Performance enhancement of a thin film tungsten oxide based solid-state electrochromic device

Electrochromic devices for emissivity modulation hold immense promise for applications such as thermal management, dynamic optics, and radiative cooling. However, conventional all-solid-state electrochromic devices often suffer from slow switching speeds, limited optical contrast, and challenges in...

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Main Authors: Bimal Nepal, Dominic Smith, Dip Dutta, Jacob Hannah, Bikram Bhatia, Sergio B Mendes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:Materials Research Express
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/adf8c6
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author Bimal Nepal
Dominic Smith
Dip Dutta
Jacob Hannah
Bikram Bhatia
Sergio B Mendes
author_facet Bimal Nepal
Dominic Smith
Dip Dutta
Jacob Hannah
Bikram Bhatia
Sergio B Mendes
author_sort Bimal Nepal
collection DOAJ
description Electrochromic devices for emissivity modulation hold immense promise for applications such as thermal management, dynamic optics, and radiative cooling. However, conventional all-solid-state electrochromic devices often suffer from slow switching speeds, limited optical contrast, and challenges in scalable fabrication. In this article, we report on the development and optimization of a high performance all-solid-state electrochromic device that addresses these limitations. The device exhibits significantly faster switching times of 8.2 s (coloring) and 3.1 s (bleaching), compared to the typical switching times of ∼20 s to a few minutes reported for similar solid-state electrochromic devices, marking a key advancement in emissivity modulation technology. Constructed using a stack of thin films—Au/NiO/Ta _2 O _5 /WO _3 /ITO—fabricated through RF magnetron sputtering, the device’s layers were meticulously optimized to reduce resistance while preserving essential optical properties. The device demonstrated a maximum reflectance modulation of about 50%–60% across a broad wavelength range from the visible to the infrared. Its all-solid-state thin-film construction ensures robust performance under high-temperature conditions, demonstrating potential for long-term stability and scalability in practical applications. These advancements position solid-state emissivity control devices as scalable and energy-efficient solutions for dynamic optics, thermal management, and emissivity-based radiative cooling.
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spelling doaj-art-7124080d17d54f4ea6e2f8cc192fd6d42025-08-20T04:03:13ZengIOP PublishingMaterials Research Express2053-15912025-01-0112808570210.1088/2053-1591/adf8c6Performance enhancement of a thin film tungsten oxide based solid-state electrochromic deviceBimal Nepal0https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2229-0082Dominic Smith1Dip Dutta2Jacob Hannah3Bikram Bhatia4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1537-3080Sergio B Mendes5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9462-9058Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Louisville , Louisville, KY, 40208, United States of AmericaDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Louisville , Louisville, KY, 40208, United States of AmericaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisville , Louisville, KY, 40208, United States of AmericaDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Louisville , Louisville, KY, 40208, United States of AmericaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisville , Louisville, KY, 40208, United States of AmericaDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Louisville , Louisville, KY, 40208, United States of AmericaElectrochromic devices for emissivity modulation hold immense promise for applications such as thermal management, dynamic optics, and radiative cooling. However, conventional all-solid-state electrochromic devices often suffer from slow switching speeds, limited optical contrast, and challenges in scalable fabrication. In this article, we report on the development and optimization of a high performance all-solid-state electrochromic device that addresses these limitations. The device exhibits significantly faster switching times of 8.2 s (coloring) and 3.1 s (bleaching), compared to the typical switching times of ∼20 s to a few minutes reported for similar solid-state electrochromic devices, marking a key advancement in emissivity modulation technology. Constructed using a stack of thin films—Au/NiO/Ta _2 O _5 /WO _3 /ITO—fabricated through RF magnetron sputtering, the device’s layers were meticulously optimized to reduce resistance while preserving essential optical properties. The device demonstrated a maximum reflectance modulation of about 50%–60% across a broad wavelength range from the visible to the infrared. Its all-solid-state thin-film construction ensures robust performance under high-temperature conditions, demonstrating potential for long-term stability and scalability in practical applications. These advancements position solid-state emissivity control devices as scalable and energy-efficient solutions for dynamic optics, thermal management, and emissivity-based radiative cooling.https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/adf8c6electrochromic deviceemissivity modulationRF magnetron sputteringtungsten oxidenickel oxidethin films
spellingShingle Bimal Nepal
Dominic Smith
Dip Dutta
Jacob Hannah
Bikram Bhatia
Sergio B Mendes
Performance enhancement of a thin film tungsten oxide based solid-state electrochromic device
Materials Research Express
electrochromic device
emissivity modulation
RF magnetron sputtering
tungsten oxide
nickel oxide
thin films
title Performance enhancement of a thin film tungsten oxide based solid-state electrochromic device
title_full Performance enhancement of a thin film tungsten oxide based solid-state electrochromic device
title_fullStr Performance enhancement of a thin film tungsten oxide based solid-state electrochromic device
title_full_unstemmed Performance enhancement of a thin film tungsten oxide based solid-state electrochromic device
title_short Performance enhancement of a thin film tungsten oxide based solid-state electrochromic device
title_sort performance enhancement of a thin film tungsten oxide based solid state electrochromic device
topic electrochromic device
emissivity modulation
RF magnetron sputtering
tungsten oxide
nickel oxide
thin films
url https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/adf8c6
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