Layered barrier structure having one or more definable layers and method

• US 20050147877A1
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dave J. Tarnowski, Mark L. Jenson
• Original Assignee: Dave J. Tarnowski, Mark L. Jenson
• Inventors: Jenson, Mark L., Tarnowski, Dave J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,494,742 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/162
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/18 High density interconnect [HDI] connectors; Manufacturing methods related thereto
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4242 Regeneration of electrolyte or reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/06 with one metallic and one gaseous electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0014 Alkaline electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/02 Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/04 Processes of manufacture in general
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/244 Zinc electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/11 having a chip structure, e.g. micro-sized batteries integrated on chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/119 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/121 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/124 having a layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/186 characterised by the disposition of the sealing members
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/191 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/193 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/197 having a layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/198 characterised by physical properties, e.g. adhesiveness or hardness
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/40 Printed batteries , e.g. thin film batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A system provides an environmental barrier also useful for providing a circuit, for example, one having a thin-film battery such as one that includes lithium or lithium compounds connected to an electronic circuit. An environmental barrier is deposited as alternating layers, at least one of the layers providing a smoothing, planarizing, and/or leveling physical-configuration function, and at least one other layer providing a diffusion-barrier function. The layer providing the physical-configuration function may include a photoresist, a photodefinable, an energy-definable, and/or a maskable layer. The physical-configuration layer may also be a dielectric. A layered structure, including a plurality of pairs of layers, each pair including a physical configuration layer and a barrier layer with low gas-transmission rates, may be used in reducing gas transmission rate to beyond currently detectable levels.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a first device attached to the substrate; and

a layered barrier structure that seals the first device, wherein the layered barrier structure includes a first physical-configuration layer having a definable lateral extent, and wherein the layered barrier structure includes a first barrier layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first physical-configuration layer has a lateral extent that is photodefinable.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first physical-configuration layer is photoresist and the first barrier layer is aluminum.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a substrate barrier structure between the device and the substrate.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the substrate barrier structure includes a photo-definable layer.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the substrate barrier structure includes an aluminum diffusion barrier.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first device includes a thin-film lithium battery, and the first physical-configuration layer that is laterally limited and covers at least the battery.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first barrier layer includes a metal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first barrier layer includes aluminum.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first barrier layer includes a ceramic material.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first barrier layer also has a defined lateral extent.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first device includes a thin-film lithium battery, and the first barrier layer includes a gas barrier layer that is laterally limited but covers at least the battery.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first barrier layer is photodefined.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first barrier layer provides a circuit-wiring function.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the barrier layer includes a material having a low gas-transmission rate.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the layered barrier structure further includes a second physical-configuration layer covering the first barrier layer and a second barrier layer covering the second physical-configuration layer.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein

the first physical-configuration layer includes photoresist;

the first barrier layer includes aluminum;

the second physical-configuration layer includes photoresist; and

the second barrier layer includes aluminum.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second physical-configuration layer has a lateral extent that is photodefined.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer are connected as a capacitor to a circuit.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of alternating physical-configuration layers and barrier layers having defined lateral extents.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the plurality of defined alternating layers are electrically connected to an electrical circuit that includes a lithium battery, and wherein the first device sealed by the layered barrier structure includes the lithium battery.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the plurality of defined alternating layers are connected to form a passive component of an electrical circuit, and wherein the device also forms a portion of the electrical circuit.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second device attached to the substrate and covered by the layered barrier structure, wherein the layered barrier structure includes a plurality of defined alternating layers are connected to form a passive component of an electrical circuit, and wherein the first and second devices also form portions of the electrical circuit.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first physical-configuration layer is photoresist.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the device includes a thin-film lithium battery, and the first physical-configuration photoresist layer is laterally limited using photolithography to cover at least the battery.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first barrier layer forms a circuit-wiring layer.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first barrier layer includes metal covering the first physical-configuration photoresist layer.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the layered barrier structure further includes a second photoresist layer covering the first barrier metal layer and a second metal layer covering the second photoresist layer, wherein the first metal layer and the second metal layer are connected as a capacitor to a circuit of the device.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device includes a battery, the apparatus further comprising

a circuit electrically coupled to the battery, wherein the circuit includes a processor, a memory, and an input device and an output device.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit further includes an antenna.

31. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a first device attached to the substrate; and

means sealing the first device, including

means for physically configuring a surface of the device, the means for physically configuring the surface of the device having a definable lateral extent, and

means for blocking gas, deposited on the means for physically configuring the surface of the device.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for physically configuring the surface of the device has a lateral extent that is photodefined.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for physically configuring includes photoresist and the means for blocking gas includes aluminum.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for physically configuring the surface of the device includes an organic polymer.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for physically configuring the surface of the device includes glass.

36. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for physically configuring the surface of the device includes a semi-solid layer.

37. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein a lateral extent of means for physically configuring the surface of the device is photodefined;

wherein the first device attached to the substrate includes a deposited thin-film lithium battery having successive layers deposited on the substrate; and

wherein the means for physically configuring the surface of the device is photodefined to cover at least the battery.

38. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for blocking gas includes a metal.

39. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for blocking gas includes aluminum.

40. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for blocking gas includes a ceramic material.

41. A method comprising:

providing a substrate having a first device attached to the substrate; and

forming a first layered barrier structure that seals the first device, wherein the forming of the layered barrier structure includes

depositing a first physical-configuration layer having a definable lateral extent, and

depositing a first barrier layer.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

photodefining a lateral extent of the first physical-configuration layer.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the depositing of the first physical-configuration layer includes depositing photoresist and the depositing of the first barrier layer includes depositing aluminum.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the depositing of the first physical-configuration layer includes depositing an organic polymer.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the depositing of the first physical-configuration layer includes depositing glass.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the depositing of the first physical-configuration layer includes depositing a semi-solid layer.

47. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

photodefining a lateral extent of the first physical-configuration layer;

wherein the providing of the substrate having the first device attached to the substrate further includes depositing a thin-film lithium battery in successive layers on the substrate; and

wherein the first physical-configuration layer is photodefined to cover at least the battery.

48. The method of claim 41, wherein the depositing of the first barrier layer includes depositing a metal.

49. The method of claim 41, wherein the depositing of the first barrier layer includes depositing aluminum.

50. The method of claim 41, wherein the depositing of the first barrier layer includes depositing a ceramic material.

51. The method of claim 41, wherein the forming of the first layered barrier structure also includes defining a lateral extent of the first barrier layer.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the providing of the substrate having the first device attached to the substrate further includes depositing a thin-film lithium battery in successive layers on the substrate, and wherein the depositing of the first barrier layer includes depositing a gas barrier layer that is laterally limited but covers at least the battery.

53. The method of claim 41, further comprising photodefining the first barrier layer.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the photodefining of the first barrier layer includes photodefining a circuit-wiring function.

55. The method of claim 41, wherein depositing of the barrier layer includes depositing a material having a low gas-transmission rate.

56. The method of claim 41, wherein the forming of the first layered barrier structure further includes depositing a second physical-configuration layer on the first barrier layer and depositing a second barrier layer on the second physical-configuration layer.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein

the depositing of the first physical-configuration layer includes depositing photoresist;

the depositing of the first barrier layer includes depositing aluminum;

the depositing of the second physical-configuration layer includes depositing photoresist; and

the depositing of the second barrier layer includes depositing aluminum.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising photodefining a lateral extent of the second physical-configuration layer.

59. The method of claim 57, further comprising connecting the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer to form a capacitor connected to a circuit.

60. The method of claim 46, further comprising depositing a plurality of alternating physical-configuration layers and barrier layers, and defining lateral extents of the alternating physical-configuration layers and barrier layers.

61. The method of claim 60, further comprising electrically connecting the plurality of defined alternating layers to an electrical circuit that includes a lithium battery, and wherein the forming of the first layered barrier structure includes sealing the lithium battery.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein the depositing of the plurality of defined alternating layers includes connecting the plurality of defined alternating layers to form a passive component of an electrical circuit, and wherein the device also forms a portion of the electrical circuit.

63. The method of claim 61, further comprising:

attaching a second device to the substrate;

covering the second device with the first layered barrier structure; and

connecting a plurality of defined alternating layers of the first layered barrier structure to form a passive component of an electrical circuit, and connecting the first and second devices to form portions of the electrical circuit.

64. The method of claim 61, wherein the depositing of the first physical-configuration layer includes depositing photoresist.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the device includes a thin-film lithium battery, and further comprising laterally limiting the first physical-configuration photoresist layer using photolithography to cover at least the battery.

66. The method of claim 65, further comprising configuring the first barrier layer to form a circuit-wiring layer.

67. The method of claim 64, wherein the depositing of first barrier layer includes depositing metal on the first physical-configuration photoresist layer.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein the forming of the first layered barrier structure further includes depositing a second photoresist layer on the first barrier metal layer and depositing a second metal layer on the second photoresist layer, and connecting the first metal layer and the second metal layer as a capacitor to a circuit of the device.

69. The method of claim 41, wherein the device includes a battery, the method further comprising electrically coupling a circuit to the battery, wherein the circuit includes a processor, a memory, and an input device and an output device.

70. The method of claim 41, wherein the circuit further includes an antenna.

71. The method of claim 41, further comprising depositing a substrate photo-definable barrier layer such that the substrate photo-definable barrier layer is on an opposite side of the device from the first layered barrier structure.

72. The method of claim 71, further comprising depositing the photo-definable barrier layer between the device and the substrate.

73. The method of claim 71, further comprising depositing the photo-definable barrier layer on the substrate.

74. The method of claim 71, further comprising depositing the photo-definable barrier layer on the device.

75. The method of claim 41, wherein the forming of the first layered barrier structure also includes etching a lateral extent of the first barrier layer.

76. The method of claim 41, wherein the forming of the first layered barrier structure also includes masking a lateral extent of the first barrier layer during the depositing of the first barrier layer.