Method of producing a thin film battery

• US 6,402,796 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johnson Ip Holding Llc
• Original Assignee: Excellatron Solid State, LLC
• Inventors: Johnson, Lonnie G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brouillette, Gabrielle
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALEJANDRO, RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US09/633,903
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 296/235, 296/233, 296/231, 297/30, 297/31, 429/162, 429/124, 429/126, 118/715, 118/720, 118/721, 204/298.01
• US Class Current: 29/623.5
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0562 Solid materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/0495 Nanobatteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/188 Processes of manufacture
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49112 including laminating of indefinite length material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 including coating or impregnating

Abstract

A method of producing a battery (10) having a cathode current collector (18), a cathode (12), an electrolyte (13), an anode (14), and an anode current collector (16) is disclosed. The method commences with a substrate (11) upon which the layers of battery components are built upon. The substrate is then removed, as by sputtering, and replaced with a cathode current collector.

Claims

1. A method of producing a portion of a thin film battery cell comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a supporting substrate;

(b) depositing a cathode upon the substrate;

(c) depositing an electrolyte upon the cathode; and

(d) removing the substrate from the cathode.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of (e) applying a cathode current collector to the cathode.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of (f) depositing an anode upon the electrolyte.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of (g) applying an anode current collector to the anode.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of (f) applying an anode current collector to the electrolyte.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a sputterable material and wherein step (d) the substrate is removed by sputtering the sputterable material.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the sputterable material is a metal.

8. A method of producing a portion of a thin film battery cell comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a substrate made of a sputterable material;

(b) depositing a cathode upon the substrate; and

(c) sputtering the substrate so as to substantially remove the substrate from the cathode.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of (d) applying a cathode current collector to the cathode.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of (d) depositing an electrolyte upon the cathode.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of (e) depositing an anode upon the electrolyte.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of (f) applying an anode current collector to the anode.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of (g) applying a cathode current collector to the cathode.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein step (g) the cathode current collector is sputtered upon the cathode.