JPH0525099B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field of the Invention) The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an anti-glare mirror that can adjust the amount of reflected light by applying a voltage.

(Background of the Invention) Car rearview mirrors are equipped with electrochromic (hereinafter abbreviated as EC) lights on the mirrors because drivers feel dazzled when the lights of cars behind them are reflected at night.
The amount of reflected light is adjusted by electrically coloring and decolorizing this EC element (hereinafter referred to as ECD).At night, the ECD is colored to reduce the amount of reflected light.
A mirror with an ECD has been proposed that decolorizes the ECD and increases the amount of reflected light (in other words, brightens it) during the day (see Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-21120).

ECD is basically a thin film of EC material such as WO ₃ sandwiched between a pair of electrode layers, at least one of which is transparent. When a voltage of approximately 1.4 volts is applied between these electrodes, the WO ₃ thin film turns blue. It is colored, and the coloring is maintained even when the voltage is stopped, and when the same level of reverse voltage is applied, the color disappears and returns to its original colorless and transparent state.
The decolorization is maintained even if the application of the reverse voltage is stopped.

By the way, the only transparent electrodes used for at least one layer of ECDs so far are SnO ₂ , In ₂ O ₃ , and ITO (indium oxide mixed with about 5% tin oxide), which have relatively high electrical resistance. Therefore, if a point-shaped lead electrode is provided to apply voltage from the outside and electrodes are soldered there, it takes time for the electrons input to the lead electrode to spread throughout the large area of the transparent electrode. In the end, it will take a considerable amount of time for the entire ECD to be colored or decolored, and uneven coloring or decoloring will occur.

(Object of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to provide an efficient construction method for such an anti-glare mirror with ECD.

(Summary of the Invention) The present inventors have discovered that by forming a lower lead electrode by providing a band-shaped lead electrode part around the peripheral part of a transparent lower electrode and laminating metal thereon, electrons can be distributed throughout the transparent electrode. In view of the fact that
The inventors have come up with the idea that an anti-glare mirror can be manufactured extremely efficiently by simultaneously forming the lower lead electrode and the upper electrode that also serves as a reflective layer, and have accomplished the present invention.

Therefore, in the present invention, a transparent lower electrode pattern 1 is formed on a transparent substrate S, and a reduction color forming EC layer 2 and a transparent ion conductive layer are formed on the transparent lower electrode pattern 1 except for the band-shaped lead electrode part 1a. 3, an upper electrode pattern 5 which also serves as a reflective layer is formed on the layer 3 using a metal material, and at the same time, a lower lead electrode 1 is formed on the lead electrode part 1a.
Provided is a method for manufacturing an anti-glare mirror, characterized in that it forms an anti-glare mirror.

Examples of the material for the transparent lower electrode 1 include:
SnO ₂ , In ₂ O ₃ , ITO (indium oxide mixed with about 5% tin oxide), etc. are used.
To form the pattern of the electrode 1, mask evaporation,
screen printing, photoetching, lift-off,
Other techniques are used. In this case, although not particularly distinguished, a strip-shaped lead electrode portion 1a is provided at the peripheral portion. Note that in this specification, "vapor deposition" refers not only to so-called vacuum deposition, but also to vacuum thin film forming techniques such as ion plating and sputtering.

The reduction coloring EC layer 2 is generally WO ₃ ,
MoO ₃ etc. are used.

As the transparent ion conductive layer 3, for example, silicon oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, niobium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, lanthanum oxide, magnesium fluoride, etc. are used. These thin films of materials become insulators against electrons when they contain a small amount of water during manufacturing, but
It is a good conductor for protons (H ⁺ ) and hydroxy ions (OH ^- ). Cations are required for the coloring and decoloring reaction of the EC layer, and H ⁺ ions and
It is necessary to contain Li ⁺ ions in the EC layer and other parts. The H ⁺ ions do not need to be ions from the beginning, but only need to be generated when a voltage is applied. Therefore, water may be contained instead of ^{the H + ions} . Very little of this water is sufficient, and often even moisture that naturally enters from the atmosphere will discolor.

The EC layer 2 and the ion conductive layer 3 may be placed either side up or down. Further, an oxidative color-forming EC layer, a reversible electrolytic redox layer, or a catalyst layer 4 may be provided to the EC layer 2 with an ion conductive layer 3 interposed therebetween. Examples of such a layer 4 include iridium oxide or hydroxide, nickel, chromium, vanadium, ruthenium, and rhodium. These substances can be used as another transparent ion conductive layer 3 or transparent electrode 1.
It may be dispersed within.

Note that these layers 2, 3, and in some cases 4 must be laminated except on the lead electrode portion 1a of the lower electrode 1.

The upper electrode 5 also serves as a reflective layer, and is made of metal such as gold, silver, aluminum, chromium, tin, zinc, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, or stainless steel. In the present invention, when forming the upper electrode 5, the lead electrode 1b of the transparent lower electrode 1 is simultaneously formed.
Therefore, for example, when depositing the metal material, a mask is used to separate the upper electrode 5 and the lead electrode 1b. However, the method of separation is not limited to this, and it is also possible to first stack them successively and then separate them by etching later.

Note that the light enters from the transparent lower electrode 1 side and passes through the reflective layer 5.
reflect it.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

(Example) FIGS. 1 to 4 are plan views showing each step of manufacturing the anti-glare mirror of this example, and will be explained according to the figures.

First, a transparent lower electrode with a thickness of 1000 Å was used as the entire transparent lower electrode.
A glass substrate S on which an ITO film 1 is formed is prepared and patterned by photoetching as shown in FIG. 1.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, lead electrode portions 1a are set at two locations above and below the periphery of the ITO film 1.

Excluding this lead electrode part 1a, an iridium hydroxide layer with a thickness of 500 Å [70% by weight] is formed on the ITO film 1.
_4. A tantalum oxide layer 3 with a thickness of 5000 Å and a WO ₃ layer 2 with a thickness of 5000 Å are sequentially laminated by mask vapor deposition (see FIG. 3).

Finally, as shown in FIG.
By vapor-depositing A1 with a mask on the WO ₃ layer 2, the lead electrode 1b of the lower electrode and the upper electrode 5 which also serves as a reflective layer are simultaneously formed (see FIG. 5).

After soldering external wiring to a portion of the lead electrode 1b and upper electrode 5 thus formed, the ECD portion is sealed with epoxy resin to obtain the anti-glare mirror of this embodiment.

When a DC voltage of about 1.4 volts is applied between the top and bottom electrodes of this ECD, the reflective surface turns blue and the amount of reflected light decreases to about 13%, so it won't dazzle even when the lights of cars behind you catch on at night. However, when the light is no longer reflected and is no longer dazzling, approximately
Applying a reverse voltage of 1.4 volts erases the color of the ECD and returns it to its original state.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, the lead electrode 1b of the transparent lower electrode and the upper electrode 5 which also serves as a reflective layer, which are necessary for shortening the coloring/decoloring time of ECD and reducing uneven coloring/decoloring, are provided. Extremely efficient as it forms at the same time.
Anti-glare mirrors with ECD can be manufactured.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 are ECDs according to embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating each manufacturing process of the anti-glare mirror. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional end view taken along the line X--X in FIG. 4. Explanation of symbols of main parts, 1...transparent lower electrode,
1a...Lead electrode part of the transparent lower electrode, 1b...
Lead electrode of transparent lower electrode, 2...reduction coloring property
EC layer, 3...Transparent ion conductive layer, 4...Iridium hydroxide or oxidized color-forming EC layer, 5...Upper electrode also serving as a reflective layer, S...Transparent substrate.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Transparent lower electrode pattern 1 on transparent substrate S
is formed, and after laminating the reduction color-forming electrochromic layer 2 and the transparent ion conductive layer 3 except for the band-shaped lead electrode portion 1a of the transparent lower electrode pattern 1, a metal material is used to cover the layer 3. An upper electrode pattern 5 which also serves as a reflective layer is formed, and at the same time a lower lead electrode 1b is formed on the lead electrode part 1a.
A method for manufacturing an anti-glare mirror, characterized by forming.