THE FEASIBILITY OF USING SQUEEZE ROLL COATING TO FORM SOL-GEL DERIVED LAYERS FOR SWITCHABLE ELECTROCHROMIC WINDOWS

TO ATTAIN THE POTENTIALLY VAST ENERGY SAVING AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF ELECTROCHROMIC (EC) SMART WINDOWS, AN ECONOMICALLY AND TECHNICALLY VIABLE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY MUST BE ACHIEVED. THE SOL-GEL TECHNIQUE OFFERS DISTINCT ADVANTAGES OVER THE COMMONLY USED VAPOR DEPOSITION TECHNIQUES AS A CORE FILM DEPOSITION METHOD FOR THESE MULTILAYER STRUCTURES. ALL INORGANIC LITHIUM-BASED SOLID STATE SMART WINDOW DEVICES HAVE BEEN FABRICATED ON GLASS SUBSTRATES USING THE SOL-GEL DIP COATING METHOD TO GROW THE ION CONDUCTOR LAYER AND OTHER LAYERS OF THIS DEVICE. HOWEVER, CONVENTIONAL DIP COATING ALSO HAS ITS LIMITATIONS IN A PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT. PHASE I WILL COMBINE THE SOL-GEL TECHNIQUE WITH SQUEEZE-ROLL COATING AS AN ALTERNATE COATING TECHNIQUE WHICH COMBINES THE ADVANTAGES OF DIP COATING WITH THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF A CONTINUOUS LINE SUITABLE FOR MASS PRODUCTION OF THE MULTILAYER SMART WINDOW STRUCTURES. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE IN PHASE I IS TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF USING THIS "ROLL-GEL" COATING TO OBTAIN FILMS OF AN EC ELECTRODE MATERIAL ON UP TO 18 IN, WIDE GLASS SUBSTRATES WHICH ARE SUFFICIENTLY THIN AND UNIFORM IN THICKNESS TO PROVIDE GOOD EC DEVICE PERFORMANCE. FOR PHASE I, THE FILMS WILL BE THE EC MATERIAL TUNGSTEN TRIOXIDE. A FURTHER OBJECTIVE IS TO DESIGN A ROLL-GEL CONTINUOUS LINE FOR CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN PHASE II.