Recent advances in electrochromics for smart windows applications

Electrochromic smart windows are able to vary their throughput of radiant energy by low-voltage electrical pulses. This function is caused by reversible shuttling of electrons and charge balancing ions between an electrochromic thin film and a transparent counter electrode. The ion transport takes place via a solid electrolyte. Charge transport is evoked by a voltage applied between transparent electrical conductors surrounding the electrochromic film/electrolyte/counter electrode stack. This review summarizes recent progress concerning: (i) calculated optical properties of crystalline WO,, (ii) electrochromic properties of heavily disordered W oxide and oxyfluoride films produced by reactive magnetron bias sputtering, (iii) novel transparent reactively sputter-deposited Zr-Ce oxide counter electrodes and (iv) a new proton-conducting antimonic-acid-based polymer electrolyte. Special in depth presentations are given on elastic light scattering from W-oxide-based films and of electronic band structure effects affecting opto-chronopotentiometry data in Zr-Ce oxide. The review also contains some new device data for an electrochromic smart window capable of very high optical transmittance. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.