Electrochromic multi-layer devices with spatially coordinated switching

摘要

A multi-layer device comprising a first substrate and a first electrically conductive layer on a surface thereof, the first electrically conductive layer having a sheet resistance to the flow of electrical current through the first electrically conductive layer that varies as a function of position.

主权项

1. An electrochromic device comprising a first substrate, a first electrically conductive layer, a first electrode layer, a second electrically conductive layer and a second substrate, the first and second substrates being glass or plastic, the first and second electrically conductive layers each having a sheet resistance, Rs, to the flow of electrical current through the first and second electrically conductive layers that varies as a function of position in the first and second electrically conductive layers, respectively, wherein the ratio of the value of maximum sheet resistance, Rmax, to the value of minimum sheet resistance, Rmin, in the first electrically conductive layer is at least about 10 and the ratio of the value of maximum sheet resistance, Rmax, to the value of minimum sheet resistance, Rmin, in the second electrically conductive layer is at least about 10, the first substrate and the first electrically conductive layer being transmissive to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the range of infrared to ultraviolet, wherein (i) the first electrically conductive layer has a spatially varying sheet resistance Rs, that varies as a function of position in the first electrically conductive layer, (ii) a contour map of the sheet resistance Rs, as a function of position within the first electrically conductive layer contains a set of isoresistance lines and a set of resistance gradient lines normal to the isoresistance lines, and (iii) a projection of a line segment having a length of at least 1 cm of one of the gradient lines onto the second electrically conductive layer defines a complementary line segment in the second electrically conductive layer wherein (a) the average value of the slope of the sheet resistance of the first electrically conductive layer over the gradient line segment, S1avg, is a positive or negative value, and (b) the average value of the slope of the sheet resistance of the second electrically conductive layer over the complementary line segment S2avg, is zero or is opposite in sign to S1avg.