IR Electrochromics

Our Unique, Patented Technology In a Nutshell

Construction:

• Thin (< 0.1 mm), flexible, entirely solid state panel construction. Hermetically sealed.
• Extreme physical durability and adaptability to any surface size or shape.
• Variable area: 1 cm^2 to 1 m^2 (custom tailorable), any shape or size, as easy as cutting with scissors.  Full active area: no borders or frames flexing during operation.
• Very light weight: about 0.06 g/cm^2 (600 g/m^2).
• Waterproof: Hermetically sealed.
  
   See Device Photos, Construction and Principle of Operation.

Spectral and electrochromic properties
The largest known dynamic ranges* in the world
   *(Light/dark color contrast, i.e. Reflectance variation)

• 55% to > 70% variation (Up to 75% tailorable in a specific spectral region) in Diffuse and Specular Reflectance in the 2.5 through 20 micron region. No effect of angle of view.
• > 50% variation in Diffuse Reflectance in the Visible region.
• > 0.53 variation in Emittance.
• Tailorable Emittance ranges from 0.15 to 0.85.
• Quasi-independent control of IR and Visible region electrochromism.
• Solar Absorptance controllable 0.1 to 0.5.

See spectra and other electrochromic data:

 IR-Region
 Visible-Region

Switching and Durability:
Very fast switching and long lasting.

• Switching times < 1 s. With more sophisticated programming of Controller, < 50 ms.
• Cyclabilities > 10^4 cycles for all devices. Tailorable to 10^5 cycles in select devices.
• Operating temperature: -35 degrees C to + 75 degrees C.
  Durability: -90 degrees C to +80 degrees C.

Power:
Very low power

• +/- 1.5 VDC, 40 microwatts/cm^2.

Controller:
Sophisticated Controller

• Separate, microprocessor-based modular Controller originally designed for spacecraft use.
• Control individual electrochromic devices in arrays of up to 100 or more devices ("pixels") of varied sizes
• PC-interfaced, PDA-interfaced, or independent.
• Programmed in C++: Modifiable and tailorable.
• Optimize switching times, lifetime.
• Inexpensive.
• "Auto" and "manual override" modes for sophisticated function.
• Very low power consumption.
• Battery-powered field version.
   

 See photos of Controller

Patented:
Rock solid patent protection:

• US patents: #5,995, 273 (1999); #6,033, 592 (2000).
• Several other US patents pending.
• Canadian, European and other nation patents.

Principle of Operation

• Modulation by Conducting Polymer of IR, Visible or other light reflected from Au, Pt or other metal. (The Conducting Polymer (CP) is the active electrochromic).

 See principle of operation

Visible-region electrochromism

• Very high light/dark contrast (> 50% Diffuse Reflectance, see above).
• Standard electrochromic colors possible:
• yellow
• white
• to light green;
• to dark green;
• to green black;
• to black.
• Other colors possible: (with other Conducting Polymers):
• brown;
• purple;
• yellow;
• blue.
• Quasi-independent control of Visible vs. IR electrochromism.

 See Visible-region photos

 Request more info/data on this quasi-independent control

Arrays

• Up to 100-device arrays demonstrated. No theoretical limit to number of devices in an array.
• Dimension of devices in arrays: All possible individual device dimensions, from 0.5 cm^2 to 1 m^2.
• Sophisticated PC or PDA-interfaceable Controller (see above). Very low power consumption.
• Ideal for signaling and information applications from vehicles.
  
   See array performance photos

 Contact us for details.

Custom Tailoring

• Custom-tailored devices and arrays to suit your spectral, size, control, and other needs.
• Suitable for any substrate type, from metal to thermoplastic to highly flexible substrates.

Very Low Cost

Our publications in this field

 Click here for a list of references and links.

Note on technology development

• This technology was developed and refined primarily with our own internal funds, and therefore has no application constraints.
   

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