DURABLE ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICE INCLUDING TUNGSTEN OXIDE FILM PREPARED IN HIGH ION BOMBARDMENT AND LOW PRESSURE DEPOSITION ENVIRONMENT AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME

摘要

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to electrochromic devices (100, 1500), assemblies incorporating electrochromic devices, and methods of making the same. Highly-durable electrochromic devices include tungsten oxide (e.g., W0₃ or other suitable stoichiometry) films (102, 1510) prepared using high-rate bias-enhanced sputter deposition. The sputtering is performed in a low-pressure (e.g., 1 mTorr) environment, and the biasing is very high (e.g., greater than -400 V, more preferably greater than -500 V), which causes high energy ion bombardment that in turn leads to partial nanocrystallization of the W0₃ matrix, while simultaneously generating the porous microstructure desirable for ionic diffusion.