An electro-optic element

Abstract

A vehicular rearview assembly that has a rounded outer perimeter edge to satisfy safety standards and contains an EC element having a complex peripheral ring, a front surface that is fully observable from the front of the assembly, and a user interface with switches and sensors that activate and configure, in cooperation with electronic circuitry of the assembly, pre-defined function(s) or device(s) of the assembly in response to the user input applied to the user interface. A complex peripheral ring may include multiple bands the structures of which is adapted to provide for specified optical characteristics of light, reflected off of the ring. Electrical communications between the electronic circuitry, the mirror element, and the user interface utilize connectors configured to exert a low contact force, onto the mirror element, limited in part by the strength of adhesive affixing the EC element to an element of the housing of the assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electro-optic element comprising:
 a first substrate having first and second surfaces;   a second substrate having third and fourth surfaces, the second and third surfaces disposed in a parallel and spaced-apart relationships such to form a gap therebetween;   a sealing material circumferentially disposed along a perimeter of the third surface to sealingly affix the second and third surfaces together to form a chamber therebetween; and   an electro-optic medium in the chamber;   wherein at least one of the second and third surfaces carries a transparent conducting oxide (TCO);   wherein the at least one of the second and third surfaces carried a metal-containing layer;   wherein the metal-containing layer is substantially absent at at least a portion of a surface of the TCO to define an opening and the TCO layer is present in substantially all of the opening; and   wherein the metal-containing layer has a sharp or abruptly terminated edge.   
     
     
         2 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 1 , wherein a distance of a transition of the sharp or abruptly terminated edge from about 90% of the maximum thickness of the metal-containing layer to about 10% of the maximum thickness of the metal containing layer is less than 1 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing layer has a rate of change of a thickness per millimeter of distance, at the sharp or abruptly terminated edge, that is about four times a value of the maximum thickness of the metal-containing layer or less. 
     
     
         4 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing layer has a rate of change of a thickness per millimeter of distance, at the sharp or abruptly terminated edge, that is about two orders of magnitude larger than a value of the maximum thickness of the metal-containing layer. 
     
     
         5 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 1 , devoid of color shift in the metal-containing layer near the sharp or abruptly terminated edge at the opening. 
     
     
         6 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 1 , wherein the electro-optic element is one of an electrochromic mirror and an electrochromic window. 
     
     
         7 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 1 , wherein the sharp or abruptly terminated edge has a laser finished characteristic. 
     
     
         8 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 7 , wherein the sharp or abruptly terminated edge has a scalloped characteristic. 
     
     
         9 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 7 , wherein the metal-containing layer has been removed with laser ablation to form the opening. 
     
     
         10 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 9 , wherein the TCO remain relatively undamaged. 
     
     
         11 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 9 , wherein the metal-containing layer has been removed with light from a laser source directed at the metal-containing layer through a substrate containing the metal-containing layer. 
     
     
         12 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 7 , wherein a haze value characterizing a substrate carrying the metal-containing layer defining the opening and measured in the opening is less than about 0.5%. 
     
     
         13 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 7 , wherein a metallic residue in an area of the opening covers less than about 2% of the area of a surface of the opening. 
     
     
         14 . An electro optic element according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing layer is under the TCO. 
     
     
         15 . An electro-optic element comprising:
 a first substrate having first and second surfaces;   a second substrate having third and fourth surfaces, the second and third surfaces disposed in a parallel and spaced-apart relationships such to form a gap therebetween;   a sealing material circumferentially disposed along a perimeter of the third surface to sealingly affix the second and third surfaces together to form a chamber therebetween; and   an electro-optic medium in the chamber;   wherein at least one of the second and third surfaces carries a transparent conducting oxide (TCO);   wherein the at least one of the second and third surfaces carried a metal-containing layer;   wherein the metal-containing layer is substantially absent at at least a portion of a surface of the TCO to define an opening and the TCO layer is present in substantially all of the opening; and   wherein the TCO remains relatively undamaged.   
     
     
         16 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 15 , devoid of color shift in the metal-containing layer near the sharp or abruptly terminated edge at the opening. 
     
     
         17 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 15 , wherein the electro-optic element is one of an electrochromic mirror and an electrochromic window. 
     
     
         18 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 15 , wherein the metal-containing layer has been removed with laser ablation to form the opening. 
     
     
         19 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 15 , wherein the metal-containing layer has been removed with light from a laser source directed at the metal-containing layer through a substrate containing the metal-containing layer. 
     
     
         20 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 15 , wherein a haze value characterizing a substrate carrying the metal-containing layer defining the opening and measured in the opening is less than about 0.5%. 
     
     
         21 . The electro-optic element according to  claim 15 , wherein a metallic residue in an area of the opening covers less than about 2% of the area of a surface of the opening. 
     
     
         22 . An electro optic element according to  claim 15 , wherein the metal-containing layer is under the TCO. 
     
     
         23 . A method for fabrication of an electro optic element, the method comprising:
 depositing a first metal-containing layer onto a first transparent substrate;   laser ablating the first metal-containing layer from a portion of an area of the first transparent substrate to create an opening in the metal-containing layer in said portion;   depositing a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer onto the first substrate to cover a surface of the transparent substrate corresponding to said portion;   wherein the opening in the metal-containing layer is comprises at least one of:
 a sharp or abruptly terminated edge; 
 a haze value, of a substrate carrying the metal-containing layer defining the opening and measured in the opening, of less than 0.5%; 
 an absorption value, of a substrate carrying the metal-containing layer defining the opening and measured in the opening, of less than 10%; and 
 a metallic residue that covers less than 2% of an area of a surface of the opening. 
   
     
     
         24 . A method for fabrication of an electro optic element, the method comprising:
 depositing a first transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer onto a transparent substrate;   depositing a metal-containing layer onto the TCO layer; and   laser ablating a portion of an area of the transparent substrate covered by the metal-containing layer to create an opening in the metal-containing layer;   wherein the opening in the metal-containing layer is characterized by at least one of:
 a sharp or abruptly terminated edge; 
 a haze value, of a substrate carrying the metal-containing layer defining the opening and measured in the opening, of less than 0.5%; 
 an absorption value, of a substrate carrying the metal-containing layer defining the opening and measured in the opening, of less than 10%; and 
   a metallic residue that covers less than 2% of an area of a surface of the opening.