Apparatus and method for depositing material onto a substrate using a roll-to-roll mask

• US 20040131761A1
• Filed: 01/02/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cymbet Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cymbet Corporation
• Inventors: Shakespeare, Stuart
• Granted Patent: US 7,294,209 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/58
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker

Abstract

A battery-operated device provided on a thin-film battery and a method for making. Some embodiments provide a system that includes a vacuum chamber, a plurality of pairs of source and take-up reels within the vacuum chamber, including a first source reel that supplies a first strip of substrate material and a first take-up reel, and a second source reel that supplies a first mask strip having a plurality of different masks and a second take-up reel, a first deposition station configured to deposit material onto the first strip of substrate running between the first source reel and the first take-up reel, as defined by the first mask strip running between the second source reel and the second take-up reel, and a controller operatively coupled to run the first strip of substrate between the first source reel and the first take-up reel at a first independent rate and tension, and to run the mask strip between the second source reel and the second take-up reel.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a vacuum chamber;

a plurality of pairs of source and take-up reels within the vacuum chamber, including a first source reel that supplies a first strip of substrate material and a first take-up reel, and a second source reel that supplies a first mask strip having a plurality of different masks and a second take-up reel;

a first deposition station configured to deposit material onto the first strip of substrate running between the first source reel and the first take-up reel, as defined by the first mask strip running between the second source reel and the second take-up reel; and

a controller operatively coupled to run the first strip of substrate between the first source reel and the first take-up reel at a first independent rate and tension, and to run the mask strip between the second source reel and the second take-up reel.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising

a third source reel that supplies a second strip of substrate material and a third take-up reel, wherein the controller is coupled to run the second strip of substrate between the third source reel and the third take-up reel at a second independent rate and tension.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first mask strip provides masking for both the first and second substrate strips.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising

a fourth source reel that supplies a second mask strip having a plurality of different masks and a fourth take-up reel;

a second deposition station configured to deposit material onto the second strip of substrate running between the third source reel and the third take-up reel, as defined by the second mask strip running between the fourth source reel and the fourth take-up reel; and

wherein the controller is operatively coupled to run the second strip of substrate at a second independent rate and tension.

5. The system of claim 4, and wherein the controller is operatively coupled to run the second mask strip at a rate and tension based on the second independent rate and tension.

6. A method comprising:

supplying a first strip of substrate material through a deposition station;

moving a first mask strip through the deposition station;

depositing a first layer of material from the deposition station onto the first substrate material in a pattern defined by a first area of the first mask strip; and

depositing a second layer of material from the deposition station onto the first substrate material in a pattern defined by a second area of the first mask strip.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

supplying a second strip of substrate material through the deposition station;

moving a second mask strip through the deposition station;

depositing a first layer of material from the deposition station onto the second substrate material in a pattern defined by a first area of the second mask strip; and

depositing a second layer of material from the deposition station onto the second substrate material in a pattern defined by a second area of the second mask strip.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second strips of substrate material are moved at different rates.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second strips of substrate material are moved at different tensions.

10. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising depositing an adhesive and a release layer onto the substrate.

11. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising adhering a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to the substrate.

12. A method of forming a device, the method comprising:

providing a flexible substrate;

depositing a battery, including depositing an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte separating the anode and cathode each defined by a different mask area on a mask strip;

depositing a wiring layer;

placing an electronic circuit onto the deposited layers, wherein the electronic circuit is operatively connected to the battery by the wiring layer;

depositing a pressure sensitive adhesive to allow peel-and-stick applications; and

covering the device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a layer order arrangement of the elements of the RFID device comprises:

(i) the cover,

(ii) the electronic circuit,

(iii) the wiring layer,

(iv) the battery,

(v) the substrate, and

(vi) the pressure sensitive adhesive.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming a printed label on the device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the depositing of the battery on the flexible substrate includes using an energy between about 50 eV and about 95 eV.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the depositing of the battery on the flexible substrate includes using an energy between 70 eV and 90 eV.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the battery deposited on the flexible substrate is rechargeable.

18. A flexible peel-and-stick battery-operated device comprising:

a plurality of layers wherein the layers are held to one another as a single package, wherein the layers include;

a flexible substrate;

an electronic circuit;

a thin-film battery operatively coupled to the electronic circuit to provide power;

a radio frequency (RF) antenna operatively coupled to the electronic circuit; and

an adhesive layer.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit includes an RF-enabled switch that electrically activates the electronic circuit.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the RF-enabled switch includes a MEMS device.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the layers are stacked in the order comprising:

the adhesive layer wherein the adhesive layer is pressure sensitive and covered by a peel-able release layer;

the flexible substrate;

the thin-film battery deposited on the flexible substrate;

the wiring layer including an RF antenna deposited on the previous layers; and

the electronic circuit including an RF-enabled switch deposited on the wiring layer.

22. The device of claim 18, wherein the RF antenna is integrated into the substrate.

23. The device of claim 18, wherein the battery is rechargeable.

24. A rolled release layer having releasably affixed thereon a plurality of the device according to claim 18.

25. The device of claim 18, wherein the adhesive layer is pressure sensitive adhesive and is covered by a peel-able release layer.

26. The device of claim 18, wherein the layers are stacked in an order from the group consisting of the adhesive layer, the substrate layer, the battery layer, the electronic circuit layer, and the RF antenna layer.

27. The device of claim 18, wherein the layers are stacked in an order from the group consisting of the substrate layer, the battery layer, a layer including the electronic circuit and the RF antenna, and the adhesive layer.

28. The device of claim 18, wherein the layers are stacked in an order from the group consisting of the substrate layer, a layer including a) the battery, b) the electronic circuit and c) the RF antenna, and the adhesive layer.

30. A system for making an RFID device, the system comprising:

one or more supply reels that feed one or more source substrates;

one or more supply reels that feed one or more electronic circuits and an RF antenna;

one or more deposition stations that deposit layers onto the one or more substrates, wherein the layers include;

(i) layers to form a solid-state lithium-based battery, the battery layers including;

a) a cathode layer;

b) an electrolyte layer;

c) an anode layer;

(ii) a wiring layer to couple the battery to the electronic circuit layer, and to couple the RF antenna to the electronic circuit;

a movable mask strip having a plurality of different mask areas used for different deposition operations;

a supply reel that feeds a peel-and-stick adhesive layer; and

a vacuum chamber that contains the supply reels and the deposition station.