A controllable privacy structure, such as a window or door, may include an electrically controllable optically active material connected to a driver. The driver can control the application and/or removal of electrical energy to the optically active material to transition from a scattering state in which visibility through the structure is inhibited to a transparent state in which visibility through the structure is comparatively clear. The driver may need to be located in relatively close physical proximity to the privacy structure the driver is intended to control. Devices, systems, and techniques are described for discretely positioning a driver relative to a privacy structure to be controlled.

The present invention relates to a multilayer conductive system of metal oxides comprising: i. a substrate; ii. a layer of a crystalline binary metal oxide deposited on the substrate (i); and iii. a layer of a crystalline conductive metal oxide having a crystalline structure of perovskite type superposed over the layer of binary metal oxide (ii); the binary metal oxide of the layer (ii) having a local lattice mismatch of less than 5% with respect to that of the metal oxide of the layer (iii); provided that when the metal oxide of perovskite type of the layer (iii) is a crystalline transparent conductive metal oxide, the substrate (i) is transparent and the thickness of the crystalline binary metal oxide layer (ii) is <20 nm, preferably <10 nm, most preferentially 5-7 nm.

The invention also relates to a method for preparing the multilayer system, an electronic component comprising same, as well as to the use of the multilayer system in a variety of applications in particular in optoelectronics and solar technologies.

The invention also relates to the use of a thin layer of crystalline binary metal oxide as a seed layer for the crystal growth of a metal oxide having a crystalline structure of perovskite type, the binary metal oxide having a local lattice mismatch of less than 5% with respect to the lattice of the metal oxide of perovskite type.

Substrate with transparent outer layer, wherein a transparent interdigital structure is disposed between the substrate and the outer layer.

The embodiments herein relate to electrochromic stacks, electrochromic devices, and methods and apparatus for making such stacks and devices. In various embodiments, an anodically coloring layer in an electrochromic stack or device is fabricated to include a heterogeneous structure, for example a heterogeneous composition and/or morphology. Such heterogeneous anodically coloring layers can be used to better tune the properties of a device.

An article can include a non-light-emitting, variable transmission device and a coating disposed between the non-light-emitting, variable transmission device and an ambient outside the article. In an embodiment, the article has a ΔE of at most 6.5. In another embodiment, the coating includes a plurality of layers including a first layer having a refractive index of at least 2.2 and a thickness of at least 10 nm. The coating can be used to help reduce color differences seen when the non-light-transmitting, variable transmission device is taken to different transmission states. In a particular embodiment, the coating can provide a good balance between color difference and luminous transmission.

A cover glass sheet configured to cover at least a display device, having an outer sheet face and an inner sheet face where the inner sheet face faces the display device and wherein the outer sheet face includes (a) at least a display zone (1) allowing visualization of at least part of a screen of the display device, the display zone having a perimeter, P.sub.display; and (b) at least an opaque zone (2) corresponding to a layer of opaque paint being added at the exception of the display zone, to all or part of the remaining inner sheet face and directly surrounding at least 10-100% of the display perimeter, the opaque zone has a mean surface roughness defined by an opaque arithmetic amplitude value, Ra.sub.(op). The outer sheet face further includes at least one textured zone covering between 0.5% to 99.5% of the opaque zone.

A coated glazing includes a transparent glass substrate and a coating located on the glass substrate. The coating includes at least the following layers in sequence starting from the glass substrate: a first layer having a refractive index of more than 1.6, an optional second layer having a refractive index that is less than the refractive index of the first layer, a third layer based on tin dioxide doped with fluorine, and a fourth layer based on titanium oxide, wherein the fourth layer is photocatalytic.

The embodiments herein relate to electrochromic stacks, electrochromic devices, and methods and apparatus for making such stacks and devices. In various embodiments, an anodically coloring layer in an electrochromic stack or device is fabricated to include nickel tungsten tantalum oxide (NiWTaO). This material is particularly beneficial in that it is very transparent in its clear state.

Methods for protecting transparent electronically conductive layers on glass substrates are described herein. Methods include depositing a sacrificial coating during deposition of the transparent electronically conductive layer, before packing the glass substrate for storage or shipping, after unpacking glass substrates from a stack of glass substrates, and/or after a washing operation prior to fabricating an electrochromic stack on the transparent electronically conductive layer. Methods also include removing the sacrificial coating during a washing operation, during tempering, or prior to depositing an electrochromic stack by, e.g., heating the sacrificial coating or exposing the sacrificial coating to an inert plasma.

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. In certain embodiments, the device includes a counter electrode having an anodically coloring electrochromic material in combination with an additive.