Thin film battery and method of manufacture

• US 6,632,563 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: KLA Corporation
• Original Assignee: Front Edge Technology, Inc
• Inventors: Ting, Su-Jen, Nieh, Kai-Wei, Krasnov, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cantelmo, Gregg
• Application Number:
  US09/656,012
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 429/162, 429/127
• 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 10/0562 Solid materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/058 Construction or manufacture
• 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 4/04 Processes of manufacture in general
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0402 Methods of deposition of the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0404 by coating on electrode collectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0423 Physical vapour deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0426 Sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0471 involving thermal treatment, e.g. firing, sintering, backing particulate active material, thermal decomposition, pyrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/131 Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/1391 of electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/525 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/5815 Sulfides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/5825 Oxygenated metallic salts or polyanionic structures, e.g. borates, phosphates, silicates, olivines
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/661 Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings H01M4/669 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/662 Alloys collectors of lead alloys H01M4/685
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/70 characterised by shape or form
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/75 Wires, rods or strips
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/46 : Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes
• 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 29/49108 : Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 : including coating or impregnating

Abstract

A thin film battery 10 comprises a substrate 12 which permits the battery 10 to be fabricated to provide higher energy density. In one embodiment, the substrate 12 of the battery 10 comprises mica. A crystalline lithium metal oxide film may be used as the cathode film 18.

Claims

1. A battery comprising first and second electrodes having an electrolyte therebetween, one of the electrodes comprising a crystalline lithium metal oxide film, and the electrodes and electrolyte being supported by a substrate comprising a mica foil that is less than about 100 microns thick.

2. A battery according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is less than about 25 microns thick.

3. A battery according to claim 1 comprising an adhesive layer between the substrate and a current collector.

4. A battery according to claim 1 wherein the electrolyte comprises amorphous lithium phosphorus oxynitride.

5. A thin film battery comprising:

a substrate comprising mica;

first and second electrodes supported by the substrate, one of the electrodes comprising a crystalline lithium metal oxide film; and

an electrolyte between the electrodes, whereby the thin film battery is capable of storing electrical energy.

6. A battery according to claim 5 wherein the substrate comprises a thickness of less than about 100 microns.

7. A battery according to claim 6 wherein the substrate comprises a thickness of less than about 25 microns.

8. A battery according to claim 5 comprising an adhesive layer between the substrate and a current collector.

9. A thin film battery comprising:

an anode film;

a cathode film comprising crystalline lithium metal oxide;

an electrolyte film between the anode and cathode films; and

an annealed mica substrate to support the films,

whereby the anode film, cathode film and electrolyte film cooperate to store electrical energy.

10. A battery according to claim 9 wherein the mica substrate comprises a thickness of less than about 100 microns.

11. A battery according to claim 9 comprising an adhesion layer on the mica substrate.

12. A battery according to claim 9 further comprising an anode current collector film in contact with the anode film, and a cathode current collector film in contact with the cathode film.

13. A battery according to claim 9 wherein the cathode film comprises crystalline LiCoO₂.

14. A battery according to claim 9 wherein the electrolyte film comprises amorphous lithium phosphorus oxynitride.

15. A thin film battery comprising:

an anode current collector film;

a cathode current collector film;

an anode film contacting the anode current collector film;

a cathode film contacting the cathode current collector film, the cathode film comprising crystalline LiCoO₂;

an electrolyte film between the anode and cathode films, the electrolyte film comprising amorphous lithium phosphorous oxynitride;

a mica foil to support the films, the mica foil having a preheated surface from which organic materials are burnt off; and

an adhesion layer on the preheated surface of the mica foil and contacting the cathode current collector film,

whereby the anode current collector film, cathode current collector film, anode film, cathode film and electrolyte film cooperate to store electrical energy.

16. A battery according to claim 15 wherein the mica foil comprises a thickness of less than about 100 microns.

17. A thin film battery comprising:

a mica foil;

an adhesion layer on the mica foil;

a cathode current collector film on the adhesion layer;

a cathode film contacting the cathode current collector film, the cathode film comprising a crystalline lithium metal oxide film;

an electrolyte film on the cathode film; and

an anode film over the electrolyte film,

whereby the cathode current collector film, cathode film, electrolyte film and anode film cooperate to store electrical energy.