Prior electrochromic devices frequently suffer from high levels of defectivity. The defects may be manifest as pin holes or spots where the electrochromic transition is impaired. This is unacceptable for many applications such as electrochromic architectural glass. Improved electrochromic devices with low defectivity can be fabricated by depositing certain layered components of the electrochromic device in a single integrated deposition system. While these layers are being deposited and/or treated on a substrate, for example a glass window, the substrate never leaves a controlled ambient environment, for example a low pressure controlled atmosphere having very low levels of particles. These layers may be deposited using physical vapor deposition.

The present application discloses a method for preparing an electrochromic device. The method includes placing an edge protection material on a first and second substrates, placing a first and second interlayers respectively within the edge protection material on the first and second substrates, wherein the edge protection material surrounds edges of the first and second interlayers, and interposing an electrochromic film between the first and second interlayers. The edge protection material prevents chemicals in the first and second interlayers from entering into the electrochromic film.

An arrangement includes a solar cell and a covering, wherein the covering covers the solar cell, at least on the side that is intended to be exposed to electromagnetic radiation of the sun. The covering has an electrochromic layer. The arrangement also has a control unit for controlling the electrochromic layer. The control unit is designed to control the transmittance of the electrochromic layer for electromagnetic radiation in a defined wavelength range by applying an electrical voltage to the electrochromic layer.

An system includes an optical element including a glazing-function substrate and an electrochromic stack formed on this substrate, this electrochromic stack including a first transparent conductive layer, a working electrode arranged above the first transparent conductive layer, a counter-electrode arranged above said working electrode, a second transparent conductive layer arranged above the counter-electrode, lithium ions introduced into the electrochromic stack, and optionally a separate layer of an ionic conductor, the latter layer being intermediate between the electrode and the counter-electrode, a protective layer arranged on the electrochromic stack, the protective layer including an inorganic lubricating compound.

The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a flexible electrochromic device, and more particularly, to a method for manufacturing a flexible electrochromic device that bonds an electrochromic part and a counter electrode part while solidifying a wet-coated electrolyte with ultraviolet rays, thereby being capable of eliminating the possibility of bubble generation in the electrolyte and improving transmittance characteristics and durability.

An electrochromic device and method of cloaking an electrochromic device is disclosed. The electrochromic device can include a first transparent conductive layer on a substrate, a second transparent conductive layer, a cathodic electrochromic layer between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, and an anodic electrochromic layer between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer. The stack of layers can be patterned to be parallel to a voltage gradient of the electrochromic device and extend through all layers of the electrochromic device. The electrochromic device can also include a masking layer that covers the patterned inactive area. A method can include determining a pattern of inactive areas within a visible area, determining a cloaking pattern that corresponds to the pattern of inactive areas, and depositing a masking layer in the areas of the cloaking pattern.

An anti-stress liquid crystal display structure and a manufacturing method are provided. The anti-stress liquid crystal display structure includes a first substrate, a plurality of thin film transistors, a second substrate, a plurality of pillar-shaped supporting elements, and a liquid crystal layer. The plurality of thin film transistors have a protection layer and include at least one first protruding part and at least one first concave part. One end of each of the pillar-shaped supporting elements is connected to the second substrate, and other end of each of the pillar-shaped supporting elements includes at least one second protruding part and at least one second concave part and is disposed on the protection layer of each of the thin film transistors. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

The smart window for the smart home and smart grid can harvest energy and supply power to the home, grid and window itself. The smart window for the smart home and smart grid has all the Electrochromic panel, Solar panel and Multimedia panel been the same full window wide view and aligned with each other in IGU. To be a home automation system, the smart window has local/remote access/control capabilities. There are several types of smart windows working as master device or slave device. The operation of smart window automation system has three modes, normal/open mode, shut/tint mode and smart phone mode. The tube of air circulation system is hidden inside the frame surrounding IGU. Most of the electronic components are integrated to be FPSOC Field Programmable System On Chip that all the electronic component is hidden in the frame surrounding IGU, too. Therefore, the smart window doesn't have any blockage of window view with the Solar panel, Electrochromic panel, Multimedia panel and air circulation system. The smart window has the clean outlook as the conventional dual panel IGU does. The master device of the smart window system is similar to the huge screen working as a smart phone. In normal/open mode, the smart window is similar to the conventional dual panel window having the full-panel clean and clear view. For the different architectures of the smart homes, the smart window must have versatile alignments and system control that the smart window has to be implemented with the Field Programmable System On Chips of Anlinx, Milinx and Zilinx made of the W5RS advanced FPSOC chip technologies.

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.sup.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.

An electrochromic element including: a laminated body including a support formed of a resin, a first electrode layer, an electrochromic layer, and a second electrode layer, the support, the first electrode layer, the electrochromic layer, and the second electrode layer being disposed in the laminated body in this order; and a gel electrolyte disposed between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, wherein a phase separation temperature of the gel electrolyte is higher than a softening point of the support.