Sacrificial layer for electrochromic device fabrication

Abstract

Methods for protecting a transparent conductive layer on a glass substrate are described herein. The method includes depositing a sacrificial coating on the transparent conductive layer during deposition of the transparent conductive layer, prior to packaging the glass substrate for storage or transport, after unpacking the glass substrate package from the stack of glass substrates, and / or after a washing operation prior to manufacturing the electrochromic stack. The method further includes removing the sacrificial coating during a wash operation, during tempering, or prior to deposition of the electrochromic stack by, for example, heating the sacrificial coating or exposing the sacrificial coating to an inert plasma.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of “Application date: 2017-5-31, application number: 201780039441.4 and invention name: Sacrificial layer for electrochromic device manufacturing”.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 344,147, filed June 1, 2016, entitled “SACRIFICIAL LAYER FOR ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICE FABRICATION,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. Background Art

[0004] The manufacturing process for preparing glass substrates used in electrochromic device fabrication typically involves various handling, washing, and processing operations. These processing operations can introduce scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles, and other contaminants onto the substrate surface. This contamination or damage reduces the feasibility and efficiency of electrochromic devices fabricated on the glass substrates, thereby reducing production yields. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Figure 1 is a process flow diagram depicting a method of manufacturing an electrochromic window.

[0006] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the operations used to manufacture an electrochromic window.

[0007] Figures 3A-3C is a process flow diagram depicting an exemplary method for depositing and removing a sacrificial coating during the fabrication of an electrochromic window, according to certain disclosed embodiments.

[0008] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of an example of an electrochromic device.

[0009] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of an insulating glass unit.

[0010] Figures 5A-5D , 6A and 6B are graphs depicting the experimental results. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the presented embodiments. The disclosed embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known processing operations have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosed embodiments. Although the disclosed embodiments will be described in conjunction with specific exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that this is not intended to limit the disclosed embodiments.

[0012] introduce

[0013] The embodiments herein are described in terms of fabricating electrochromic devices; however, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methods and device arrangements described are applicable to protecting other thin-film devices, such as devices in which one or more layers are sandwiched between two thin-film conductor layers. Certain embodiments relate to optical devices, i.e., thin-film devices having at least one transparent conductor layer. In its simplest form, an optical device comprises a substrate and one or more material layers sandwiched between two conductor layers, at least one of which is transparent. In one embodiment, the optical device comprises a transparent substrate and two transparent conductor layers. In another embodiment, the optical device comprises a transparent substrate, a lower transparent conductor layer disposed thereon, and an opaque upper conductor layer (e.g., which is reflective). In another embodiment, the substrate is not transparent, and one or both conductor layers are transparent. Some examples of optical devices include electrochromic devices, electroluminescent devices, photovoltaic devices, suspended particle devices (SPDs), and the like. For purposes of this disclosure, a description of an electrochromic device is provided below. For convenience, all solid-state and inorganic electrochromic devices are described; however, the embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0014] Electrochromic devices are used, for example, in electrochromic windows. An electrochromic window is a window that includes an electrochromic light panel—a transparent panel that changes optical properties, such as color or tint, when a driving potential is applied between the panel's conductor layers. For example, the electrochromic light panel can be tinted to filter out 50% of incident light or approximately 70% of the light that would otherwise be transmitted through the window. Electrochromic windows can filter out some or all wavelengths of energy in the solar spectrum. Electrochromic windows can be deployed in buildings such as commercial skyscrapers or residential buildings to help conserve energy used for central heating or air conditioning systems. For example, the electrochromic light panel can be tinted to reduce the amount of light and heat entering a room on warm days, thereby reducing the energy used to power the room's air conditioning. For example, the glass substrate on which the electrochromic device is fabricated can be architectural glass. Architectural glass is glass used as a building material. Architectural glass is commonly used in commercial buildings, but can also be used in residential buildings, and typically, but not necessarily, separates the indoor environment from the outdoor. In certain embodiments, the architectural glass is at least about 20 inches by 20 inches, or at least about 14 inches by 14 inches, and can be larger, for example, up to about 72 inches by 120 inches, or up to about 72 inches by 144 inches, or up to about 84 inches by 144 inches.

[0015] A typical electrochromic (EC) device as described herein includes a substrate, a bottom or first transparent conductor layer (or transparent conductive layer), an electrochromic electrode layer, an optional ionically conductive resistive layer, a counter electrode layer, and a top or second transparent conductor layer. The electrochromic, ion conductor, and counter electrode layers deposited on the first transparent conductor layer may be referred to herein as the "EC stack."

[0016] The substrate may be a glass substrate or a transparent rigid plastic substrate. The substrate may be formed of any material having suitable optical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. For example, other suitable substrates may include other glass materials as well as plastic, semi-plastic, and thermoplastic materials (e.g., poly(methyl methacrylate), polystyrene, polycarbonate, allyl diglycol carbonate, SAN (styrene acrylonitrile copolymer), poly(4-methyl-1-pentene), polyester, polyamide), or mirror materials. The glass substrate including the first transparent conductor layer may be collectively referred to as a glass plate or a glass roll (a long rolled plate).

[0017] Common examples of transparent conductor layers include transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layers, or very thin metal layers, or a combination of metal and TCO layers. Unless otherwise stated, further reference to TCO layers as described herein is also intended to encompass other forms of transparent conductor layers.

[0018] After these layers are fabricated, the EC device may undergo subsequent processing to fabricate an insulating glass unit (IGU). In the process flow for fabricating an EC device, a variety of processing and preparatory operations are performed to prepare the glass substrate, which may include the transparent conductive material fabricated thereon, before the EC stack is applied to the substrate. In various embodiments, a first transparent conductor layer is first deposited onto the glass substrate. The glass sheet including the glass substrate and the first transparent conductor layer is then transported to a factory to fabricate the remainder of the EC device, unless it is deposited in a factory that also fabricates electrochromic devices. Prior to fabricating the remainder of the EC device, the glass substrate with the first transparent conductor layer may undergo various preparation processes, such as cutting, grinding, washing, tempering, and pre-scribing operations, which will be referred to in detail below. Figure 1 This is further described below. Figure 1 .

[0019] Although these processing operations are performed in a manner that maintains the pristine quality of the glass substrate and the transparent conductive material thereon, the substrate is often exposed to a variety of environments, which can cause scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles, contamination, or other damage to the transparent conductor layer. Multiple washing operations are typically included in the manufacturing process, but even with these cleaning processes, scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles, and contamination can still form on the surface of the transparent conductor layer. Removing contaminants from the substrate is important because they can cause defects in devices manufactured on the substrate. One type of defect is a particle or other contaminant that forms a conductive path in the ion-conducting (resistive) layer, thereby causing a local short circuit in the device, thereby causing a visually discernible anomaly in the electrochromic window. These anomalies typically appear as halos, sometimes 1 cm or more in diameter, which are clearly visible through the tinted electrochromic light panel. These halos can be repaired, but some repair processes leave "pinholes" where the particle or short circuit defect is laser-defined. Although pinholes are not as unsightly as halos because they are much smaller (around 50-200 microns in diameter), they are also undesirable.

[0020] Currently, there is no reliable protection against scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles and contamination or other surface damage on the manufacturing line. Despite the use of washing operations, the substrates are still exposed to an environment where the transparent conductive material can be scratched, dirty, contaminated or suffer from fingerprint and particle contamination. In particular, several handling aspects of the transfer operation can cause problems. Between the operation of removing the glass substrate from the supplier's float line and the operation of manufacturing EC devices on the glass substrate, there are multiple opportunities for the glass substrate to become scratched, dirty, contaminated or suffer from fingerprint and particle contamination. Some scratches may not be very wide, for example, some scratches may be less than about 500μm wide, but can range from a few millimeters to a few inches in length. Since these are pre-deposition scratches to remove the first transparent conductor layer, the scratched area will not be colored, resulting in an objectionable contrast difference. This objectionable contrast difference is very obvious and can cause the part to fail, even if the rest of the part meets all specifications, for example, a 6'x10' part may fail due to a scratch of a few millimeters. In cases where the TCO coated substrate is manufactured in the same factory as the EC coating, then there can still be such a problem. Figure 1 The intermediate processing steps.

[0021] Figure 2 An example of the operation described above is shown, where the substrate may be susceptible to scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles and contamination. Figure 2 .

[0022] Electrochromic window manufacturing process

[0023] Figure 1 A process flow diagram is provided that depicts various operations that may be performed during the process of fabricating an EC device on a glass substrate, with an emphasis on operations performed prior to fabrication of the EC stack including the electrochromic layer and the counter electrode layer.

[0024] In operation 101, a transparent conductive material is manufactured on a glass substrate. In some embodiments, the transparent conductive material is applied to molten glass. For example, fluorinated tin oxide (a common TCO) can be applied to the molten glass while the molten glass is undergoing a tin float line manufacturing process. This is often referred to as a "pyrolytic" coating because the precursor is sprayed onto the molten glass and converted to a TCO film at high temperature. The glass substrate can be made of a glass material, such as architectural glass or other shatterproof glass materials. Examples of glass substrates can be silicon oxide (SO x) glass material. As a more specific example, the substrate can be a soda-lime glass substrate or a float glass substrate. Such a glass substrate can be composed of, for example, about 75% silicon dioxide (SiO2) as well as Na2O, CaO and several trace additives. However, as described above, the substrate can be formed of any material with suitable optical, electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. In some embodiments, each of the first and second panes can be strengthened, for example, by tempering, heating or chemical strengthening. In some embodiments, a diffusion barrier layer is deposited between the glass substrate and the first transparent conductive material.

[0025] Transparent conductive materials, such as metal layers, metal oxides, alloy oxides, and their doped forms, are often referred to as "TCO" layers because they are sometimes made of transparent conductive oxides or transparent metal oxides. The term "TCO" is generally used to refer to a wide range of transparent conductive materials that can be formed into a conductive layer for transferring an electrical potential across the surface of an electrochromic device to drive or maintain optical switching. Although such materials are referred to as TCOs in the literature, the term encompasses transparent and conductive non-oxides as well as oxides, such as certain very thin metals and certain non-metallic materials. Transparent conductive materials typically have a conductivity significantly greater than that of the electrochromic material or counter electrode material. For example, a transparent conductive material may have a resistivity of at least about 100 μOhm-cm to about 600 μOhm-cm. Furthermore, a transparent conductive material may have a sheet resistance of at most about 5 ohms / square to about 20 ohms / square, or at most about 10 ohms / square to about 20 ohms / square. Some TCOs may have a sheet resistance of less than 10 ohms / square, less than 5 ohms / square, or less than 3 ohms / square. Exemplary transparent layers include indium tin oxide (ITO), fluorinated tin oxide (FTO), and aluminum zinc oxide (AZO). As used herein, the term "TCO" may also include multilayer structures. For example, a TCO may include a first ITO layer, a metal layer, and a second ITO layer, wherein the metal layer is located between the two ITO layers. A transparent conductor layer may also refer to a multilayer structure having one or more layers of transparent conductive material. Some TCOs may also include a metal top or bottom conductive layer.

[0026] In some embodiments, the glass substrate is also manufactured with a diffusion barrier layer formed on the glass. The diffusion barrier layer can be configured to prevent the diffusion of alkali or other ions migrating from the glass into the EC device coating, which could poison the device and render it inoperable or damaged. For example, the diffusion barrier layer can be deposited on the glass before the first transparent conductor layer is formed on the substrate. During operation 101, the glass substrate including the transparent conductor layer can be annealed, scored and broken into transportable glass sheets. The glass substrates can be combined so that one or more substrates can be used to form an insulating glass unit (IGU), as further described below. In some embodiments, the size of the substrates produced in operation 101 is not suitable for incorporation into an IGU; they are still much larger. Only later in the manufacturing process are the substrates reduced to a size suitable for preparing an IGU.

[0027] In operation 102, a glass substrate including a transparent conductor layer is prepared for delivery to another factory. Typically, large, unprocessed glass substrates are manufactured in a first factory specializing in glass manufacturing and then shipped to customers who process the glass for their specific purposes. The manufactured glass sheets or rolls can be handled, processed, and / or transported in an atmosphere-controlled environment, such as a dry environment and / or an inert gas environment. In some embodiments, the substrates can be cut to predetermined sizes and packaged. To prepare the substrates for delivery, interleaved sheets or interleaved powders can be used to separate the substrates in the stack. Such sheets or powders can be used to prevent the substrates from adhering to each other through van der Waals forces, electrostatic forces, etc. Suitable interleaved sheets can be highly polished paper, such as rice paper. Exemplary interleaved powders, such as those available from Chemetall Group of New Providence, New Jersey, and also those described in "How to Prevent Glass Corrosion," by Duffer, Paul F., Glass Digest, November 15, 1986, can also be used. A variety of interleaving sheets can be used, ranging from kraft paper to high-tech pH balanced materials. The powder can include a bead, such as acrylic or polymeric ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) beads, and / or an acidic component to prevent staining, such as adipic acid. Other examples of interleaving materials include polymethyl methacrylate beads and coconut shell powder. During this operation, the glass sheets can also be loaded into Stoce bags by a robot. A Stoce bag contains 25 glass sheets with interleaving powder or interleaving sheets between each glass sheet. The Stoce bag can then be sealed and stored so that it can be ready for shipping. The handling operations during operation 101 may subject the transparent conductor layer on the substrate to scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles, and contamination.

[0028] In operation 103, the glass sheets are transported to a factory for manufacturing electrochromic devices by loading stowages of the glass sheets onto trucks, trains, ships, or other vehicles and transporting them to another factory.

[0029] In operation 104, the stow packs of glass sheets are unloaded from the transport vehicle using, for example, a sling to remove the stow packs from the truck and load them onto storage racks. In some embodiments, the stow packs are then transferred to a gantry via the sling to prepare for further processing. These unloading and transfer operations involve handling the glass sheets, which can cause scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles, and contamination on the transparent conductor layer.

[0030] In operation 105, the robot can transfer the single sheet of glass from the stowage bag to the cutting station. The glass sheet can be scored. The glass sheet is moved to the breaking section of the cutting station and broken into smaller sheets. The glass sheet is then transferred (e.g., by hand) to the grinding line. Manually transferring the glass sheet exposes the glass sheet to possible suction cup marks, scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles, contamination, and other harmful influences. Transferring may also expose the glass sheet to other environments that may damage the TCO.

[0031] Cutting can create microcracks and internal stresses near the cut edge. These can cause the glass to chip or break, especially near the edges. To mitigate these issues, the cut glass can be edge-trimmed, for example, by mechanical and / or laser methods. Therefore, in operation 106, the edges of the glass are ground one or more times.

[0032] Mechanical edge finishing typically involves grinding with, for example, a grinding wheel containing clay, stone, diamond, or the like. Typically, water is run over the edge during mechanical edge finishing. The resulting edge surface is relatively rounded and free of cracks. Laser edge finishing typically produces a flat, substantially defect-free surface. For example, an initial cut of the glass perpendicular to the glass surface can produce a substantially defect-free cut. However, the right-angled edges around the perimeter of the glass are susceptible to breakage due to handling. In some embodiments, a laser is subsequently used to cut these 90-degree edges to produce a slightly more rounded or polygonal (or angled) edge.

[0033] In operation 107, the glass sheet is washed with water and dried. An example of a cleaning method and apparatus suitable for use in the manufacturing method of the present invention is Lisec TM (a trade name for glass washing equipment and processes, available from LISEC Maschinenbau GmbH, Seitenstetten, Austria). The glass sheet is then transferred to a cart. During transfer, the glass sheet may be exposed to an environment that can cause scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles, and contamination on the surface of the transparent conductor layer.

[0034] In operation 108, the glass sheet is transferred from the cart to a bed or other substrate support in a tempering furnace. This transfer may also cause some scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles, and contamination. The glass sheet is then heated to 600°C or higher and the heat is quickly quenched to temper the glass sheet. The quenching process cools the glass by blowing a large amount of air at high speed onto the glass sheet. During this process, if there are any sharp particles in the air (such as metal, glass, etc.), the glass sheet may be scratched. The quenching air may also contain contaminants that react on the hot glass sheet and cause defects. The glass sheet is then transferred to another carta holding buffer. During this transfer process, there is a risk of scratching, staining, damaging, or contaminating the transparent conductor layer on the tempered glass.

[0035] In operation 109, the glass sheet is transferred to a gasket (e.g., a loading bed of gaskets). The glass sheet is scrubbed in, for example, an acidic, neutral, or alkaline pH solution to clean the glass sheet. During the scrubbing operation, the transparent conductor layer of the glass sheet may be scratched and damaged from mechanical and / or chemical contact. In some embodiments, one or more washing operations during operation 109 may include a solution containing a chelating agent. Examples of suitable chelating agents include organic diamines; organic acids; disulfide compounds; aminopolycarboxylic acids; and ammonium salts, metal salts, and organic alkali metal salts of these acids. Examples of aminopolycarboxylic acids include ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA), dihydroxyethylethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (DHEDTA), 1,3-propylenediaminetetraacetic acid (DTPA), triethylenetetraaminehexaacetic acid (TTNA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid (HIMDA). An example of a diamine is ethylenediamine. Other examples of organic acids include citric acid, succinic acid, and fumaric acid. Disulfide compounds include dimercaptosuccinic acid and 1,2-ethanedithiol. In some embodiments, chelating agents can be used in combination with oxidizing agents. Chelating agents are suitable for, for example, aqueous solutions at alkaline, acidic, or neutral pH, and can optionally be used with oxidizing agents, reducing agents, or surfactants, or a combination thereof.

[0036] During pre-scribing at operation 110, the transparent conductor layer can be removed from the edge (edge ​​ablation) to prepare the glass sheet for fabrication of the EC stack. Edge ablation is further described in PCT Application No. 2013090209, filed on December 10, 2012, entitled "THIN-FILM DEVICES AND FABRICATION," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, pre-scribing can be optional. The pre-scribing operation can include processing the glass sheet in equipment such as a laser scribing tool, a flash lamp, an infrared heater, a quartz lamp, an induction coil, a microwave generator, a UV lamp, and the like. Examples of laser scribing can be found in U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 645,111, entitled “FABRICATION OF LOW DEFECTIVITY ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICES,” filed December 22, 2009, U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 456,056, entitled “ELECTROCHROMIC WINDOW FABRICATION METHODS,” filed April 25, 2012, and PCT Patent Application No. PCT / US2012 / 068817, entitled “THIN-FILM DEVICES AND FABRICATION,” filed December 10, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, the operation involves applying scribing to the bottom transparent conductor layer to electrically insulate the bottom transparent conductor layer and prevent the potential negative effects of shorting upper bus bars applied later during coating.

[0037] In operation 111, the glass sheet is washed again, for example, using a cleaning solution as described above, and then dried. The washing operation may expose the transparent conductor layer of the glass sheet to scratches and damage from mechanical contact. In some embodiments, the washing operation may include washing, drying, and repeating the washing and drying operations as needed.

[0038] In operation 112, a glass sheet is loaded onto a carrier, for example, by hand. This loading operation may subject the glass sheet to scratches, smudges, fingerprints, contamination, particles, and other damage. Subsequently, an electrochromic coating is applied to produce an EC stack on the glass sheet. Figure 4AAn example of an electrochromic device 400 including a deposited electrochromic stack is shown. Electrochromic device 400 includes a glass substrate 402, a diffusion barrier layer 403, a conductive layer (CL) 404, an EC stack 406, and another CL 412. Bottom transparent conductor layer 404 is the first of two conductive layers used to form an electrode of electrochromic device 400 fabricated on glass substrate 402. In some examples, glass substrate 402 can be prefabricated with diffusion barrier layer 403 formed on the underlying glass 402. Thus, in some embodiments, diffusion barrier layer 403 is deposited prior to depositing bottom transparent conductor layer 404, EC stack 406 (e.g., a stack having electrochromic, ionic conductor, and counter electrode layers), and top transparent conductor layer 412. In some embodiments, glass substrate 402 can be prefabricated with diffusion barrier layer 403 and bottom transparent conductor layer 404 formed on the underlying glass 402. A non-penetrating bus bar (such as bus bar 4 or "top bus bar" as used herein) is applied to the top transparent conductor layer 412. A non-penetrating bus bar (such as bus bar 2 or "bottom bus bar" as used herein) is applied to the bottom transparent conductor layer 404 to areas where the EC stack 406 and the top transparent conductor layer 412 have not been deposited or removed (e.g., from a mask that protects the bottom transparent conductor layer 404 from device deposition or by using a mechanical abrasion process or by using a laser ablation process). Bus bars are typically electrical connections used to provide current and voltage to the conductive layers, typically for driving or maintaining optical states. Bus bars can be penetrating or non-penetrating. The EC stack 406 and the second transparent conductor layer 412 can be coated onto a glass sheet (which includes the glass substrate 402, the optional diffusion barrier layer 403, and the first transparent conductor layer 404) in a coating apparatus. The bus bars can also be applied during operation 112.

[0039] Back to Figure 1 In operation 113, the glass sheets are incorporated into insulating glass units (IGUs). An IGU comprises multiple glass panes assembled into a single unit, generally designed to maximize the thermal insulation properties of the gas contained within the space formed by the unit while allowing clear visibility through the unit. From a mechanical perspective, an insulating glass unit comprising electrochromic glass is similar to IGUs currently known in the art, except for the electrochromic device and associated electronic components, such as terminals for connecting the electrochromic device to a voltage source.

[0040] Typically, the substrate and IGU are rectangular structures as a whole. However, in some other embodiments, other shapes (e.g., circular, oval, triangular, curved, convex, concave) are possible and may be desired. In some embodiments, the length of the substrate can be in the range of about 14 inches to about 12 feet, the width of each substrate can be in the range of about 14 inches to about 12 feet, and the thickness of each substrate can be in the range of about 1 millimeter to about 10 millimeters (although smaller and larger other lengths, widths or thicknesses are possible and may depend on the needs of a specific user, manager, administrator, builder, architect or owner). In addition, the IGU can include two panes, or in some other embodiments, the IGU can include three or more panes. Each pane can be a glass substrate as described above. In addition, in some embodiments, one or more panes themselves can be a laminated structure of two layers, three layers or more layers or sub-panes.

[0041] The panes or substrates of the IGU are separated from each other by spacers to form an interior volume. Figure 4BAn example of an IGU 490 is shown with a spacer 495 between two glass panes 491 and primary and secondary seals 492 and 493, respectively. In the depicted example, the spacer 495 is a hollow metal structure with a desiccant 494 inside. In some embodiments, the interior volume or air space 496 is filled with argon (Ar), but in some other embodiments, the interior volume or air space 496 can be filled with another gas, such as another noble gas (e.g., krypton (Kr) or xenon (Xe)), another (non-noble) gas, or a gas mixture (e.g., air). Filling the interior volume or air space 496 with a gas such as Ar, Kr, or Xe can reduce conductive heat transfer through the IGU due to the low thermal conductivity of these gases and improve sound insulation due to their increased atomic weight. In some other embodiments, the interior volume or air space 496 can be evacuated of air or other gas. The spacer 495 generally determines the thickness of the interior volume; that is, the spacing between the substrates. In some embodiments, the spacing between the substrates is in a range of about 0.375" to about 4". The width of the spacer 495 can be in a range of about 0.25" to about 4". Although not shown in the cross-sectional view, the spacer 495 is typically formed around all peripheral edges of the IGU (e.g., the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the IGU). In some embodiments, the spacer 495 is formed of a foam or plastic material. However, in some other embodiments, the spacer 495 can be formed of a metal or other conductive material, such as a metal tube structure. A first primary seal 492 adheres and hermetically seals the spacer 495 and each of the second surfaces of the first pane or light panel. A second primary seal 492 adheres and hermetically seals the spacer 495 and each of the first surfaces of the second pane or light panel. In some embodiments, each primary seal 492 can be formed of an adhesive sealant, such as, for example, PIB (polyisobutylene). The moisture barrier and the seal form an airtight air space. The material can be thought of as a soft, sticky O-ring around the perimeter of the spacer 495 to form a seal between the spacer 495 and the glass surface. In some embodiments, the IGU also includes a secondary seal 493 that hermetically seals around the perimeter of the entire IGU outside the spacer 495. The secondary seal 493 is used for structural integrity. It fills the gap around the entire perimeter of the IGU, typically about 3 mm to about 9 mm deep from the edge. It has the consistency of tar when applied and then cures and hardens to a rubber-like consistency before shipping. To this end, the spacer 495 can be inset a distance from the edge of the first and second panes or light panels. In some embodiments, the secondary seal 493 can be formed from an adhesive sealant, such as, for example, silicone or polysulfide.

[0042] method

[0043] Figure 2 Various operations are shown in which glass substrates may be subject to scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles, and contamination. Box 201 describes operations in which the glass substrate may be scratched or otherwise marred by handling of the substrate by a supplier or manufacturer, or in which transfer operations may result in scratches or other defects. Box 203 shows operations in which the substrate may be scratched, contaminated, soiled, or subject to fingerprint and particle contamination during loading and unloading in internal operations to prepare the substrate for manufacturing EC devices on the glass substrate. There are several operations in which the glass substrate, including the first transparent conductor layer, may be susceptible to scratches and damage. The disclosed embodiments relate to methods for protecting a glass substrate using a sacrificial coating that is deposited prior to operations that may introduce defects and is removed prior to coating the glass substrate with a material to form an electrochromic device. It should be understood that the terms "sacrificial coating" or "sacrificial layer" used interchangeably herein may refer to one or more layers of material used to deposit the sacrificial coating or sacrificial layer. Some manufacturing methods include depositing a sacrificial coating after making the float glass with the first transparent conductor layer, or after forming the stow pack, or after unpacking the stow pack, or after a washing operation; for example, after the first wash and before the tempering operation in the EC plant, or after the second wash and before the pre-scribing operation in the EC plant. Some manufacturing methods include removing the sacrificial coating during the first wash operation, and / or during the tempering operation, and / or during the second wash operation, and / or during the third wash operation after scribing, and / or immediately before coating the substrate with the EC material.

[0044] Depositing and removing the sacrificial coating according to various disclosed embodiments reduces the presence of scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles, and contamination on the transparent conductor layer, which can be detrimental to the fabrication of EC stacks on the transparent conductive layer. The disclosed embodiments can be incorporated into existing processing operations used to fabricate EC stacks on glass substrates. For example, various washing operations can include solutions suitable for removing the sacrificial coating, such that the disclosed embodiments can be easily incorporated into washing operations in the manufacturing process. The disclosed embodiments can also eliminate certain operations, such as washing operations in some embodiments. For example, because the sacrificial coating can protect the underlying transparent conductor layer from contamination, some washing operations may not be required, thereby improving the efficiency of manufacturing EC devices. Additionally, the disclosed embodiments reduce processing marks and smudges, thereby reducing yield losses.

[0045] Table 1 provides various combinations of deposition (shaded) and removal (labeled with a, b, c, d, or e) that can be used according to the disclosed embodiments. The operations in Table 1 correspond to the above description of Figure 1 As described below, sacrificial coatings can be Figure 1is deposited during any of operations 101 , 102 , 103 , 107 and 109 and may be removed during any of the lettered operations shown in Table 1 .

[0046] The scenarios may be represented by numbers and letters, for example, "1a" involves depositing a sacrificial coating after fabricating a first transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate in operation 101 and removing the sacrificial coating during a first wash in operation 107. In another example, "2c" involves depositing a sacrificial coating after packaging the glass sheet in operation 102 and removing the sacrificial coating during a second wash in operation 109. In some embodiments, a combination of one or more scenarios may be used to protect the glass sheet during processing.

[0047] Table 1 Deposition and removal of sacrificial coatings

[0048]

[0049]

[0050] The sacrificial coating deposition during operation 101 can be performed after depositing the transparent conductor layer on the glass substrate and before scoring and breaking the glass sheet (if performed). In some embodiments, the sacrificial coating can be deposited before applying the interleaved sheets or powder.

[0051] The sacrificial coating deposition during operation 102 may be performed prior to applying the interleaved sheets or powder used during packaging. In some embodiments, if the sacrificial coating is deposited on the substrate prior to packaging, the use of interleaved sheets or powder may not be required.

[0052] The sacrificial coating deposition during operation 104 may be performed after the stoechas is transferred to the gantry (eg, via slings) and before the glass sheet is loaded onto the cutting table for operation 105 .

[0053] The sacrificial coating deposition during operation 107 may be performed after the glass sheet has been washed (eg, with water), dried, and before being transferred to a cart.

[0054] The sacrificial coating deposition during operation 109 can be performed between any washing operations in the multi-step washing process. For example, where operation 109 includes scrubbing the glass sheet with a pH solution (e.g., an alkaline solution), drying the glass sheet, transporting the glass sheet to another washer, and washing the glass sheet with deionized water, the sacrificial coating deposition can be performed after drying the glass sheet and before transporting the glass sheet to another washer to protect the glass sheet from scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles, and contamination during transportation.

[0055] Removal of the sacrificial coating during operation 107 can be integrated into the process such that the washing solution used in operation 107 can also remove the sacrificial coating. Removal of the sacrificial coating during operation 107 can be performed by chemical action of the pH solution / detergent solution used in operation 107 or by mechanical scrubbing or by a combination of mechanical and chemical action.

[0056] Removal of the sacrificial coating during operation 108 may be integrated into the process such that the glass sheet is tempered to heat the sacrificial coating to induce an oxidation reaction, an ashing operation, or delamination, causing the sacrificial coating to be removed or peeled off from the glass sheet.

[0057] Removal of the sacrificial coating during operation 109 may be integrated into the process such that any solution or combination of solutions used to wash the glass sheet in operation 109 may also remove the sacrificial coating during the washing operation.

[0058] Removal of the sacrificial coating during operation 111 may be integrated into the process such that the washing solution used in operation 111 may also remove the sacrificial coating.

[0059] Removal of the sacrificial coating during operation 112 may be integrated into the process such that the sacrificial coating is heated or exposed to plasma to remove the layer in the apparatus or coating apparatus prior to fabricating the EC stack on the transparent conductor layer.

[0060] The sacrificial coating can be an organic, inorganic coating, or a combination of organic and inorganic materials. The sacrificial coating can be an acrylic material and / or a ceramic material. In various embodiments, the composition of the sacrificial coating includes an alkali-soluble resin, which includes an acrylic polymer or copolymer. The acrylic polymer or copolymer can include any one or more of the following compounds: 2-propylene glycol, 2-methyl-polymer with vinylbenzene, 2-ethyl acrylate, 2-methyl-2-methyl acrylate, and 1,2-propylene glycol mono(2-methyl-2-acrylate). Acrylic polymers or copolymers also include olefin-acrylate copolymer dispersions. Solvents used to deposit and homogenize the coating composition include glycol ethers, such as diethylene glycol monoethyl ether. Surfactants can be used to emulsify alkali-soluble polymers or copolymers. In some embodiments, non-acrylic polymer or copolymer dispersions, such as ethylene copolymers, can be used. In some embodiments, the sacrificial coating is deposited using a stripper that converts the coating composition into a semi-solid gel-like material that can be easily removed by water. In some embodiments, the sacrificial coating can be an adhesive. In some embodiments, the sacrificial coating is strippable or removable by delamination. In some embodiments, the sacrificial coating can be a combination of organic and inorganic materials. For example, such materials may be removed during a washing process and / or a heating process.

[0061] In some embodiments, the sacrificial coating can be a sprayed organic-based coating, such as a vinyl layer. The sacrificial coating can be a water-based, organic solvent-based, or water-organic solvent-based coating. In some embodiments, the sacrificial coating can include a metal dopant and / or a ligand with a metal element, such as iron or manganese. The sacrificial coating can be a fast-drying material and can be removed when exposed to a solution of a specific pH. The sacrificial coating can be a composition that can be removed when heated to a certain temperature (e.g., a temperature of at least 650°C). The sacrificial coating can be made of a material that does not permanently chemically react with the substrate, but can be deposited on a glass substrate including a transparent conductor layer to reduce damage to the transparent conductor layer due to scratches, smudges, fingerprints, particles, or contamination.

[0062] The sacrificial coating can be deposited by any suitable deposition process. For example, in some embodiments, an organic coating is deposited using an organic liquid precursor, an aqueous precursor, or a mixed organic-aqueous precursor solution, which can be sprayed, dipped, or spin-coated onto the surface of the substrate to form a coating over the transparent conductor layer. The material selected for the sacrificial coating depends on the type of removal technique used to remove the sacrificial coating in subsequent operations and on the operations that the sacrificial coating must withstand to protect the transparent conductor layer. In some embodiments, depositing the sacrificial coating includes applying the layer in liquid or solid form and curing the layer at ambient temperature. Curing can include, for example, polymerizing a monomer precursor, gelling the precursor, or otherwise curing the precursor solution. The cured film bonds to the glass and forms a sufficiently strong top layer to protect the underlying transparent conductor layer from scratches. In some embodiments, the sacrificial coatings described herein can withstand scrubbing with metal, scrubbing with glass particles, scrubbing with a plastic brush, or rubbing a sharp glass block against the surface with high pressure. Such a sacrificial coating may be suitable for protecting a transparent conductor layer, where the sacrificial coating is removed in a later manufacturing operation, such as just prior to coating the EC stack, as the sacrificial coating removed in the later manufacturing operation serves to protect the transparent conductor layer during washing and scrubbing operations following cutting, grinding, tempering, and pre-scribing operations.

[0063] The sacrificial coating may be deposited to any suitable thickness, for example depending on the operation during which the sacrificial coating is deposited and the operation during which the sacrificial coating is to be removed. In various embodiments, the sacrificial coating may be deposited to a thickness between about 1 μm and about 3000 μm. In some embodiments, the sacrificial coating may be deposited to a thickness between about 1 μm and about 90 μm, or between about 1 μm and about 80 μm, or between about 1 μm and about 70 μm, or between about 1 μm and about 60 μm, or between about 1 μm and about 50 μm, or between about 1 μm and about 40 μm, or between about 1 μm and about 30 μm, or between about 1 μm and about 20 μm, or between about 1 μm and about 10 μm. In certain embodiments, the sacrificial coating may have a thickness between about 500 μm and about 3000 μm.

[0064] In some embodiments, if the sacrificial coating is to be removed during a first wash and the first wash involves the use of an alkaline solution, the sacrificial coating can be an organic coating that is removable using the alkaline solution used during the first wash. The alkaline solution can have a pH between 8 and 12, or between 8 and 10, or between 8 and 9. In some embodiments, if the sacrificial coating is to be removed during tempering, the sacrificial coating comprises a composition that is readily removable at elevated temperatures using oxidation reactions, ashing operations, or delamination techniques, with or without a subsequent wash step. In some embodiments, if the sacrificial coating is to be removed during a second wash, where the second wash comprises a milder wash solution than that used in the first wash, the sacrificial coating composition can be such that it is not removed upon exposure to the harsher solution of the first wash and is not removed upon exposure to the elevated temperatures during tempering, but is removed upon exposure to the second wash solution. It should be understood that the sacrificial coating composition can vary depending on the operation in which the sacrificial coating is not to be removed and the operation in which it is to be removed, and that the examples provided above are merely examples of some possible scenarios in which the sacrificial coating may be removed. In one embodiment, the washing step removes portions of the sacrificial coating or otherwise prepares the coating for removal during a heating step, such as an annealing step.

[0065] In some embodiments, a combination of chemical and mechanical action can be used to remove the sacrificial coating. For example, in some embodiments, the sacrificial coating can be removed by washing it with an acidic or alkaline solution (depending on the sacrificial coating material used) and peeling or scrubbing it from the glass substrate. It should be understood that any combination of one or more deposition and removal operations of the sacrificial coating can be used. For example, in some embodiments, a first sacrificial coating can be deposited after operation 110 and removed in operation 107, while a second sacrificial coating is deposited after operation 108 and removed before coating the remaining electrochromic stack.

[0066] Figure 3A An example of a process flow diagram is provided for performing certain disclosed embodiments according to Scenario 1a of Table 1. In the example, a transparent conductor layer is deposited during operation 381 and removed during operation 387.

[0067] During operation 381 , a transparent conductor layer is deposited on a glass substrate, and a sacrificial coating is deposited on the substrate to protect the substrate from scratching during subsequent processing operations in operations 302 , 303 , 304 , 305 , and 306 .

[0068] Removal during the first washing operation in operation 387 can be performed using a washing solution including deionized water, an acidic solution, an alkaline solution, and combinations thereof. Subsequently, the glass sheet can be tempered and subjected to other operations in operations 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, and 313 to fabricate an EC device in an IGU.

[0069] It should be understood that the sacrificial coating can be removed during any of the wash operations 307, 309, and 311. For example, for scenarios 1a, 2a, and 3a, the sacrificial coating can be removed during the first wash. For scenarios 1c, 2c, and 3c, the sacrificial coating can be removed during the second wash. For scenarios 1d, 2d, 3d, and 4d, the sacrificial coating can be removed during the third wash. In the event that the sacrificial coating is to be removed in a later wash operation and must be subjected to an earlier wash operation, the wash solution can be selected so that the sacrificial coating can be subjected to an earlier wash operation but removed in a later wash operation. For example, the wash solution can vary based on pH, ionic strength, density, lipophilicity, or hydrophilicity, for example, can include organic solvents, or can include or exclude one or more mixture compositions suitable for a particular wash operation. For example, in some embodiments, if the sacrificial coating is removed in Figure 1If the sacrificial coating is to be removed during the third wash operation of operation 109, the solution may include a chelating agent as described above. In some embodiments, the third wash operation of operation 109 for removing the sacrificial coating may include a highly alkaline solution for removing the sacrificial coating. In some operations, the wash step may be solely water-based and not affect or remove the sacrificial layer; in other embodiments, the wash solution includes an organic solvent to aid in removing the sacrificial layer or its components. In various embodiments, the sacrificial layer may be water-soluble, organic-soluble, or both. It should be understood that, in cases where the sacrificial coating is to be removed in a second or third wash operation, the wash solution in the first wash operation may be milder on the sacrificial coating than the wash solution in the second or third wash. For example, if the sacrificial layer is organic-soluble, the first wash may use a first water-based solution that will not remove the sacrificial coating or may be milder on the sacrificial coating, while in the second wash step, an aqueous solution containing a higher concentration of organic solvent than the first solution may be used to remove the sacrificial layer. In some embodiments, the reverse is also true; for example, if the sacrificial layer is water-soluble, the first wash solution may be organic-based, and the subsequent wash solution may be water-based. Likewise, where the sacrificial coating is to be removed in a third wash operation, the wash solution in the first or second wash operation may be milder on the sacrificial coating than the wash solution in the third wash operation. It should also be understood that in some embodiments, where the sacrificial coating is not to be removed in a subsequent operation, it may not be necessary to perform a wash operation prior to the sacrificial coating removal operation. For example, in some embodiments, Figure 1 The sacrificial coating may not be removed prior to operation 112, so that the sacrificial coating is removed prior to fabrication of the EC stack on the substrate. Consequently, some washing operations, such as in any of operations 107, 109, and 111, may not be necessary, particularly if the purpose of the washing operation was to prevent scratches or contamination on the transparent conductor layer, because the sacrificial coating will provide sufficient protection to the transparent conductor layer from contamination that may occur during various processing operations.

[0070] The sacrificial coating can be a strippable coating, such as those commercially available from Saint-Gobain Glass or PPG Industries. For example, in some embodiments, the strippable sacrificial coating can be formed from a liquid composition comprising 5-40% soluble copolyamide, 55-85% ethanol, and 0-20% water. In some embodiments, the strippable sacrificial coating can be a water-based vinyl material that can be removed by washing or stripping. In one embodiment, the sacrificial coating is stripped off and included in a process with a subsequent washing step before further processing. In another embodiment, the sacrificial coating is stripped off without a subsequent washing step before further processing.

[0071] Figure 3B Another example of a process flow diagram for performing certain disclosed embodiments is provided. Figure 3B An example is provided corresponding to scenario 1b of Table 1. In the example, a transparent conductor layer is deposited during operation 381 and removed during operation 387. During operation 381, a sacrificial coating is deposited on the deposited transparent conductor layer on the glass substrate. The sacrificial coating protects the transparent conductor layer from contamination and scratches in operations 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, and 307. The sacrificial coating is also capable of withstanding these operations so that the glass sheet with the sacrificial coating can be cut and ground while still protecting the underlying transparent conductor layer. Similarly, the sacrificial coating is also capable of withstanding the first washing operation in operation 307. In the example, during operation 388, the glass sheet is tempered, and the sacrificial coating can be removed at the tempering temperature using an oxidation reaction, an ashing technique, or a delamination technique. The high tempering temperature can be between about 600°C and about 700°C, or between about 500°C and about 650°C. It should be understood that any of scenarios 1b, 2b, and 3b can allow for the removal of the sacrificial coating at the tempering temperature, respectively. Figure 1 The sacrificial coating deposited during steps 101 , 102 and 104 is removed during the tempering operation.

[0072] The glass sheet is then further processed in operations 309, 310, 311, 312, and 313, the operations of which are described above with reference to Figure 1 Provide a description.

[0073] Figure 3CAn example of a process flow diagram for performing certain disclosed embodiments according to scenario 1e of Table 1 is provided. In the example, a transparent conductor layer is deposited during operation 381 and removed during operation 382. In operation 382, ​​after the glass sheet having the sacrificial coating is washed in operation 311, the sacrificial coating can be removed in a separate apparatus or in a coating apparatus ("coater") in which an EC stack can be fabricated on the glass sheet. The sacrificial coating is removed before the EC stack is fabricated on the glass sheet. The sacrificial coating can be removed in the coater by heating the glass sheet to cause an oxidation reaction, ashing, and / or delamination, thereby removing the sacrificial coating from the transparent conductor layer on the glass sheet. In one embodiment, a plasma is used to remove the sacrificial coating by etching. The sacrificial layer removal station or module can be followed by a buffer station where the glass is cooled before entering the EC stack fabrication equipment (e.g., station or module). In certain embodiments, after tempering (e.g., step 111), the thermal resistance of the sacrificial coating is reduced during the washing step, enabling the sacrificial layer to withstand high temperatures prior to this step (e.g., during the tempering operation in step 108) but not after this washing step (e.g., during the coating operation in step 112). In certain embodiments, the sacrificial coating is removed in a station at or near the controlled environment portion of the entry coater, i.e., prior to the sputter deposition station but exposed to the vacuum or low pressure environment of the sputter station. For further description of coaters suitable for use alone or in conjunction with an integrated station for removing sacrificial coatings as described herein and for fabricating EC stacks, see U.S. Patent No. 9,007,674, entitled “DEFECT-MITIGATION LAYERS IN ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICES,” filed on February 8, 2013, and issued on April 14, 2015, and PCT Application No. PCT / US15 / 00411, entitled “THIN-FILM DEVICES AND FABRICATION,” filed on December 24, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0074] In some embodiments, the removal of the sacrificial coating in operation 382 in the coater can be performed by exposing the sacrificial coating to a plasma. The plasma can be ignited at a low pressure, for example, between about 0.1 millitorr and about 1 atmosphere. In some embodiments, the plasma can be ignited at a low pressure, for example, between about 1 millitorr and about 100 torr. In some embodiments, the plasma is ignited in the presence of one or more gases such as O2, N2, H2, He, Ar, and H2O. In certain embodiments, the gas used as a molecule dissociates to release a halogen species (e.g., CF4, HCl, SiCl4, etc.) or N2. In various embodiments, atmospheric plasma can be used to remove the sacrificial coating. The sacrificial coating can be removed in a station at or near a controlled environment portion of the device, for example, before a sputtering deposition station. The sacrificial coating can be removed in a vacuum environment or in a low pressure environment provided in a sputtering station but before the glass substrate is inserted into the sputtering deposition station.

[0075] It should be understood that Figures 3A-3C Only some of the many examples for implementing certain disclosed embodiments are provided. Removal of the sacrificial coating may be performed in any of the above identified scenarios in Table 1. Additionally, Figure 1 Atmospheric plasma can be used to clean sacrificial coatings during any processing operation. Figure 1 Atmospheric plasma may also be used to assist in cleaning during any of the washing operations described in operations 107, 109, and 111. In some embodiments, a sacrificial coating may be deposited on a glass substrate with a manufactured EC device to protect the coating during transportation, such as to a downstream facility that is remote from the facility where the EC device is manufactured. For example, in some embodiments, the EC device may be coated on a substrate prior to shipping and the substrate cut into sub-devices or light panels. This may allow for more flexible processing, providing more time to inspect, package, store, and ship the product. The sacrificial coating may then be removed in a separate post-processing facility.

[0076] Several examples of depositing and removing sacrificial coatings are given below. Each is a supplement to the above description of Figure 1 The fabrication operations described, as well as variations of the deposition and removal operations described above with respect to Table 1.

[0077] Option 1a (above about Figure 3A Example of description)

[0078] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate followed by a sacrificial coating

[0079] Packaging substrate for shipping

[0080] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0081] Open the substrate packaging

[0082] Cutting substrate

[0083] Grinding substrate

[0084] Washing the substrate with a solution that removes the sacrificial coating

[0085] Tempered substrate

[0086] Washing substrate

[0087] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0088] Washing substrate

[0089] Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0090] Manufacturing IGUs

[0091] Option 1b (above about Figure 3B Example of description)

[0092] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate followed by a sacrificial coating

[0093] Packaging substrate for shipping

[0094] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0095] Open the substrate packaging

[0096] Cutting substrate

[0097] Grinding substrate

[0098] Washing substrate

[0099] Tempering the substrate and removing the sacrificial coating

[0100] Washing substrate

[0101] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0102] Washing substrate

[0103] Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0104] Manufacturing IGUs

[0105] Option 1c

[0106] Deposit a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate, followed by a sacrificial coating to package the substrate for shipping

[0107] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0108] Open the substrate packaging

[0109] Cutting substrate

[0110] Grinding substrate

[0111] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0112] Tempered substrate

[0113] Washing the substrate with a solution that removes the sacrificial coating

[0114] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0115] Washing substrate

[0116] Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0117] Manufacturing IGUs

[0118] Option 1d

[0119] Deposit a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate, followed by a sacrificial coating to package the substrate for shipping

[0120] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0121] Open the substrate packaging

[0122] Cutting substrate

[0123] Grinding substrate

[0124] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0125] Tempered substrate

[0126] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0127] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0128] Washing the substrate with a solution that removes the sacrificial coating

[0129] Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0130] Manufacturing IGUs

[0131] Option 1e (the above Figure 3C Example of description)

[0132] Deposit a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate, followed by a sacrificial coating to package the substrate for shipping

[0133] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0134] Open the substrate packaging

[0135] Cutting substrate

[0136] Grinding substrate

[0137] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0138] Tempered substrate

[0139] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0140] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0141] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0142] Removal of sacrificial coating by heat or plasma treatment Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0143] Manufacturing IGUs

[0144] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0145] Option 2a

[0146] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate

[0147] Deposition of sacrificial coatings on glass substrates prior to packaging

[0148] Packaging substrate for shipping

[0149] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0150] Open the substrate packaging

[0151] Cutting substrate

[0152] Grinding substrate

[0153] Washing the substrate with a solution that removes the sacrificial coating

[0154] Tempered substrate

[0155] Washing substrate

[0156] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0157] Washing substrate

[0158] Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0159] Manufacturing IGUs

[0160] Option 2b

[0161] Deposit a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate Deposit a sacrificial coating on a glass substrate before packaging Package the substrate for shipping Transport the substrate to the EC factory

[0162] Open the substrate packaging

[0163] Cutting substrate

[0164] Grinding substrate

[0165] Washing substrate

[0166] Tempering the substrate and removing the sacrificial coating

[0167] Washing substrate

[0168] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0169] Washing substrate

[0170] Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0171] Manufacturing IGUs

[0172] Option 2c

[0173] Deposit a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate Deposit a sacrificial coating on a glass substrate before packaging Package the substrate for shipping Transport the substrate to the EC factory

[0174] Open the substrate packaging

[0175] Cutting substrate

[0176] Grinding substrate

[0177] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0178] Tempered substrate

[0179] Wash the substrate with a solution that removes the sacrificial coating. Pre-scribe the substrate (optional).

[0180] Washing substrate

[0181] Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0182] Manufacturing IGUs

[0183] Option 2d

[0184] Depositing a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate Depositing a sacrificial coating on a glass substrate before packaging Packaging the substrate for shipping

[0185] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0186] Open the substrate packaging

[0187] Cutting substrate

[0188] Grinding substrate

[0189] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0190] Tempered substrate

[0191] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0192] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0193] Wash the substrate with a solution that removes the sacrificial coating Coat the substrate with an EC stack

[0194] Manufacturing IGUs

[0195] Option 2e

[0196] Depositing a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate Depositing a sacrificial coating on a glass substrate before packaging Packaging the substrate for shipping

[0197] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0198] Open the substrate packaging

[0199] Cutting substrate

[0200] Grinding substrate

[0201] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0202] Tempered substrate

[0203] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0204] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0205] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0206] Removal of sacrificial coating by heat or plasma treatment Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0207] Manufacturing IGUs

[0208] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0209] Option 3a

[0210] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate

[0211] Packing substrates for transport Transporting substrates to EC factories

[0212] Unpacking the substrate and depositing the sacrificial coating on the glass substrate

[0213] Cutting substrate

[0214] Grinding substrate

[0215] Washing the substrate with a solution that can remove the sacrificial coating and tempering the substrate

[0216] Washing substrate

[0217] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0218] Washing substrate

[0219] Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0220] Manufacturing IGUs

[0221] Option 3b

[0222] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate

[0223] Packing substrates for transport Transporting substrates to EC factories

[0224] Unpacking the substrate and depositing the sacrificial coating on the glass substrate

[0225] Cutting substrate

[0226] Grinding substrate

[0227] Washing substrate

[0228] Tempering the substrate and removing the sacrificial coating

[0229] Washing substrate

[0230] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0231] Washing substrate

[0232] Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0233] Manufacturing IGUs

[0234] Option 3c

[0235] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate

[0236] Packing substrates for transport Transporting substrates to EC factories

[0237] Unpacking the substrate and depositing the sacrificial coating on the glass substrate

[0238] Cutting substrate

[0239] Grinding substrate

[0240] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0241] Tempered substrate

[0242] Wash the substrate with a solution that removes the sacrificial coating. Pre-scribe the substrate (optional).

[0243] Washing substrate

[0244] Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0245] Manufacturing IGUs

[0246] Option 3d

[0247] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate

[0248] Packing substrates for transport Transporting substrates to EC factories

[0249] Unpacking the substrate and depositing the sacrificial coating on the glass substrate

[0250] Cutting substrate

[0251] Grinding substrate

[0252] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0253] Tempered substrate

[0254] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0255] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0256] Wash the substrate with a solution that removes the sacrificial coating Coat the substrate with an EC stack

[0257] Manufacturing IGUs

[0258] Option 3e

[0259] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate

[0260] Packaging substrate for shipping

[0261] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0262] Unpacking the substrate and depositing the sacrificial coating on the glass substrate

[0263] Cutting substrate

[0264] Grinding substrate

[0265] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0266] Tempered substrate

[0267] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0268] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0269] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0270] Removal of sacrificial coating by heat or plasma treatment Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0271] Manufacturing IGUs

[0272] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0273] Option 4d

[0274] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate

[0275] Packaging substrate for shipping

[0276] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0277] Open the substrate packaging

[0278] Cutting substrate

[0279] Grinding substrate

[0280] Washing substrate

[0281] Deposition of sacrificial coatings on glass substrates

[0282] Tempered substrate

[0283] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0284] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0285] Wash the substrate with a solution that removes the sacrificial coating Coat the substrate with an EC stack

[0286] Manufacturing IGUs

[0287] Option 4e

[0288] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate

[0289] Packaging substrate for shipping

[0290] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0291] Open the substrate packaging

[0292] Cutting substrate

[0293] Grinding substrate

[0294] Washing substrate

[0295] Deposition of sacrificial coatings on glass substrates

[0296] Tempered substrate

[0297] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0298] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0299] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0300] Removal of sacrificial coating by heat or plasma treatment Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0301] Manufacturing IGUs

[0302] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0303] Option 5e

[0304] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate

[0305] Packaging substrate for shipping

[0306] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0307] Open the substrate packaging

[0308] Cutting substrate

[0309] Grinding substrate

[0310] Washing substrate

[0311] Tempered substrate

[0312] Washing substrate

[0313] Deposit sacrificial coating on glass substrate Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0314] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0315] Removal of sacrificial coating by heat or plasma treatment Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0316] Manufacturing IGUs

[0317] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0318] Option 6d

[0319] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate

[0320] Packaging substrate for shipping

[0321] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0322] Open the substrate packaging

[0323] Cutting substrate

[0324] Grinding substrate

[0325] Washing substrate

[0326] Tempered substrate

[0327] Deposit a sacrificial coating on a glass substrate Wash substrate (optional)

[0328] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0329] Wash the substrate with a solution that removes the sacrificial coating Coat the substrate with an EC stack

[0330] Manufacturing IGUs

[0331] Option 6e

[0332] Deposition of a transparent conductor layer on a glass substrate

[0333] Packaging substrate for shipping

[0334] Transport substrates to EC factory

[0335] Open the substrate packaging

[0336] Cutting substrate

[0337] Grinding substrate

[0338] Washing substrate

[0339] Tempered substrate

[0340] Deposit a sacrificial coating on a glass substrate Wash substrate (optional)

[0341] Pre-scribed substrate (optional)

[0342] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0343] Removal of sacrificial coating by heat or plasma treatment Coating substrates with EC stacks

[0344] Manufacturing IGUs

[0345] Washing the substrate (optional)

[0346] experiment

[0347] The following experiments were conducted using five different sacrificial coating compositions, labeled A, B, C, D, and E. These sacrificial coatings are organic-based coatings deposited in liquid or solid form on a glass substrate comprising a first transparent conductor layer. The coatings were subjected to various conditions as described below.

[0348] Experiment 1: Curing Time

[0349] Five sacrificial coatings were tested. In the first test, each glass was preheated to a temperature of 35°C before the coating was deposited. In the second test, each glass was preheated to a temperature of 45°C before the coating was deposited. In the third test, each glass was preheated to a temperature of 55°C before the coating was deposited.

[0350] After deposition, each coating in each test was scratched with a glass edge at different intervals: 2 minutes after deposition, 10 minutes after deposition, 30 minutes after deposition, and 60 minutes after deposition. The coating was observed and evaluated after each interval to check which curing times and temperatures were feasible.

[0351] The results are shown in Figures 5A-5D middle. Figure 5A This is a scatter plot showing various trends for the number of lines observed, grade, coating type, and curing temperature. The grades shown are visually assessed, with 1 representing glass with many observable defects and 5 representing glass with no defects. Any defect receives a rating of at least 4. The lines represent the number of observed scratch lines. Figure 5B Various curing temperatures and the number of lines seen are shown. Figure 5C Ratings are shown for each of the five coatings. Figure 5DThe number of lines seen for each of the five coatings is shown.

[0352] For coatings deposited at higher temperatures, the coatings cure faster and are more scratch resistant.

[0353] Experiment 2: Cutting

[0354] Experiments were conducted on substrates with sacrificial coatings. Coating C was applied to three 14×20 glass substrates, each with a first transparent conductor layer. The substrates were placed in an oven at 50°C for 2 hours. The sacrificially coated side of the glass was manually scratched with a cutting wheel and the glass was broken.

[0355] Substrates with sacrificial coatings easily scratched and cracked during manual scribing. These results indicate that the coatings can withstand the cutting operations used during manufacturing and can therefore be removed from the glass substrates in operations performed after cutting.

[0356] Experiment 3: Washing

[0357] Experiments were performed on substrates with each of the five sacrificial coatings. In the first experiment, the substrates were hand-washed twice with deionized or tap water, and then the sacrificially coated substrates were scratched with a glass edge. The sacrificial coatings were removed, and then the EC stack was deposited.

[0358] The results showed that the coatings were able to withstand exposure to deionized water ( Figure 6B Y in) and tap water ( Figure 6B The number of lines observed is shown in Figure 6A and 6B middle.

[0359] Experiment 4: Tempering Simulation

[0360] Experiments were conducted on glass substrates with each of the A, B, and D coatings. The coatings were applied after grinding the substrates, and then scratched with the edge of the glass. The substrates were washed in a Forel glass washer and then scratched again. The substrates were heated and quenched at 650°C to simulate tempering, and then the coatings were scratched again for reference. Scratch lines were observed.

[0361] After the simulated tempering operation, scratches on the coating were visible. Scratches on the control sample were also visible. Scratches created before washing in the Forer glass washer and after washing but before tempering were not noticeable. These results indicate that the sacrificial coating can be removed by tempering but can withstand scratching, tempering, and washing in the Forer glass washer.

[0362] in conclusion

[0363] Although the foregoing embodiments have been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be implemented within the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the processes, systems, and devices of the present embodiments. Therefore, the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative rather than restrictive, and the embodiments are not to be limited to the specific disclosure given herein.

Claims

1. A method of processing a glass substrate having a solid-state electrochromic device thereon, the method comprising: In the first factory, (a) covering the solid-state electrochromic device with a sacrificial coating; (b) laminating the glass substrate to a second glass substrate to form a laminate; In post-processing plants, (c) removing the sacrificial coating; and (d) using the laminate as a first pane and a third pane assembled in an insulating glass unit (IGU) to manufacture the IGU, wherein the laminate is inspected for defects prior to removing the sacrificial coating. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial coating is removed by stripping.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before covering the solid-state electrochromic device with a sacrificial coating, fabricating the glass substrate by forming a solid-state electrochromic device comprising an electrochromic stack between first and second transparent conductive layers, the first and second transparent conductive layers being configured to impart a potential difference across surfaces of the electrochromic stack, thereby causing optical switching of the electrochromic device. The method of claim 3 , wherein forming the electrochromic device further comprises applying bus bars.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein The sacrificial coating is formed on the glass substrate in a first factory; the sacrificial coating is removed in a second factory. 6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein fabricating the glass substrate further comprises, after forming the solid-state electrochromic device, depositing the sacrificial coating on the solid-state electrochromic device. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial coating has a thickness between 1 μm and about 3000 μm.

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