Structure study on electrochromic films of nickel oxide

Book · Fri Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:201311

Xingfang, Hu; Xiaofeng, Chen; Xiangyun, Song ^[1]

---

1. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai (China). Shanghai Inst. of Ceramics

Using HREM, the relationship between structure and electrochromic properties of rf diode sputtered nickel oxide films with good and poor electrochromic performance has been investigated. The experimental results indicate that all kinds of the films consist of cubic nickel oxide with nano-crystal structure. For the films having good electrochromic properties, the grain size ranges about 5--10 nm. In the films exhibiting poor performance, an amorphous phase of nickel oxide as a continuous phase existing in the film has been observed and the cubic nickel oxide grains appear as isolated islands existing in the amorphous phase. From the structural features of the films, it may be concluded that the grain boundary of nano-polycrystalline structure plays an important role in the electrochromic reaction and the grain boundary would act as channel for the injection and extraction of alkali metal ions and electrons during the coloring and bleaching process. So, it is important to control the structure of films in the deposition process to prepare the film with good electrochromic performance.

• OSTI ID: 201311
• Report Number(s): CONF-930722--; ISBN 0-8194-1266-X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ELECTROCHROMISM
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
MICROSTRUCTURE
NICKEL OXIDES
WINDOWS