromic films and the second electric interconnects, and in a gap between the adjacent second areas.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first conducting layer comprises an n-doped organic conductive polymer with a formula of
wherein X is O, S, or Se; each of m and n is an integer greater than zero; each of R 1 and R 2 is independently selected from one of hydrogen or C 1 -C 10 alkyl; and M + is an organic or metal cation.
5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
forming the electrochromic layer on the second conducting layer comprises: patterning the electrochromic layer to form an electrochromic film on each of the second areas, wherein the electrochromic films are separated from each other; and
forming the second electrolyte layer on the electrochromic layer comprises: patterning the second electrolyte layer to form a second electrolyte film on each of the electrochromic films, wherein the second electrolyte films are separated from each other.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
patterning the first conducting layer to form first areas and first electric interconnects between adjacent first areas,
wherein the first conducting layer comprises an n-doped organic conductive polymer with a formula of
wherein X is O, S, or Se; each of m and n is an integer greater than zero; each of R 1 and R 2 is independently selected from one of hydrogen or C 1 -C 10 alkyl; M + is an organic or metal cation.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein forming the first electrolyte layer on the first conducting layer comprises:
patterning the first electrolyte layer to form a first electrolyte film on each of the first areas, wherein the first electrolyte films are separated from each other; and
wherein laminating the first substrate and the second substrate such that the first electrolyte layer is in contact with the second electrolyte layer comprises:
laminating the first substrate and the second substrate such that the first electrolyte films are in contact with the second electrolyte films.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the patterning operations is performed by photolithography or a printing method.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second conducting layer comprises an n-doped organic conductive polymer with a formula of
wherein X is O, S, or Se; each of m and n is an integer greater than zero; each of R 1 and R 2 is independently selected from one of hydrogen or C 1 -C 10 alkyl; and M + is an organic or metal cation.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming an ion storage layer between the first conducting layer and the first electrolyte layer.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
patterning the second conducting layer to form second areas and second electric interconnects between adjacent second areas.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
forming the electrochromic layer on the second conducting layer comprises: patterning the electrochromic layer to form an electrochromic film on each of the second areas, wherein the electrochromic films are separated from each other; and
forming the second electrolyte layer on the electrochromic layer comprises: forming the second electrolyte layer on each of the electrochromic films and the second electric interconnects, and in a gap between the adjacent second areas.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
forming the electrochromic layer on the second conducting layer comprises: patterning the electrochromic layer to form an electrochromic film on each of the second areas, wherein the electrochromic films are separated from each other; and
forming the second electrolyte layer on the electrochromic layer comprises: patterning the second electrolyte layer to form a second electrolyte film on each of the electrochromic films, wherein the second electrolyte films are separated from each other.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
patterning the first conducting layer to form first areas and first electric interconnects between adjacent first areas.
15 . The method of claim 14 ,
wherein forming the ion storage layer between the first conducting layer and the first electrolyte layer comprises: patterning the ion storage layer to form an ion storage film on each of the first areas, wherein the ion storage films are separated from each other;
wherein forming the first electrolyte layer on the first conducting layer comprises: patterning the first electrolyte layer to form a first electrolyte film on each of the ion storage films, wherein the first electrolyte films are separated from each other; and
wherein laminating the first substrate and the second substrate such that the first electrolyte layer is in contact with the second electrolyte layer comprises: laminating the first substrate and the second substrate such that the first electrolyte films are in contact with the second electrolyte films.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the patterning operations is performed by photolithography or a printing method.
17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the second conducting layer comprises an n-doped organic conductive polymer with a formula of
wherein X is O, S, or Se; each of m and n is an integer greater than zero; each of R 1 and R 2 is independently selected from one of hydrogen or C 1 -C 10 alkyl; and M + is an organic or metal cation.
18 . A method for forming an electrochromic device, comprising:
coating a first conducting layer on a first substrate, wherein the first conducting layer comprises an n-doped organic conductive polymer with a formula of
wherein X is O, S, or Se; each of m and n is an integer greater than zero; each of R 1 and R 2 is independently selected from one of hydrogen or C 1 -C 10 alkyl; M + is an organic or metal cation;
patterning the first conducting layer to form first areas and first electric interconnects between adjacent first areas;
coating a second conducting layer on a second substrate;
patterning the second conducting layer to form second areas and second electric interconnects between adjacent second areas; and
performing one of the following:
a) forming an electrolyte layer on each of the first areas, wherein the electrolyte layers are separated from each other; forming an electrochromic layer on each of the electrolyte layers, wherein the electrochromic layers are separated from each other; and laminating the first substrate and the second substrate such that the electrochromic layers are in contact with the second areas; or
b) forming an electrochromic layer on each of the second areas, wherein the electrochromic layers are separated from each other; forming an electrolyte layer on each of the electrochromic layers, wherein the electrolyte layers are separated from each other; and
laminating the first substrate and the second substrate such that the electrolyte layers are in contact with the first areas.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the patterning operations is performed by photolithography or a printing method.
20 . A method for forming an electrochromic device, comprising:
coating a first conducting layer on a first substrate, wherein the first conducting layer comprises an n-doped organic conductive polymer with a formula of
wherein X is O, S, or Se; each of m and n is an integer greater than zero; each of R 1 and R 2 is independently selected from one of hydrogen or C 1 -C 10 alkyl; M + is an organic or metal cation;
patterning the first conducting layer to form first areas and first electric interconnects between adjacent first areas;
coating a second conducting layer on a second substrate; and
performing one of the following:
a) forming an electrochromic layer on each of the first areas, wherein the electrochromic layers are separated from each other; forming an electrolyte layer on the electrochromic layer; and laminating the first substrate and the second substrate such that the electrolyte layer is in contact with the second conducting layer; or
b) forming an electrolyte layer on the second conducting layer; forming an electrochromic layer on the electrolyte layer; patterning the electrochromic layer to form a plurality of electrochromic-layer areas on the electrolyte layer; and laminating the first substrate and the second substrate such that the electrochromic-layer areas are in contact with the first areas.