Advanced Longevity System for the Environmental Protection of Electrochromic Materials

Eclipse has a variable transmittance coating to meet the requirement for a single day/night visor for aircrews. The Eclipse Electrochromic Device (EclipseECD) is well suited for light modulation applications. The EclipseECD modulates transmitted light intensity over a broad range (80% to 20% transmission) by changing optical density under an applied electric field (1.5V). This process is reversed by changing the polarity of the applied field. This technology has a variety of uses beyond just visors but in all cases a proper sealing method for long term durability and survival is required for any sort of commercialization. The use of flexible and semi-rigid polymer substrates (such as polycarbonate flight visors) offers numerous advantages in terms of processing and applications. However, for electro-optical use, the primary limitation is that moisture and/or oxygen rapidly diffuses through these substrate materials, leading to performance degradation and shortened lifetime. Thus, the objective of this follow-on Phase II effort is to tailor the EclipseECD for long term environmental stability. The advanced packaging system developed during this program shall extend the fully-functional lifetime of the EclipseECDTM by significantly mitigating the effects of harsh environments that exist outside of laboratory conditions.