SUMX CORPORATION HAS DEVELOPED A NEW PHOTOELECTROCHROMIC IMAGING SYSTEM EMPLOYING A THIN FILM OF PRUSSIAN BLUE ON SINGLE CRYSTAL AND POLYCRYSTALLINE SEMICONDUCTOR ELECTRODES.

SUMX CORPORATION HAS DEVELOPED A NEW PHOTOELECTROCHROMIC IMAGING SYSTEM EMPLOYING A THIN FILM OF PRUSSIAN BLUE ON SINGLE CRYSTAL AND POLYCRYSTALLINE SEMICONDUCTOR ELECTRODES.THE FABRICATION OF THE ELECTROCHROMIC MATERIAL INVOLVES THE ELECTROCHEMICAL DEPOSITION OF A THIN IMMOBILIZED SURFACE FILM. THESE PRUSSIAN BLUE COATINGS EXHIBIT EXCELLENT REVERSIBILITY, CYCLE STABILITY, COLOR CONTRAST BETWEEN THE OXIDIZED AND REDUCED FORMS, AND RAPID ELECTROCHROMIC SWITCHING RESPONSE. THE SEMICONDUCTOR ELECTRODE IN THIS SYSTEM PERMITS USING AN ANODICALLY FORMED TIO2 ELECTRODE UNDER APPROPRIATE BIAS AND ILLUMINATION WITH LIGHT HAVING ENERGY GREATER THAN THE SEMICONDUCTOR BANDGAP. THE IMAGE THUS FORMED REMAINS STABLE AT OPEN-CIRCUIT AND RAPIDLY ERASED BY REVERSE BIAS. THE FAST CHARGE TRANSPORT AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ELECTROCHROMIC FILM NEUTRALITY INVOLVES A CATIONIC DIFFUSION PROCESS THROUGH THE ZEOLITIC CHANNELS WITHIN THE FILM. THE PROPOSED EFFORT IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FLAT-PANEL LIGHT WRITING DISPLAY THAT WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A COMPLEX MATRIX-TYPE USER INTERACTIVE DEVICE.