Passivated thin film and method of producing same

• US 7,696,089 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2005
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Ip Holding Llc
• Original Assignee: Johnson Researach and Development Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Babic, Davorin, Johnson, Lonnie G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker; Vicki B
• Application Number:
  US11/125,976
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 438/675, 438/674, 438/688
• US Class Current: 438/674
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0068 inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0082 Organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/40 Printed batteries , e.g. thin film batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49112 including laminating of indefinite length material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 including coating or impregnating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24 Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]

Abstract

A method of producing a passivated thin film material is disclosed wherein an insulating thin film layer (10), having pinholes (12) therein, is positioned upon an underlying electrically conductive substrate (11). The thin film layer is then electroplated so that the pinholes are filled with a reactive metal. The thin film layer and substrate are then immersed within a silicon doped tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution. Excess silica within the solution precipitates onto the top surfaces of the aluminum plugs (13) to form an electrically insulative cap which electrically insulates the top of the aluminum plug. As an alternative, the previously described metal plugs may be anodized so that at least a portion thereof becomes an oxidized metal which is electrically insulative.

Claims

1. A method of passivating a thin film layer comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a thin film layer having pinholes therein;

(b) positioning an electrically-conductive substrate adjacent one surface of the thin film layer;

(c) filling the thin film layer pinholes with an electrically-conductive filling material; and

(d) converting at least a portion of said electrically-conductive filling material to an electrically-insulative cap over the filled pinholes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrically-conductive filling material is a metal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the metal, electrically-conductive filling material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, chromium, zinc, titanium and silicon.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein in step (c) the pinholes are filled with a metal, electrically-conductive filling material by electroplating the thin film layer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein in step (d) the electrically-insulative cap is a silicon dioxide, electrically-insulative cap formed by immersing the thin film layer in a silicon-doped tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution.

6. A method of passivating a thin film layer comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a thin film layer having pinholes therein;

(b) positioning an electrically-conductive substrate adjacent one surface of the thin film layer;

(c) filling the thin-film-layer pinholes with an electrically-conductive, metal filling material; and

(d) anodizing at least a portion of the metal filling material within the pinholes to form a metal oxide.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the electrically-conductive, metal filling material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, nickel, zinc, chrome, or silicon.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein step (c) the pinholes are filled with an electrically-conductive, metal filling material by electroplating the thin film layer.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the electrically-conductive, metal filling material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, nickel, zinc, chrome, or silicon.