KR-102962540-B1 - Electro-optical device having barrier properties

Abstract

The electro-optical element comprises a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface and defining a first perimeter extending between the first surface and the second surface, a second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface and defining a second perimeter extending between the third surface and the fourth surface, and a sealing member bonded between the second and third surfaces and spaced apart from the first and second substrates to define a chamber within the first and second substrates and the sealing member. The sealing member is outside the chamber and has a first exposed surface adjacent to the first and second perimeters. The electro-optical element further comprises an electro-optical medium disposed within the chamber and a coating applied over the first exposed surface and at least one of the first and fourth surfaces.

Inventors

• 생어 네이버, 마리오 에프.

Assignees

• 젠텍스 코포레이션

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20240329

Priority Date

20230331

Claims (20)

1. As an electro-optical element, A first substrate having a first surface and a second surface, defining a first perimeter extending between the first surface and the second surface; A second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface, defining a second perimeter extending between the third and fourth surfaces, wherein an opening is defined by one of the first and second substrates and extends through it; A sealing member that is bonded between the second and third surfaces and spaced apart from the first and second substrates to define a chamber within the first and second substrates and the sealing member, wherein the sealing member is outside the chamber and has a first exposed surface adjacent to the first and second perimeters; An electro-optical medium disposed within the above chamber; A plug disposed within the above opening and defining a second exposed surface; and An electro-optical element comprising a coating applied to at least one of the first and second exposed surfaces and the first and fourth surfaces.
2. In claim 1, at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is a transparent electro-optical element.
3. An electro-optical element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the first surface and the fourth surface is generally smooth and exhibits light-reflecting properties.
4. An electro-optical element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is rigid.
5. An electro-optical element according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is glass.
6. An electro-optical element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coating is an conformal coating having anti-reflective properties.
7. In claim 6, the conformal coating having the above anti-reflective properties is a transparent electro-optical element.
8. In claim 6, the conformal coating defines a chemical barrier across at least a portion of the electro-optical element, the electro-optical element.
9. In claim 8, the chemical barrier extends across at least the first and second exposed surfaces and across a first interface between the first perimeter and the first exposed surface, a second interface between the second perimeter and the first exposed surface, and a third interface between one of the first and second substrates and the second exposed surface where the opening extends.
10. In claim 8, the chemical barrier is an electro-optical element having an oxygen permeability of less than 10⁻² cm³ / m² /day atm.
11. An electro-optical element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coating is applied by an atomic layer deposition process and has a thickness of at least 100 nm.
12. In paragraph 1 or 2, A first conductive bus disposed on one of the second or third surfaces in contact with the electro-optical medium; and An electro-optical element further comprising a first terminal electrically connected to the first conductive bus and exposed to the outside of the electro-optical element and not covered by the coating.
13. As a method for manufacturing electro-optical elements, The process includes a step of exposing a unit to an atomic layer deposition process during the process, wherein the unit during the process is, A first substrate having a first surface and a second surface, defining a first perimeter extending between the first surface and the second surface; A second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface, defining a second perimeter extending between the third and fourth surfaces, wherein an opening is defined by one of the first and second substrates and extends through it; A sealing member that is bonded between the second and third surfaces and spaced apart from the first and second substrates to define a chamber within the first and second substrates and the sealing member, wherein the sealing member is outside the chamber and has a first exposed surface adjacent to the first and second perimeters; An electro-optical medium disposed within the above chamber; and A plug disposed within the above-mentioned opening and defining a second exposed surface, comprising: A method in which the atomic layer deposition process forms a coating over at least one of the first and second exposed surfaces and the first and fourth surfaces, wherein the coating is an conformal coating that defines a chemical barrier over at least a portion of the electro-optical element.
14. A method according to claim 13, wherein, before exposing the unit during the process to the atomic layer deposition process, at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is transparent, and at least one of the first surface and the fourth surface is generally smooth to exhibit light-reflecting properties.
15. A method according to claim 14, wherein, after exposing a unit during the above process to the atomic layer deposition process, at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate maintains a transparent appearance, and at least one of the first surface and the fourth surface exhibits non-reflective properties.
16. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the coating is a transparent conformal coating having anti-reflective properties.
17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the conformal coating defines a chemical barrier extending over at least the first and second exposed surfaces and over a first interface between the first perimeter and the first exposed surface, a second interface between the second perimeter and the first exposed surface, and a third interface between one of the first and second substrates and the second exposed surface where the opening extends.
18. In any one of paragraphs 13 through 15, During the above process, the unit is, A first conductive bus disposed on one of the second or third surfaces in contact with the electro-optical medium; A first terminal electrically connected to the first conductive bus and exposed to the outside of the electro-optical element; and It further includes a mask applied over a portion of the first terminal, and The above method further comprises the step of removing the mask after exposing the unit during the process to the atomic layer deposition process so that at least a portion of the first terminal is not covered by the coating.
19. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the atomic layer deposition process has a thickness of at least 100 nm.
20. delete

Description

Electro-optical device having barrier properties The present disclosure generally relates to an electro-optical device, and more specifically, to an electro-optical device having an anti-reflective conformal coating having chemical barrier properties. Generally, an electro-optical element is understood as an element having a light transmittance level that is generally electronically controllable. When a sufficient potential is applied to an electro-optical element, the embedded electro-optical medium undergoes a change in its light transmittance level. The change in light transmittance may be the result of a color change within the medium, and accordingly, the oxidation and reduction of its anode and cathode species alter the absorption of the medium, resulting in a decrease in transmittance upon the application of potential. When the anode and cathode materials are confined in relation to movement through the chamber, the release of the potential may result in the maintenance of a reduced transmittance state, or when the anode and cathode materials are allowed to move through the chamber, or when the reduced cathode and oxidized anode are not kept separated within the chamber, the release of the potential may result in an increase in transmittance. The electro-optical element may be realized by both a first substrate and a second substrate that define the outer surface of the element and generally surround the electro-optical medium, and which are made of a substantially transparent material such as various glass compositions, such that at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is generally smooth and exhibits light-reflecting properties. Due to the nature of these surfaces being on the exterior of the electro-optical element, these light reflection characteristics are realized entirely by the electro-optical element. In some applications of electro-optical elements, such as when used in relation to optical filters, eyeglasses, etc., it may be desirable to reduce or eliminate these light-reflecting properties. In particular, in the listed exemplary applications of electro-optical elements, as significant optical clarity may be desirable in many applications, it may be more desirable to reduce the light-reflecting properties of the electro-optical element without making the outer surface appear matte or opaque. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an electro-optical element comprises a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface and defining a first perimeter extending between the first surface and the second surface, a second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface and defining a second perimeter extending between the third surface and the fourth surface, and a sealing member bonded between the second and third surfaces and spaced apart from the first and second substrates to define a chamber within the first and second substrates and the sealing member. The sealing member is outside the chamber and has a first exposed surface adjacent to the first and second perimeters. The electro-optical element further comprises an electro-optical medium disposed within the chamber, an opening defined by one of the first and second substrates and extending through and extending through it, a plug disposed within the opening and defining a second exposed surface, and a coating applied over at least one of the first and second exposed surfaces and the first and fourth surfaces. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing an electro-optical element comprises the step of exposing a unit during the process to an atomic layer deposition process. During the process, the unit comprises a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface and defining a first perimeter extending between the first surface and the second surface, a second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface and defining a second perimeter extending between the third surface and the fourth surface, and an opening is defined by one of the first and second substrates and extends through it. A sealing member is attached between the second and third surfaces and is spaced apart from the first and second substrates to define a chamber within the first and second substrates and the sealing member. The sealing member is outside the chamber and has a first exposed surface adjacent to the first and second perimeters. An electro-optical medium is disposed within the chamber, a plug is disposed within the opening, and the plug defines a second exposed surface. The atomic layer deposition process forms an anti-reflective coating on at least one of the first and second exposed surfaces and the first and fourth surfaces. In addition, the anti-reflective coating is an conformal coating that defines a chemical barrier across at least a portion of the unit during the process. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electro-optical elemen