Battery with trench structure and fabrication method thereof

• US 6,495,283 B1
• Filed: 02/11/2000
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Yoon, Young Soo, Shin, Young Hwa, Cho, Won Il, Cho, Byung Won, Jung, Hyung Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crepeau, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US09/502,613
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 429/126, 429/127, 429/162, 429/247, 296/231, 296/235
• US Class Current: 429/162
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0585 of accumulators having only flat construction elements, i.e. flat positive electrodes, flat negative electrodes and flat separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/025 with shapes other than plane or cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/18 with solid electrolyte
• 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 29/49115 including coating or impregnating

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery having a trench structure which can increase an effective area per unit area, and a fabrication method therefor. The battery according to the present invention forms trenches on thin film elements including a substrate, thereby increasing a contact interface between a cathode and an electrolyte and between the electrolyte and an anode, and simultaneously increasing an amount of an electrode per unit area. As a result, the present invention provides a high performance battery that a current density and a total current storage density are increased, and a charging speed after discharge is improved. The trench structure of the present invention can adapt to a bulk battery as well as a thin film battery.

Claims

1. A thin film, solid state battery comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of trenches formed at its upper portion;

a first collector formed on the substrate;

a cathode formed on the first collector;

an electrolyte formed on the cathode;

an anode formed on the electrolyte; and

a second collector contacted to the anode, whereby sequentially stacking thin film elements for an effective contact interface between the cathode and the electrolyte and increasing an amount of the cathode.

2. The thin film battery according to claim 1, further comprising an encapsulation film formed on the anode.

3. A thin film battery comprising:

a substrate;

a first collector, formed on the substrate, having a plurality of trenches formed at its upper portion;

a cathode formed on the first collector;

an electrolyte formed on the cathode;

an anode formed on the electrolyte; and

a second collector contacted to the anode, whereby sequentially stacking thin film elements for an effective contact interface between the cathode and the electrolyte and increasing an amount of the cathode.

4. The thin film battery according to claim 3, further comprising an encapsulation film formed on the anode.

5. A thin film battery comprising:

a substrate;

a first collector formed on the substrate;

a cathode, formed on the first collector, having a plurality of trenches formed at its upper portion;

an electrolyte formed on the cathode;

an anode formed on the electrolyte; and

a second collector contacted to the anode, whereby sequentially stacking thin film elements for an effective contact interface between the cathode and the electrolyte and increasing an amount of the cathode.

6. The thin film battery according to claim 5, further comprising an encapsulation film formed on the anode.

7. A bulk battery comprising:

a substrate;

a first collector, formed on the substrate, having a plurality of trenches formed at its upper portion;

a cathode formed on the first collector;

a first electrolyte formed on the cathode;

an isolation film formed on the electrolyte;

a second electrolyte formed on the isolation film;

an anode formed on the second electrolyte; and

a second collector contacted to the anode.

8. A bulk battery comprising:

a substrate;

a first collector formed on the substrate;

a cathode, formed on the first collector, having a plurality of trenches formed at its upper portion;

a first electrolyte formed on the cathode;

an isolation film formed on the electrolyte;

a second electrolyte formed on the isolation film;

an anode formed on the second electrolyte; and

a second collector contacted with the anode, said trenches being formed by etching one of the first collector and the cathode.

9. A method of fabricating a battery, comprising:

forming a plurality of trenches at the upper portion of a substrate;

forming a first collector on the substrate;

forming a cathode on the first collector;

forming an electrolyte on the cathode;

forming an anode on the electrolyte;

forming a second collector contacted to the anode; and

fabricating the battery without the use of a liquid electrolyte.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising a step of forming an encapsulation film on the anode.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising a step for performing a planarization process after forming the anode.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step for forming the second collector is performed after the step for forming the electrolyte.

13. A method of fabricating a battery, comprising:

forming a first collector on the substrate;

forming a plurality of trenches at the upper portion of the first collector;

forming a cathode on the first collector;

forming an electrolyte on the cathode;

forming an anode on the electrolyte; and

forming a second collector contacted to the anode.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising a step of forming an encapsulation film on the anode.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising a step for performing a planarization process after forming the anode.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step for forming the second collector is performed after the step for forming the electrolyte.

17. A method of fabricating a battery, comprising:

forming a first collector on a substrate;

forming a cathode on the first collector;

forming a plurality of trenches at the upper portion of the cathode;

forming an electrolyte on the cathode;

forming an anode on the electrolyte; and

forming a second collector contacted to the anode.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising a step of forming an encapsulation film on the anode.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising a step for performing a planarization process after forming the anode.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step for forming the second collector is performed after the step for forming the electrolyte.