Durable electrochromic device including tungsten oxide film prepared in high ion bombardment and low pressure deposition environment, and/or methods of making the same

US11753712B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Essilor International · FR

Inventors

• Francis Blanchard · Blainville, CA
• Bill Baloukas · Montréal, CA
• Ludvik Martinu · Longueuil, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 8, 2017
• Grant date: Sep 12, 2023
• Expiry date: Oct 22, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F2202/36
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to electrochromic devices (100, 1500), assemblies incorporating electrochromic devices, and methods of making the same. Highly-durable electrochromic devices include tungsten oxide (e.g., WO3 or other suitable stoichiometry) films (102, 1510) prepared using high-rate bias-enhanced sputter deposition. The sputtering is performed in a low-pressure (e.g., 1 mTorr) environment, and the biasing is very high (e.g., greater than −400 V, more preferably greater than −500 V), which causes high energy ion bombardment that in turn leads to partial nanocrystallization of the WO3 matrix, while simultaneously generating the porous microstructure desirable for ionic diffusion.