Fabrication of electrochromic devices

Abstract

Electrochromic devices and methods may employ the addition of a defect-mitigating insulating layer which prevents electronically conducting layers and/or electrochromically active layers from contacting layers of the opposite polarity and creating a short circuit in regions where defects form. In some embodiments, an encapsulating layer is provided to encapsulate particles and prevent them from ejecting from the device stack and risking a short circuit when subsequent layers are deposited. The insulating layer may have an electronic resistivity of between about 1 and 10 8 Ohm-cm. In some embodiments, the insulating layer contains one or more of the following metal oxides: aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, silicon aluminum oxide, cerium oxide, tungsten oxide, nickel tungsten oxide, and oxidized indium tin oxide. Carbides, nitrides, oxynitrides, and oxycarbides may also be used.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of fabricating an electrochromic device on a transparent substrate, the method comprising:
 (a) receiving the transparent substrate with a first transparent conductive layer on its work surface, or depositing the first transparent conductive layer on the substrate's work surface;   (b) forming an electrochromic layer or a counter electrode layer;   (c) forming the other of the electrochromic layer or the counter electrode layer;   (d) forming a second transparent conductive layer; and   (e) (1) after (a) and before (b), forming a first layer over the first transparent conductive layer, the first layer comprising at least one of aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium nitride, aluminum nitride, and tantalum nitride; and/or (2) after (c) and before (d), forming a second layer over the other of the electrochromic layer or the counter electrode layer, the second layer comprising at least one of aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium nitride, aluminum nitride, and tantalum nitride.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (e) comprises forming the first layer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first layer comprises at least one of aluminum oxide and titanium oxide. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (e) comprises forming the second layer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the second layer comprises at least one of aluminum oxide and titanium oxide. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (e) comprises forming both the first layer and the second layer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first layer and/or the second layer each comprise at least one of aluminum oxide and titanium oxide. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first layer and/or the second layer comprise at least one of aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, and tantalum oxide. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first layer and/or the second layer comprise at least one of aluminum nitride, titanium nitride, and tantalum nitride. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (e) comprises forming the first layer and/or the second layer to a thickness between about 5-500 nm. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the thickness is between about 5-100 nm. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (e) comprises forming the first layer and/or the second layer conformally. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (e) comprises forming the first layer and/or the second layer using atomic layer deposition. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (e) comprises forming the first layer and/or the second layer using chemical vapor deposition. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (e) comprises forming the first layer and/or the second layer using physical vapor deposition. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first transparent conductive layer and/or the second transparent conductive layer comprise silver. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first transparent conductive layer and/or the second transparent conductive layer comprise a metal oxide. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first transparent conductive layer and/or the second transparent conductive layer comprise at least one of tin oxide and zinc oxide. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first transparent conductive layer and/or the second transparent conductive layer comprise at least one of indium tin oxide and aluminum zinc oxide. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising heating the substrate.