Abstract
Electrochromic (EC) device is an element whose transmittance is changed by electrical energy. Coloring and decoloring states can be easily controlled and thus used in buildings and automobiles for energy saving. There exist several types of EC devices; EC using electrolytes, polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), and suspended particle device (SPD) using polarized molecules. However, these devices involve solutions such as electrolytes and liquid crystals, limiting their applications in high temperature environments. In this study, we have studied all-solid-state EC device based on Tin(IV) oxide (SnO2). A coloring phase is achieved when electrons are accumulated in the ultraviolet (UV)-treated SnO2 layer, whereas a decoloring mode is obtained when electrons are empty there. The UV treatment of SnO2 layer brings in a number of localized states in the bandgap, which traps electrons near the conduction band. The SnO2-based EC device shows a transmittance of 70.7% in the decoloring mode and 41% in the coloring mode at a voltage of 2.5 V. We have achieved a transmittance change as large as 29.7% at the wavelength of 550 nm. It also exhibits fast and stable driving characteristics, which have been demonstrated by the cyclic experiments of coloration and decoloration. It has also showed the memory effects induced by the insulating layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and silicone (Si).