JP2020086179A - Dimmer and method for manufacturing dimmer - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress deterioration of an electrochromic type dimmer more effectively than before.SOLUTION: In a dimmer (1), a seal member (140) maintains an interval between a substrate (17) and a substrate (11) and seals an electrolyte layer (14). An insulation layer (13) has, when viewed from a normal direction of the substrate (11), a first non-projection (13np) which is positioned between a transparent electrode (12) and the seal member (140) and a first projection (13p) which is positioned between the transparent electrode (12) and the electrolyte layer (14).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The following disclosure relates to an electrochromic dimmer.

In recent years, various techniques have been proposed for a light control device that adjusts the light transmittance. As an example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for preventing leakage of an electrolyte enclosed in an electrochromic light control device (light control glass).

JP, 2003-344879, A

One aspect of the present disclosure aims to suppress deterioration of an electrochromic light control device more effectively than before.

In order to solve the above problems, a light control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an electrochromic light control device, and includes a first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate, and The first transparent electrode provided on the second substrate side of the first substrate, the second transparent electrode provided on the first substrate side of the second substrate, and the first transparent electrode of the first transparent electrode The first nanoparticle layer provided on the second substrate side, the electrolyte layer provided between the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode, and the space between the first substrate and the second substrate are maintained. In addition, the first insulating layer includes a seal member that seals the electrolyte layer and a first insulating layer, and the first insulating layer is the second transparent layer when viewed from a direction normal to the first substrate. It has a portion located between the electrode and the seal member, and a first protruding portion located between the second transparent electrode and the electrolyte layer.

In order to solve the above problems, a method for manufacturing a light control device according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing an electrochromic light control device, in which the first substrate and the first substrate are In the manufacturing method, the facing substrate is a second substrate, and the manufacturing method includes a step of forming a first transparent electrode on the second substrate side of the first substrate, and a second step on the second substrate side of the second substrate. A step of forming a transparent electrode, a step of forming a first insulating layer at an end of the second transparent electrode on the side of the first substrate, and at least a part of the first transparent electrode on the side of the second substrate A step of forming a first nanoparticle layer, a step of forming a seal member at the end of the first insulating layer on the side of the first substrate, the seal member, the first insulating layer, and the first insulating layer. 2 a step of forming an electrolyte layer in contact with the transparent electrode, and a step of superposing the first substrate on the second substrate via the seal member so that the first transparent electrode faces the second transparent electrode. , Is included.

In order to solve the above problems, a method for manufacturing a light control device according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing an electrochromic light control device, in which the first substrate and the first substrate are In the manufacturing method, the facing substrate is a second substrate, and the manufacturing method includes a step of forming a first transparent electrode on the second substrate side of the first substrate, and a second step on the second substrate side of the second substrate. A step of forming a transparent electrode, a step of forming a first insulating layer at an end of the second transparent electrode on the side of the first substrate, and at least a part of the first transparent electrode on the side of the second substrate A step of forming a first nanoparticle layer, a step of forming an electrolyte layer in contact with the first insulating layer and the second transparent electrode, and so that the first transparent electrode faces the second transparent electrode. A step of overlaying the first substrate on the second substrate, and a step of forming a seal member that covers at least one side surface of the first substrate and the second substrate and that seals the electrolyte layer. Contains.

According to the light control device of one aspect of the present disclosure, deterioration of the electrochromic light control device can be suppressed more effectively than before. Further, the same effect can be obtained also by the method for manufacturing the light control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a main part of the light control device of the first embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the principal part of the light control device as a modification. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a light control device as an example of Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a light control device as another example of the second embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the principal part of the light control apparatus of Embodiment 3. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the principal part of the light control apparatus of Embodiment 4. It is a figure which shows an example of the transmission spectrum of the light control apparatus which concerns on 1 aspect of this indication. It is a figure which shows another example of the transmission spectrum of the light control apparatus which concerns on 1 aspect of this indication. It is a figure which shows another example of the transmission spectrum of the light control device which concerns on 1 aspect of this indication. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the principal part of the light control apparatus of Embodiment 6. It is a top view which shows roughly the structure of the light control apparatus as an example of Embodiment 7. FIG. 14 is a top view schematically showing the configuration of a light control device as another example of the seventh embodiment.

[Embodiment 1]
The light control device 1 of the first embodiment will be described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as the members described in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the following embodiments, and the description thereof will not be repeated. Descriptions of matters similar to those in the known art will be appropriately omitted.

It should be noted that the device configurations shown in the drawings are merely examples for convenience of description. Therefore, each member is not necessarily drawn according to the actual scale. Further, the positional relationship of each member is not limited to the example shown in each drawing. It should be noted that the numerical values described below in the specification are merely examples. In the present specification, the description “A to B” for the two numbers A and B means “A or more and B or less” unless otherwise specified.

(Outline of light control device 1)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a main part of the light control device 1. The light control device 1 is also referred to as a light control cell (hereinafter, simply “cell”). The light control device 1 may be attached to a window glass or the like using an adhesive such as a sizing agent or a UV curable resin. As described below, the dimmer 1 is an example of an electrochromic dimmer.

In the following description, the direction from the substrate 11 (second substrate) to the substrate 17 (first substrate) is referred to as “upward”. Further, a direction opposite to the upward direction (opposite direction) is referred to as “downward direction”. Unless otherwise indicated, the words "first" and "second" for each member may be understood to refer to the "upper" and "lower" member of the pair of members, respectively.

However, it should be noted that this naming convention does not apply to the insulating layers described herein. In this specification, the insulating layer 13 (first insulating layer) is an insulating layer located on the lower side. On the other hand, the insulating layer 13a (second insulating layer) is an insulating layer located on the upper side (see FIG. 2 described later).

The upward direction and the downward direction are also generically referred to as the vertical direction. The up-down direction can also be expressed as the normal direction of the main surfaces of the substrates 11 and 17. The up-down direction corresponds to the vertical direction of the paper surface of FIG. The up-down direction is also referred to as the height direction. On the other hand, the lateral direction of the paper surface of FIG. 1 is also referred to as the horizontal direction. The horizontal direction is also referred to as the width direction.

The light control device 1 includes a substrate 11, a transparent electrode 12 (second transparent electrode), an electrolyte layer 14, a nanoparticle layer 15 (first nanoparticle layer), and a transparent electrode 16 (from the lower side to the upper side of the paper surface of FIG. 1). The first transparent electrode) and the substrate 17 are provided in this order. The light control device 1 further includes an insulating layer 13 and a seal member 140. In the example of FIG. 1, these members are aligned so that the positions of the ends in the horizontal direction are aligned.

As an example, in the first embodiment, it is assumed that the upper side is the light extraction side (that is, the side on which the user to whom the light modulated by the light control device 1 is provided is located). The light extraction side can also be expressed as a display side (viewer side) when the light control device 1 is regarded as a display device. In this case, the substrate 17 and the transparent electrode 16 may be referred to as a light extraction side substrate (display side substrate) and a light extraction side transparent electrode (display side transparent electrode), respectively. On the other hand, the substrate 11 and the transparent electrode 12 may be referred to as a counter substrate and a counter transparent electrode, respectively.

However, the light control device 1 may be configured such that the lower side is the light extraction side. In this case, the substrate 11 and the transparent electrode 12 are also referred to as a light extraction side substrate (display side substrate) and a light extraction side transparent electrode (display side transparent electrode), respectively. On the other hand, the substrate 17 and the transparent electrode 16 are also referred to as a counter substrate and a counter transparent electrode, respectively.

Whether to set the upper side or the lower side to the light extraction side may be appropriately determined by the manufacturer of the cell based on the cell installation conditions and the like. As an example, consider the case where a cell is attached to a window glass of a house. When the lower side is set as the light extraction side, the nanoparticle layer 15 can be located on the outdoor side. Therefore, for example, when infrared rays are blocked by the cell, it is possible to reduce the possibility of heat being trapped in the electrolyte layer 14 in the cell.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transparent electrodes 12 and 16 are a pair of transparent electrodes facing each other. The transparent electrodes 12 and 16 are connected to the power source 90. The light control device 1 further includes a power supply 90. In the example of FIG. 1, the transparent electrode 16 is connected to the positive electrode (+ pole) of the power source 90, and the transparent electrode 12 is connected to the negative electrode (− pole) of the power source 90.

A predetermined voltage is applied between the transparent electrodes 12 and 16 by the power supply 90. By adjusting the magnitude of the voltage, the transmittance of light passing through the light control device 1 can be changed (modulated). More precisely, the dimmer 1 includes a material (electrochromic material) whose optical characteristics (in particular, light transmission spectrum) are changed by applying an electric field.

(Substrate 11, 17)
The substrates 11 and 17 are a pair of substrates facing each other (more specifically, transparent substrates). The substrates 11 and 17 are base substrates for forming the transparent electrodes 12 and 16, respectively. For example, glass can be used as the material of the substrate. Alternatively, as the material, a resin such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), and polyimide can be used. The resin may be provided with a gas barrier layer formed of an inorganic material or an organic material. When glass is used as the material of the substrate, the substrate may be thinned by performing an etching process after forming the cells.

(Transparent electrodes 12 and 16)
The transparent electrode 12 is provided on the upper surface of the substrate 11. On the other hand, the transparent electrode 16 is provided on the lower surface of the substrate 17. In other words, the substrate 17 is provided on the outer side (the side opposite to the electrolyte layer 14) of the light control device 1 in the vertical direction when viewed from the transparent electrode 16. Similarly, the substrate 11 is provided outside the light control device 1 in the vertical direction when viewed from the transparent electrode 12.

As a material for the transparent electrodes 12 and 16, for example, InTiO (Titanium doped indium oxide) can be used. InTiO has a high light transmittance in the near infrared region. Alternatively, as the material, (i) tantalum-substituted tin oxide having anatase-type titanium dioxide as a seed layer, (ii) ITO (Tin doped indium oxide) having a carrier density adjusted, or the like can be used. These materials also have high light transmittance in the near infrared region. A transparent electrode can be formed by forming a film (layer) of the above material on the surface of the substrate by a known film forming technique (eg, sputtering method, vapor deposition method, or coating method). The near-infrared (near-infrared light) transmittance of the above material (eg, ITO) can be adjusted by changing the conditions of the sputtering temperature or the processing temperature, for example.

The substrate on which the transparent electrode has been formed is also referred to as a “substrate with a transparent electrode”. Therefore, the substrate 17 after the transparent electrode 16 is formed is also referred to as a first transparent electrode-attached substrate. Similarly, the substrate 11 on which the transparent electrode 12 is formed is also referred to as a second transparent electrode-attached substrate.

(Nanoparticle layer 15)
The nanoparticle layer 15 is arranged on the lower surface of the transparent electrode 16. That is, the nanoparticle layer 15 is provided on the inner side (the same side as the electrolyte layer 14) in the vertical direction of the light control device 1 when viewed from the transparent electrode 16. The nanoparticle layer 15 also functions as a protective layer that protects the transparent electrode 16.

The following description of the nanoparticle layer 15 also applies to the nanoparticle layer 15a (second nanoparticle layer) described below. The nanoparticle layer 15 contains nanoparticles having a particle diameter of about 2 nm to several tens of nm. As an example, a metal oxide is used as the material of the nanoparticles. For example, ITO and ATO (Antimony Tin Oxide) can be used as the material. Alternatively, AZO (Aluminum doped Zinc Oxide), GZO (Gallium doped Zinc Oxide), PTO (phosphorus-doped tin oxide), or the like can be used as the material. All of these materials have high light transmittance in the visible light region.

The nanoparticle layer 15 causes an electrochromic phenomenon. Specifically, when a voltage is applied between the transparent electrodes, electric charges are injected (or electric charges are extracted) into the nanoparticle layer 15. The nanoparticle layer 15 changes its transmission spectrum by causing a shift of the Localized Plasmon Resonance (LPR) frequency, triggered by the injection of the charge (or the extraction of the charge). The operating principle of the electrochromic dimming device using the shift of the LPR frequency is described in, for example, “Chem. Commun., 2014, 50, 10555-10572” or “Special Table 2014-525607”. See literature.

The dispersion liquid of nanoparticles is applied to the surface of the transparent electrode by a known application method. Then, by baking the dispersion, a nanoparticle layer is formed on the surface of the transparent electrode. As a coating method, for example, spin coating can be used. In addition, as a coating method, bar coating, slit coating, gravure coating, or die coating may be used. Alternatively, application using a printing method may be performed. For example, the printing method may be applied to a paste to which the vehicle is added appropriately.

If the firing temperature is higher than the temperature at which the organic components on the surface of the nanocrystals are removed and sintering occurs, solvent resistance can be obtained after cell formation. On the other hand, if the firing temperature is too high and the sintering proceeds excessively, the LPR at the desired wavelength cannot be obtained. When performing spin coating using the ITO dispersion liquid or the ATO dispersion liquid, the dispersion liquid may be baked at a temperature of, for example, 150° C. to 300° C. for 30 minutes.

(Electrolyte layer 14)
The electrolyte layer 14 is arranged between the transparent electrodes 12 and 16. More specifically, the electrolyte layer 14 is arranged between the transparent electrode 12 and the nanoparticle layer 15. The electrolyte layer 14 is provided to cause a spatial bias in the strength of the electric field generated by the application of the voltage from the power source 90.

The electrolyte layer 14 contains an electrolyte. It is desirable that the electrolyte is a material that is easily ionized and is unlikely to cause a redox reaction within the range of the voltage value that is selectively applied to the electrolyte layer 14.

As an example, the electrolyte layer 14 may include an electrolyte in the electrolytic solution. In this case, as the electrolyte, a material such as LiPF ₆ , NaPF ₆ , LiBF ₄ , LiTFSI (Lithium-Bis-Trifluoromethanesulfonyl-Imide), or LiClO ₄ can be used. These materials are examples of materials that are easily ionized.

As the solvent of the electrolytic solution, (i) a mixture of EC (Ethylene carbonate) and DEC (Diethyl Carbonate) or (ii) a mixture of EC and DMC (Dimethyl Carbonate) can be used. Alternatively, each of the above materials can be used alone as a solvent. Other materials (eg, propylene carbonate) may be used as the solvent. A gel obtained by dissolving polyvinyl butyral or the like in each of the above materials may be used. Furthermore, for example, an ionic liquid composed of a cyclic quaternary ammonium cation and an imide anion may be used.

A solid electrolyte may be used as the electrolyte of the electrolyte layer 14. Examples of the solid electrolyte include polyethylene oxide containing a lithium salt. Further, a plastic crystal may be used as the solid electrolyte in the electrolyte layer 14.

(Power supply 90)
The power supply 90 may be a known DC power supply. The power source 90 may be a known battery (primary battery or secondary battery) that can be attached to and detached from the light control device 1. As an example, it is preferable that the power source 90 is a secondary battery capable of charging the electric power supplied from the solar cell.

When the structure of the light control device 1 is simplified, the solar cell itself may be used as the power source 90. In this case, by providing the solar cell on the end surface of the dimmer 1 (eg, the end of the lower surface of the substrate 11), a part of the light guided toward the dimmer 1 can be used for power generation. ..

(Seal member 140)
The seal member 140 seals the electrolyte layer 14 at a position between the transparent electrode 12 and the nanoparticle layer 15. That is, the seal member 140 prevents the electrolyte contained in the electrolyte layer 14 from leaking out. The seal member 140 also functions as a support member that supports the substrates 11 and 17. The seal member 140 also plays a role as a spacer for maintaining the space between the substrates 11 and 17.

The seal member 140 is provided on the horizontal edge portion (cell peripheral portion) of the light control device 1. In the example of FIG. 1, the upper surface of the seal member 140 is in contact with the nanoparticle layer 15. Further, the lower surface of the seal member 140 is in contact with the upper surface of the insulating layer 13 described in detail below. The width (horizontal length) of the seal member 140 is smaller than the width of the substrate.

For example, when the electrolyte 11 is dropped to bond the substrates 11 and 17, the sealing member 140 may be formed of a UV curable resin. After the substrates 11 and 17 are bonded together, the UV curable resin is cured to form the seal member 140. In addition, it is preferable that a sealant having solvent resistance is further formed on the inner side (the side in contact with the electrolyte layer 14) in the horizontal direction of the seal member 140. Further, it is preferable that a seal material having a strong adhesive property is further formed on the outer side in the horizontal direction of the seal member 140 (the side not in contact with the electrolyte layer 14 ). By forming the sealing member 140 in this way, it is possible to obtain the light control device 1 having high sealing strength and less exudation of the sealing material.

When the substrates 11 and 17 are plastic substrates, the transparent electrode 12 and the nanoparticle layer 15 can be bonded to each other in the same manner as in a liquid crystal panel, a dye-sensitized solar cell, or the like. For example, a series of steps of bonding the transparent electrode 12 and the nanoparticle layer 15 can be performed by the RtR (Role to Role) method. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the cell can be reduced. Further, by performing a series of steps in a deoxidized dry atmosphere, impurities (eg, oxygen or water) can be mixed in the manufacturing process of the light control device 1. Therefore, the reliability of the cell can be improved.

(Spacer)
When using a low-viscosity material such as an electrolytic solution, it is preferable to provide a spacer (not shown in FIG. 1) for maintaining the cell thickness. The spacer (eg, photo spacer) may be formed by, for example, photolithography after applying a photosensitive resin on the transparent electrode 12. The spacer has a size of, for example, 10 μm□ and a thickness (height) of 10 μm.

The spacer is preferably provided on the substrate 11 (counter substrate) side. This is because, if a spacer is provided on the substrate 17 (substrate on the side of the nanoparticle layer 15), the nanoparticle layer 15 may be uneven due to the influence of the spacer. Further, due to the influence of the nanoparticle layer 15 that covers the spacer, there is a possibility that electrical leakage may occur between the spacer and the transparent electrode 16 (opposing transparent electrode). In addition, when an attempt is made to form a spacer on the nanoparticle layer 15, there is a possibility that the residue during photolithography will remain on the nanoparticle layer 15. In this case, the change in the transmission spectrum due to the switching of the voltage may be hindered.

By the way, when a solid electrolyte is used as the material of the electrolyte layer 14, the solid electrolyte is applied onto the nanoparticle layer 15 and dried. Then, after adhering the counter substrate to the solid electrolyte, ultraviolet exposure is performed. In this case, since the solid electrolyte has elasticity, it is not necessary to provide a spacer. Also, when using a gel electrolyte solution (gel electrolyte) in which a polymer is added to the electrolyte solution (see Embodiment 4), it is not necessary to provide a spacer.

(Insulating layer 13)
The insulating layer 13 is arranged on the upper surface of the transparent electrode 12. Therefore, the lower surface of the insulating layer 13 contacts the upper surface of the transparent electrode 12. The upper surface of the insulating layer 13 contacts the lower surface of the seal member 140. The insulating layer 13 is provided around the cell so as to correspond to the seal member 140. The width of the insulating layer 13 is smaller than the width of the substrate. However, the width of the insulating layer 13 is larger than the width of the seal member 140.

That is, the insulating layer 13 projects in the horizontal direction (width direction of the light control device 1) toward the electrolyte layer 14 side by a predetermined distance as compared with the seal member 140. That is, the insulating layer 13 is provided so as to be (i) in contact with the seal member 140 and (ii) located between the transparent electrode 12 and the electrolyte layer 14. Thus, the insulating layer 13 is interposed between the seal member 140, the transparent electrode 12 and the electrolyte layer 14. More specifically, the insulating layer 13 includes (i) a portion (hereinafter, the first non-projecting portion 13np) located between the transparent electrode 12 and the seal member 140 when viewed from above and below. (Ii) It has a protruding portion (hereinafter, the first protruding portion 13p) located between the transparent electrode 16 and the electrolyte layer 14.

The following description of the insulating layer 13 also applies to the insulating layer 13a described later. The insulating layer 13 may be an inorganic insulating layer or an organic insulating layer. The volume resistivity of the insulating layer 13 is preferably about 10E6 to 10E20 Ω·cm, more preferably about 10E10 to 10E20 Ω·cm. "E" is a symbol indicating exponential notation.

As the material of the inorganic insulating layer, SiO ₂ and SiN can be used. The thickness of the inorganic insulating layer may be about 10 to 300 nm. When patterning the inorganic insulating layer, for example, a photoresist is used to protect the portion where the inorganic insulating layer should be left. Then, unnecessary portions of the inorganic insulating layer may be removed by etching (eg, dry etching with argon or the like, or wet etching with hydrofluoric acid or the like).

As the material of the organic insulating layer, polyimide, epoxy resin, silicone resin or the like can be used. By patterning the material by a known printing technique (eg, inkjet or screen printing), an organic insulating layer having a thickness of about 100 to 3000 nm can be obtained. Further, a resin black matrix resist may be used to form an organic insulating layer having a thickness of about 500 to 2000 nm.

When a resin black matrix resist is used, a black frame can be formed around the cell by patterning by mask exposure. Therefore, the design of the cell is improved depending on the application. In such a case, it is preferable to provide the resin black matrix resist on the substrate corresponding to at least the surface for which the design is desired to be improved.

The width of the insulating layer 13 may be set so as to cover the seal member 140 and its vicinity. Hereinafter, the protruding distance of the first protruding portion 13p from the seal member 140 (that is, the length of the first protruding portion 13p) is referred to as the first protruding distance (Lp). Lp may be set to, for example, 0.5 mm to 50 mm. Lp is preferably set according to the size of the cell. For example, in the case of a large cell of about 1 m ² , Lp may be set to about 50 mm. Further, for a small cell of about 30 cm ² , Lp is preferably set to about 20 mm or less.

The insulating layer 13 may be provided so as to at least overlap the boundary between the seal member 140 and the electrolyte layer 14 when viewed from above and below. Further, the insulating layer may be provided in a portion that overlaps with the seal member 140 when viewed from the normal direction of the substrate.

(effect)
Generally, in an electrochromic light control device, the cell peripheral portion is in a different environment from the cell central portion. For example, since the cell peripheral portion is close to the electrode extraction portion, a higher voltage is more likely to be applied than the cell central portion. The cell peripheral portion is also different from the cell central portion in that a seal member is provided. For example, in a cell using a film substrate, the cell thickness tends to become unstable (non-uniform) at a position near the seal member.

Therefore, in the cell peripheral portion, when a voltage is repeatedly applied between the transparent electrodes, defects are more likely to occur than in the cell central portion. When a defect occurs in the cell peripheral portion, the operation of the normal part of the cell may be hindered by the influence of the defect.

For example, since an unwanted side reaction is likely to occur at the defective portion, the electric resistance at the defective portion may greatly change as compared with the normal time. For example, the electric resistance may be lower than in normal times. Alternatively, depending on the material system used for the light control device, the electrode material of the transparent electrode may be deteriorated (e.g., electrolytic corrosion may occur), and the electric resistance may be higher than that in normal times. Therefore, even if a voltage having an appropriate set value is applied between the transparent electrodes, the desired voltage cannot be applied to the normal portion of the cell. Therefore, the desired dimming operation corresponding to the set value cannot be executed.

Based on the above-mentioned problems, the inventors of the present application newly conceived a configuration in which an insulating layer 13 (eg, a first insulating layer) is further provided in the cell peripheral portion. In the light control device 1, unlike the conventional light control device, by providing the insulating layer 13 having the first protruding portion 13p, the voltage drop amount in the cell peripheral portion can be sufficiently increased.

That is, in the light control device 1, the value of the voltage applied to the electrolyte layer 14 around the cell can be made smaller than that in the conventional light control device. As a result, deterioration of the light control device can be suppressed more effectively than before. More specifically, it is possible to effectively suppress the occurrence of defects in the cell peripheral portion as compared with the conventional light control device. For example, the occurrence of undesired side reactions can be effectively suppressed. It is also possible to prevent a high voltage that may cause an electrolytic corrosion reaction from being applied to the cell peripheral portion.

Furthermore, the insulating layer 13 can also suppress an electric field that goes around the transparent electrode 12. From this point as well, it is possible to effectively suppress the possibility of causing an undesirable side reaction in the transparent electrode 12.

Further, in the light control device 1, it is not necessary to make the width of the insulating layer 13 completely match the width of the seal member 140. Therefore, it is not necessary to precisely align the insulating layer 13 with the seal member 140. Also, the nanoparticle layer 15 does not require precise alignment. Therefore, the configuration of the dimmer 1 is also advantageous in that the cell can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

(One Example of Method for Manufacturing Light Control Device 1)
An example of a method of manufacturing the light control device 1 will be schematically described as follows. First, InTiO 3 as a material of a transparent electrode (eg, transparent electrode 12) is deposited on one glass substrate (eg: substrate 11) by a sputtering method, and one substrate with transparent electrode (eg: with second transparent electrode) is deposited. Substrate) was obtained.

A polyimide solution was applied by an ink jet method to the portion corresponding to the cell peripheral portion on this one transparent electrode-attached substrate. The polyimide solution was dried to form an insulating layer (example: insulating layer 13) having a thickness of 500 nm.

Subsequently, a toluene dispersion liquid of ITO nanoparticles having a particle diameter of about 10 nm was spin-coated. Then, after drying the toluene dispersion liquid at 140° C. for 1 minute on a hot plate, baking was performed at 200° C. for 60 minutes. In this way, a nanoparticle layer (eg, nanoparticle layer 15) was formed.

Then, a UV-curable resin containing a spacer resin having a thickness of 10 μm mixed in an amount of 2 wt% was applied in a state in which an injection port was partially provided around the operating portion of the substrate with the second transparent electrode. Then, the other substrate (example: substrate 17) was overlaid on the UV curable resin (example: sealing member 140) after coating. Then, it was irradiated with ultraviolet rays to obtain an empty cell. Subsequently, a 1M LiBF ₄ solution (EC:DEC=1:2 solution) was injected from the injection port. Then, the solution was sealed with a UV curable resin. Thus, the electrolyte layer (eg, electrolyte layer 14) was formed.

When the cell is manufactured as in the above example, there is a portion where the seal member and the electrolytic solution are in direct contact with each other. In the cell, an insulating layer is present at a portion (peripheral portion of the cell) where the sealing member may show an abnormality. Therefore, when a voltage is applied to this cell, only a voltage lower than the voltage originally applied to the cell is applied to the electrolytic solution in the portion where the insulating layer exists in the cell thickness direction (the same applies to the ITO nanoparticle layer). For this reason, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of unnecessary reactions (undesirable side reactions) in the peripheral portion of the cell where deterioration easily occurs, so that the reliability of the cell can be improved.

Note that an example of a method for manufacturing a light control device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can be expressed as follows. The manufacturing method is
A step of forming a first transparent electrode on the second substrate side (a lower surface of the first substrate) of the first substrate (first transparent electrode forming step);
A step of forming a second transparent electrode on the first substrate side (upper surface of the second substrate) of the second substrate (second transparent electrode forming step);
A step (first insulating layer forming step) of forming a first insulating layer on an end portion of the second transparent electrode on the first substrate side (upper surface of the second transparent electrode),
A step (first nanoparticle layer forming step) of forming a first nanoparticle layer on at least a part of the first transparent electrode on the second substrate side (lower surface of the first transparent electrode);
A step of forming a seal member at the end of the first insulating layer on the side of the first substrate (upper surface of the insulating layer) (seal member forming step);
A step of forming an electrolyte layer in contact with the sealing member, the first insulating layer, and the second transparent electrode (electrolyte layer forming step);
A step of superposing the first substrate on the second substrate via the seal member (substrate superposing step) so that the first transparent electrode faces the second transparent electrode.

According to the manufacturing method, the light control device 1 can be manufactured. Further, it is also possible to manufacture the dimmers 1a to 1d described later. The order of the above steps is not necessarily limited to the order of description of the steps. For example, the order of the electrolyte layer forming step and the substrate superposing step is not particularly limited. As an example, it is possible to adopt the ODF (Open Drop Fill) method in the above manufacturing method. In this case, the substrate superposing step is performed after the electrolyte layer forming step. On the other hand, as shown in the example of the first embodiment, the electrolyte layer forming step may be performed after the substrate overlapping step.

(Supplement)
Lp is preferably set to 1 mm to 50 mm. The reason for this will be described below. The protrusion distance of the insulating layer 13a described later from the seal member 140 (that is, the length of the second protrusion portion 13ap described below) is also referred to as the second protrusion distance (Lap). The following is a description of Lp, but the same applies to Lap.

When a defect occurs in the cell, the user can visually recognize the remarkable coloring within a range of about 1 mm from the end of the cell. In order to maintain the visibility of the user, it is particularly preferable to prevent such remarkable coloring. Based on this point, the lower limit value of Lp is set to 1 mm.

Further, when a defect occurs in the cell, the user can visually recognize light coloring even in a region excluding the above range. In order to prevent such light coloring, it is necessary to increase Lp to some extent. However, if Lp is made too large, the operating area of the cell becomes narrow (the non-operating area of the cell becomes large). For example, even for a large cell of about 1 m ² , when Lp exceeds 50 mm, the inoperative area of the cell becomes so large that it cannot be ignored. That is, if Lp is set too large, the visibility of the user may decrease. Based on this point, the upper limit value of Lp is set to 50 mm.

[Modification]
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a main part of a light control device 1 a as a modified example of the light control device 1. The dimmer 1 a has an insulating layer 13 a instead of the insulating layer 13 of the dimmer 1. The insulating layer 13a is different from the insulating layer 13 in the arrangement position in the vertical direction of the light control device.

Specifically, unlike the insulating layer 13, the insulating layer 13 a is arranged on the lower surface of the transparent electrode 16. Thus, the upper surface of the insulating layer 13 a contacts the lower surface of the transparent electrode 12. In the example of FIG. 2, the insulating layer 13a is provided on the same layer as the nanoparticle layer 15. That is, in the example of FIG. 2, both ends of the nanoparticle layer 15 of FIG. 1 are replaced with the insulating layer 13a. In this way, the insulating layer 13 a is provided so as to contact a part of the nanoparticle layer 15.

In the light control device 1a, the nanoparticle layer 15 has a portion that covers the lower surface of the insulating layer 13a (hereinafter referred to as the second insulating layer lower surface coating portion). Similarly to the insulating layer 13, the insulating layer 13a also protrudes in the horizontal direction toward the electrolyte layer 14 side by a predetermined distance as compared with the sealing member 140. That is, the insulating layer 13 a is provided so as to be located between the transparent electrode 16 and the electrolyte layer 14. In addition, in the configuration of FIG. 2, the insulating layer 13 a is indirectly in contact with the seal member 140 via the second insulating layer lower surface coating portion of the nanoparticle layer 15.

Thus, the insulating layer 13a is interposed between the seal member 140, the transparent electrode 16 and the electrolyte layer 14. Specifically, the insulating layer 13a has a portion (i) located between the transparent electrode 16 and the seal member 140 (hereinafter, the second non-projecting portion 13anp) when viewed from above and below, ii) It has a protruding portion (hereinafter, second protruding portion 13ap) located between the transparent electrode 16 and the electrolyte layer 14.

In the light control device 1 a, the insulating layer 13 a is located between the second insulating layer lower surface coating portion of the nanoparticle layer 15 and the transparent electrode 16. By disposing the insulating layer 13a in this manner, peeling of the insulating layer 13a can be effectively prevented. This is because the transparent electrode 16 is harder than the nanoparticle layer 15. That is, the transparent electrode 16 is more suitable as a base layer for the insulating layer 13a because it is less likely to cause peeling of the insulating layer 13a than the nanoparticle layer 15.

The light control device 1a also has the same effect as the light control device 1. As described above, the position of the insulating layer is not limited to the example of FIG. It should be noted that the insulating layer 13a can suppress an electric field that goes around the transparent electrode 16. It can be said that the light control device 1a is suitable for suppressing the possibility of causing an undesirable side reaction in the transparent electrode 16.

However, it can be said that the configuration of the light control device 1 is more preferable than the configuration of the light control device 1a. The reason is as follows. In general, more layers involved in the modulation of the transmission spectrum are formed on the substrate 17 side (upper side) than on the substrate 11 side (lower side). In this configuration, it is considered that the unwanted side reaction is more likely to occur on the substrate 11 side than on the substrate 17 side. Therefore, by providing the insulating layer (eg, insulating layer 13) near the substrate 11, deterioration of the light control device is more effective than when the insulating layer (eg, insulating layer 13a) is provided near the substrate 17. Can be suppressed.

[Embodiment 2]
In the second embodiment, two variations of the configuration of the light control device will be described. Hereinafter, the example of FIG. 3 will be referred to as a first example of the second embodiment. On the other hand, the example of FIG. 4 is referred to as a second example of the second embodiment. The light control devices of FIGS. 3 and 4 are referred to as a light control device 1b and a light control device 1c, respectively.

(First Example in Embodiment 2)
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a main part of the light control device 1b. In the light control device 1b, the configuration of the light control device 1 (configuration of FIG. 1) and the configuration of the light control device 1a (configuration of FIG. 2) are combined. That is, the dimmer 1b has two types of insulating layers, the insulating layer 13 and the insulating layer 13a. Moreover, the nanoparticle layer 15 in the light control device 1b has a second insulating layer lower surface coating portion, as in the example of the light control device 1a.

In the light control device 1b, (i) the insulating layer 13 can suppress the electric field that goes around the transparent electrode 12, while (ii) the insulating layer 13a can further suppress the electric field that goes around the transparent electrode 16. Therefore, the deterioration of the cell can be suppressed more effectively. It is also possible to more reliably prevent a short circuit between the transparent electrodes 12 and 16.

(Second Example in Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the light control device 1c. Unlike the example of the light control device 1b, the nanoparticle layer 15 in the light control device 1c does not have the second insulating layer lower surface coating portion. The nanoparticle layer 15 in the dimmer 1c is similar to the example of the dimmer 1. That is, in the light control device 1c, unlike the light control device 1b, the lower surface of the insulating layer 13a is in contact with the upper surface of the seal member 140. Thus, in the light control device 1c, the insulating layer 13a covers only a part of the lower surface of the nanoparticle layer 15. This is because in order to maintain the function of the light control device 1c, it is necessary that the entire lower surface of the nanoparticle layer 15 is not covered with the insulating layer 13a.

By the way, since the nanoparticle layer 15 is a non-insulating material, an electric field may be generated in the electrolytic solution near the seal member 140. However, in the light control device 1c, the second protruding portion 13ap is located between the nanoparticle layer 15 and the electrolyte layer 14. By providing the second protruding portion 13ap in this manner, the electric field can be suppressed. Therefore, the deterioration of the cell can be prevented more effectively.

[Embodiment 3]
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the light control device 1d of the third embodiment. The dimmer 1d has a structure in which a nanoparticle layer 15a (second nanoparticle layer) is further added to the dimmer 1c. The nanoparticle layer 15 a is provided so as to cover the upper surface of the transparent electrode 12. That is, the lower surface of the nanoparticle layer 15 a contacts the upper surface of the transparent electrode 12.

According to the dimmer 1d, the transparent electrode 16 can be protected by (i) the nanoparticle layer 15 (first nanoparticle layer), and the transparent electrode 12 can be further protected by (ii) the nanoparticle layer 15a. Therefore, since each transparent electrode can be protected more reliably, the deterioration of the cell can be suppressed more effectively.

Specifically, the nanoparticle layer 15 is located between the electrolyte layer 14 and the transparent electrode 16. The nanoparticle layer 15 a is located between the electrolyte layer 14 and the transparent electrode 12. According to this school, the nano-particle layers 15 and 15a can protect the transparent electrodes 16 and 12 from being exposed to the electrolytic solution.

In the dimmer 1d, the lower surface of the insulating layer 13 is in contact with the upper surface of the nanoparticle layer 15a. Thus, in the dimmer 1d, the insulating layer 13 covers only a part of the upper surface of the nanoparticle layer 15a. This is because in order to maintain the function of the dimmer 1d, it is necessary that the insulating layer 13 does not cover the entire upper surface of the nanoparticle layer 15a.

In the example of FIG. 5, the insulating layer 13 is located between the nanoparticle layer 15 a and the electrolyte layer 14. However, the position of the insulating layer 13 is not limited to the above example. For example, the position of the insulating layer 13 may be arranged between the nanoparticle layer 15 a and the transparent electrode 12. That is, the insulating layer 13 may be arranged so as to indirectly contact the seal member 140 via the nanoparticle layer 15a.

Similar to the description of the second embodiment, the nanoparticle layer 15a is a non-insulating material, so an electric field may be generated in the electrolytic solution near the seal member 140. Therefore, in the dimmer 1d, the first protruding portion 13p is located between the nanoparticle layer 15a and the electrolyte layer 14. By providing the first protruding portion 13p in this manner, the electric field can be suppressed, so that the deterioration of the cell can be prevented more effectively.

[Embodiment 4]
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the light control device 1e of the fourth embodiment. The dimmer 1e is manufactured by a manufacturing method different from that of the dimmers 1 to 1d. The dimmer 1e has a configuration in which the seal member 140 of the dimmer 1c is replaced with a seal member 140a. The power source 90 is not shown in FIG. Further, the electrolyte layer of the light control device 1e is referred to as an electrolyte layer 14a. The electrolyte layer 14a is composed of a gel electrolyte.

Unlike the seal member 140, the seal member 140a is provided only on one end of the cell. The seal member 140a is provided so as to cover (seal) the entire cell side surface at the end portion. In the example of FIG. 6, each part of the cell is curved on the side where the seal member 140a is present. However, two sealing members 140a may be provided to cover both side surfaces of the cell. The sealing member 140a may be provided so as to cover at least one side surface of the cell (more specifically, at least one side surface of the substrate 11/substrate 17).

In the light control device 1e, unlike the light control device 1, the insulating layers 13 and 13a are provided only at the cell end on the side where the seal member 140a is present. The seal member 140a also plays a role of maintaining the distance between the substrates 11 and 17, similarly to the seal member 140. Preferably, the seal member 140a also supports the substrates 11 and 17, similarly to the seal member 140.

(An example of a method for manufacturing the dimmer 1e)
The following is a brief description of an example of the method for manufacturing the light control device 1e. First, a 125 μm-thick PET substrate (example: substrate 17) and ITO transparent electrode (example: transparent electrode 16) were sputtered to form one substrate with transparent electrode (example: substrate with first transparent electrode). In the same manner, another transparent electrode-attached substrate (example: second transparent electrode-attached substrate) was prepared. Then, similar to the first embodiment, the insulating layers 13 and 13a were formed.

ATO nanoparticles (particle size of about 8 to 30 nm) dispersion liquid (dispersion medium: methyl isobutyl ketone/isobutanol) for forming an antistatic film is formed on one transparent electrode substrate (eg, first transparent electrode substrate). (Mixed) (manufactured by Dainippon Paint Co., Ltd.) was applied by spin coating. Then, after drying at 90° C. for 1 minute on a hot plate, the dispersion liquid was baked at 180° C. for 60 minutes. In this way, a nanoparticle layer (eg, nanoparticle layer 15) was formed.

Subsequently, a gel electrolyte in which a spacer resin (0.2 wt%) having a thickness of 10 μm and polyvinyl butyral (15 wt%) were mixed was prepared. The gel electrolyte is a solution of 1M LiBF ₄ (EC:DEC=1:2 solution). Then, the gel electrolyte was sandwiched between two substrates with transparent electrodes, and both substrates were spread. Thus, the electrolyte layer 14a was formed.

Subsequently, the UV curable resin was placed so as to close the portion where the gel electrolyte was released. Then, the UV curable resin was irradiated with ultraviolet rays to obtain the sealing member 140a. In this way, a cell (light control device 1e) was obtained. As shown in FIG. 6, in the vicinity of the seal member 140a, the cell thickness becomes unstable due to, for example, UV curing shrinkage. In addition, there is a portion where the seal member 140a and the gel electrolyte are in direct contact with each other.

Also in the light control device 1e, the insulating layer is present in the cell peripheral portion (the portion where the defective cell thickness or the abnormality due to the sealing member may occur). Therefore, when a voltage is applied to this cell, only a voltage lower than the voltage originally applied to the cell is applied to the electrolytic solution (the same applies to the nanoparticle layer) in the portion where the insulating layer exists in the cell thickness direction. For this reason, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to prevent the generation of unnecessary reactions (undesirable side reactions) in the cell peripheral portion, so that the reliability of the cell can be improved.

Note that an example of a method for manufacturing a light control device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can be expressed as follows. The manufacturing method is
A step of forming a first transparent electrode on the second substrate side (a lower surface of the first substrate) of the first substrate (first transparent electrode forming step);
A step of forming a second transparent electrode on the first substrate side (upper surface of the second substrate) of the second substrate (second transparent electrode forming step);
A step (first insulating layer forming step) of forming a first insulating layer on an end portion of the second transparent electrode on the first substrate side (upper surface of the second transparent electrode),
A step (first nanoparticle layer forming step) of forming a first nanoparticle layer on at least a part of the first transparent electrode on the second substrate side (lower surface of the first transparent electrode);
A step of forming an electrolyte layer in contact with the first insulating layer and the second transparent electrode (electrolyte layer forming step),
A step of superposing the first substrate on the second substrate (substrate superposing step) so that the first transparent electrode faces the second transparent electrode;
And a step of forming a seal member that covers at least one side surface of the first substrate and the second substrate and seals the electrolyte layer (seal member forming step).

According to the manufacturing method, the dimmer 1e can be manufactured. Note that the order of the steps described above is not necessarily limited to the order of description of the steps. However, it is preferable that the seal member forming step be performed after the substrate superposing step. According to the order, a step of adjusting the cell size (eg, a step of cutting a part of the cell) can be provided after the substrate superposing step (eg: RtR). Then, the size-adjusted cell (the cell after cutting) can be sealed by the sealing member. However, as in the example of the fourth embodiment, the substrate superposing step may be performed after the seal member forming step.

[Embodiment 5]
7 to 9 are graphs each showing an example of a light transmission spectrum in the light control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure. In each graph, the horizontal axis represents the wavelength λ (unit: nm) of light, and the vertical axis represents the light transmittance T (unit: %). In each of the following examples, the voltage of the transparent electrode 12 (first transparent electrode) is fixed at 0V. On the other hand, the voltage of the transparent electrode 16 (second transparent electrode) (hereinafter, set voltage) is set to a predetermined value.

In the example of FIG. 7, ITO nanoparticles having a particle size of about 10 nm are used as the nanoparticles (similar to the first embodiment). FIG. 7 shows graphs for "set voltage +3V" and "set voltage -3V", respectively. In the example of FIG. 7, it was confirmed that the transmission spectra in the visible light region (example: wavelength range of about 380 nm to 800 nm) are almost the same at both set voltages. On the other hand, in the near-infrared region (eg, wavelength range of about 800 nm to 2500 nm), it was confirmed that T is significantly smaller in the case of the set voltage -3V than in the case of the set voltage +3V.

In the example of FIG. 8, ATO nanoparticles (manufactured by Dainippon Paint Co., Ltd.) having a particle size of about 8 to 30 nm are used as the nanoparticles (similar to Embodiment 4). Similar to FIG. 7, FIG. 8 also shows graphs for two different set voltages. In the example of FIG. 8, it was confirmed that T is significantly smaller in the case of the set voltage −3V than in the case of the set voltage +3V in almost all wavelength regions of the visible light region and the near infrared region. ..

In the example of FIG. 9, ELCOM (registered trademark) ATO manufactured by JGC Catalysts & Chemicals Co., Ltd. is used as the nanoparticles. Unlike FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, FIG. 9 further shows a graph in the case of “setting voltage 0 V”. In the example of FIG. 8, it was confirmed that almost the same transmission spectrum was obtained when the set voltage was 0V and when the set voltage was -3V. It was also confirmed that T is significantly larger in the case of the set voltage +3V than in the case of the set voltage -3V (or the set voltage 0V).

As described above, the transmission spectrum characteristics can be changed by changing the material of the nanoparticles. Even when the same nanoparticle material is used, the transmission spectrum characteristic can be changed by changing the set voltage. Therefore, the manufacturer of the light control device may select the set voltage and the nanoparticles so as to realize a desired transmission spectrum according to the use case of the cell.

In the example of FIG. 9, the transmission spectrum characteristics were almost the same when the setting voltage was 0V and when the setting voltage was -3V. In such a case, for example, two types of +3V and 0V may be used as the set voltage. Thereby, the transmission spectrum characteristic can be switched without changing the polarity of the set voltage (by changing only the magnitude of the set voltage). Therefore, the configuration of the power source 90 and its surroundings can be simplified.

(Regarding control of near infrared transmittance)
Most of the infrared rays from the sun are near infrared rays. For this reason, controlling the solar heat gain is almost synonymous with controlling the near-infrared transmittance using the cell. Further, in winter, it is necessary to prevent infrared rays from leaking from the inside to the outside in order to prevent a decrease in room temperature. However, the wavelength of infrared rays in this case is about 10 μm, and the infrared rays are classified as far infrared rays.

Here, the transparent electrode of the cell has the characteristics of high near-infrared transmittance and high far-infrared reflectance. Therefore, even when the light transmittance of the cell is adjusted so that more near-infrared rays are taken into the room in winter, the heat in the room does not leak from the room in the form of radiant heat. Therefore, it is possible to realize a preferable state for preventing the room temperature from lowering.

Similarly, in the summer, even if the light transmittance of the cell is adjusted so as to reduce the amount of near infrared rays entering the room in order to prevent an increase in room temperature, the far infrared rays hardly enter the room. Therefore, it is possible to realize a preferable state for preventing an increase in room temperature.

(About installation example on windows)
In a triple-glass window in which the cells are arranged in the center, a plurality of interfaces (eg, at least 6) are formed between solids (eg, glass) and gases (eg, air). Since interface reflection occurs at these interfaces, the transmittance of light including wavelengths in the visible light region becomes low.

Therefore, it is preferable to form an antireflection film on at least a part of these interfaces. For example, it is preferable to form an antireflection film on both surfaces of the cell. As the antireflection film, for example, an AR (Anti-Reflective) film, an LR (Low Reflective) film, or a Moth Eye (registered trademark) film can be used.

[Sixth Embodiment]
FIG. 10: is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the principal part of the light control device 1f of Embodiment 6. As shown in FIG. The dimmer 1f is an example of a cell provided in, for example, a vehicle window (vehicle window). When a cell is provided in the vehicle window, a relatively large temperature change and vibration are applied to the cell. The dimmer 1f is configured in consideration of the flexibility of the cell thickness under such usage conditions.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the light control device 1 f, the spacer 150 is provided on the substrate 11 side. As an example, the height of the spacer 150 is 10 μm. That is, the spacer 150 is provided to set the cell thickness to 10 μm.

However, when the temperature of the cell is lowered, a negative pressure is generated in the electrolytic solution. When voltage or vibration is applied in this state, bubbles may be generated due to vaporization of the solvent. When a gel electrolyte or a solid electrolyte is used, bubbles may be generated at the interface between the substrate (transparent electrode or nanoparticle layer) and the electrolyte.

In order to avoid this phenomenon, the substrate is preferably flexible so that the cell thickness can be changed according to the change in the volume of the electrolyte layer. As an example, a flexible substrate can be realized by using a film substrate as the substrate. In the example of FIG. 10, the substrates 11 and 17 are film substrates.

The thickness of the film substrate is preferably 180 μm or less, more preferably 125 μm or less. Further, from the viewpoint of preventing damage to the film substrate, the thickness of the film substrate is preferably 30 μm or more. Based on the above points, in the example of FIG. 10, the substrate 17 is illustrated to be sufficiently thick as compared with the example of FIG.

Further, in the light control device 1f, it is preferable that the distance between the two seal members 140 facing each other in the horizontal direction is 2 cm or more. When using a gel electrolyte or a solid electrolyte, it is preferable not to provide the spacer 150. This is because if the spacer 150 is provided in such a case, bubbles may be generated at the interface between the electrolyte layer 14 and the spacer 150 due to the difference in volume contraction rate between the electrolyte layer 14 and the spacer 150. Further, there is a concern that the gel electrolyte or the solid electrolyte may be cracked.

When the spacer 150 is provided in the cell, the thickness of the spacer 150 is preferably set to be 2% or more smaller than the finished cell thickness in consideration of the volume contraction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, a gap 160 in the height direction is formed between the spacer 150 and the nanoparticle layer 15. By providing the gap 160, flexibility of the cell thickness can be realized.

It is also preferable to consider (i) volume contraction of the gel electrolyte during gelation or (ii) volume contraction of the UV-curable solid electrolyte after UV curing. As an example, it is preferable to perform gelation or UV curing in the state of being filled with an extra gel electrolyte or solid electrolyte of about 3 to 4% or more in consideration of these volume contractions. Specifically, when the spacer 150 having a thickness of 30 μm is used, the cell is preferably configured so that the finished cell thickness is 31 μm or more. That is, the length of the gap 160 is preferably set to be 1 μm or more.

In addition, when a cell is installed in a window of a building or the like (for example, in the case of the first embodiment), temperature change and vibration applied to the cell are generally smaller than when the cell is installed in a vehicle window. Target. Therefore, since the above-mentioned problems are relatively unlikely to occur, the flexibility of the cell thickness does not necessarily have to be taken into consideration.

[Embodiment 7]
In the seventh embodiment, two variations of the configuration of the light control device will be described. The light control devices of FIGS. 11 and 12 are referred to as a light control device 1g and a light control device 1h, respectively. 11 and 12 are top views schematically showing the configurations of the light control device 1g and the light control device 1h, respectively.

In the light control devices 1g and 1h, the transparent electrodes 12 and 16 are each divided into a plurality of sub transparent electrodes. In this case, the light transmittance can be individually controlled for each sub region corresponding to one sub transparent electrode. However, the transparent electrode 12 does not necessarily have to be divided similarly to the transparent electrode 16. If only the transparent electrode 16 is divided, the sub region can be defined. When the cell is used as a light control device (when the cell is not used for display purposes), the electrode extraction portions may be provided at a plurality of locations with respect to the transparent electrodes 12 and 16, or may be integrated at one location. It may have been done.

The electrode extraction portion 170 of the light control device 1g is integrated at one location (the lower right corner of the cell in FIG. 11). When the electrode lead-out portions 170 are integrated in one place, the cell assembling process can be simplified and the wiring of each wiring can be simplified. In the example of FIG. 11, the integration is performed by arranging the transparent electrodes 12 and 16. In this case, it is preferable that the lead-out portion of the transparent electrode is located below or outside the seal member 140, for example. That is, it is preferable that the lead-out portion of the transparent electrode is located away from the operating portion of the light control layer. Thereby, unnecessary voltage drop can be avoided.

The electrode extraction portion 170a of the dimmer 1h is provided at a plurality of locations. In this way, the wiring may be directly connected to the transparent electrodes 12 and 16 without using the wiring of the transparent electrodes. According to this configuration, even when a resistance component exists in the dimming layer of the cell (that is, a current flows in the dimming layer), the dimming layer can be operated more reliably in a place far from the wiring connection portion. it can. More specifically, it is possible to prevent a partial delay in response speed in the cell.

[Appendix]
One aspect of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and the technical means disclosed in different embodiments can be appropriately combined. The obtained embodiments are also included in the technical scope of one aspect of the present disclosure. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

1-1h Light control device 11 Substrate (second substrate)
12 Transparent electrode (second transparent electrode)
13 Insulation layer (first insulation layer)
13p First protruding portion (portion located between second transparent electrode and electrolyte layer)
13 np First non-projecting portion (portion located between the second transparent electrode and the seal member)
13a Insulating layer (second insulating layer)
13ap second projecting portion (portion located between the first transparent electrode and the electrolyte layer)
13anp Second non-projecting portion (portion located between the first transparent electrode and the seal member)
14, 14a Electrolyte layer 15 Nanoparticle layer (first nanoparticle layer)
15a Nanoparticle layer (second nanoparticle layer)
16 Transparent electrode (first transparent electrode)
17 substrate (first substrate)
90 Power supply 140, 140a Seal member Lp First protrusion distance (protrusion distance of the first protrusion portion from the seal member)
Lap second protrusion distance (the protrusion distance of the second protrusion from the seal member)

Claims (13)

An electrochromic light control device,
A first substrate,
A second substrate facing the first substrate;
A first transparent electrode provided on the second substrate side of the first substrate;
A second transparent electrode provided on the first substrate side of the second substrate;
A first nanoparticle layer provided on the second substrate side of the first transparent electrode,
An electrolyte layer provided between the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode;
A seal member that maintains the distance between the first substrate and the second substrate and seals the electrolyte layer;
A first insulating layer,
The first insulating layer includes a portion located between the second transparent electrode and the sealing member when viewed from a direction normal to the first substrate, the second transparent electrode, and the electrolyte layer. A dimmer having a first projecting portion located therebetween. Further comprising a second insulating layer,
The second insulating layer includes a portion located between the first transparent electrode and the sealing member when viewed in the normal direction of the first substrate, the first transparent electrode and the electrolyte layer. The light control device according to claim 1, further comprising a second protruding portion located therebetween. The light control device according to claim 2, wherein the second insulating layer covers only a part of the surface of the first nanoparticle layer on the second substrate side. The light control device according to claim 2, wherein the second projecting portion is located between the first nanoparticle layer and the electrolyte layer. The dimmer according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first nanoparticle layer has a portion of the second insulating layer that covers the second substrate side. The light control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a second nanoparticle layer located on the side of the first substrate of the second transparent electrode. The light control device according to claim 6, wherein the second nanoparticle layer is located between the electrolyte layer and the second transparent electrode. The dimmer according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the first insulating layer covers only a part of the surface of the second nanoparticle layer on the first substrate side. The light control device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is arranged so as to cover at least one side surface of the first substrate and the second substrate. 10. The light control device according to claim 1, wherein a protruding distance of the first protruding portion from the seal member is 1 mm or more and 50 mm or less. Further comprising a second insulating layer,
The second insulating layer is located between the first transparent electrode and the seal member and between the first transparent electrode and the electrolyte layer in the normal direction of the first substrate. Has a second protruding portion,
11. The light control device according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion distance of the second protruding portion from the seal member is 1 mm or more and 50 mm or less. A method of manufacturing an electrochromic dimmer, comprising:
In the above light control device, a substrate facing the first substrate is used as a second substrate,
The above manufacturing method,
Forming a first transparent electrode on the second substrate side of the first substrate;
Forming a second transparent electrode on the first substrate side of the second substrate;
A step of forming a first insulating layer on an end portion of the second transparent electrode on the first substrate side,
A step of forming a first nanoparticle layer on at least a portion of the first transparent electrode on the second substrate side,
A step of forming a seal member on an end portion of the first insulating layer on the first substrate side,
A step of forming an electrolyte layer in contact with the sealing member, the first insulating layer, and the second transparent electrode,
And a step of stacking the first substrate on the second substrate via the sealing member so that the first transparent electrode faces the second transparent electrode. A method of manufacturing an electrochromic dimmer, comprising:
In the above light control device, a substrate facing the first substrate is used as a second substrate,
The above manufacturing method,
Forming a first transparent electrode on the second substrate side of the first substrate;
Forming a second transparent electrode on the first substrate side of the second substrate;
A step of forming a first insulating layer on an end portion of the second transparent electrode on the first substrate side,
A step of forming a first nanoparticle layer on at least a portion of the first transparent electrode on the second substrate side,
Forming an electrolyte layer in contact with the first insulating layer and the second transparent electrode;
Stacking the first substrate on the second substrate so that the first transparent electrode faces the second transparent electrode;
And a step of forming a seal member that covers at least one side surface of the first substrate and the second substrate and seals the electrolyte layer.

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