Thin film battery with electrical connector connecting battery cells

• US 8,475,955 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2012
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KLA Corporation
• Original Assignee: Front Edge Technology, Inc (KLA Corporation)
• Inventors: Krasnov, Victor, Nieh, Kai-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Ben
• Application Number:
  US13/461,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20120251867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 429/175, 429/135, 429/185, 429/148, 429/162, 429/167, 429/169, 429/177, 429/186, 429/246, 429/247
• 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 10/0585 of accumulators having only flat construction elements, i.e. flat positive electrodes, flat negative electrodes and flat separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4235 Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte H01M10/4242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/117 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/141 for protecting against humidity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/147 Lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/186 characterised by the disposition of the sealing members
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/193 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/198 characterised by physical properties, e.g. adhesiveness or hardness
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• 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 thin film battery comprises a substrate having a surface, and a plurality of battery cells on the substrate surface. Each battery cell comprises an electrolyte having opposing surfaces, and a plurality of conductors in electrical contact with at least one of the opposing surfaces of the electrolyte, the plurality of conductors including a first conductor in electrical contact with a surface of the electrolyte and a second conductor in electrical contact with the opposing surface of the electrolyte. At least one electrical connector strip connects a conductor of a first battery cell to a conductor of a second battery cell to electrically couple the first and second battery cells to one another.

Claims

1. A thin film battery comprising:

(a) a substrate having a surface;

(b) first and second battery cells that are each deposited directly on the substrate surface, each battery cell comprising;

(i) an electrolyte having opposing surfaces; and

(ii) a plurality of conductors in electrical contact with at least one of the opposing surfaces of the electrolyte, the plurality of conductors including a first conductor in electrical contact with a surface of the electrolyte and a second conductor in electrical contact with the opposing surface of the electrolyte; and

(c) at least one electrical connector strip comprising a thin film deposited on the surface of the substrate to connect a conductor of the first battery cell to a conductor of the second battery cell to electrically couple the first and second battery cells to one another.

2. A battery according to claim 1 wherein the first conductor comprises an anode or anode current collector of the first battery cell and the second conductor comprises a cathode or cathode current collector of the second battery cell.

3. A battery according to claim 1 wherein the first and second battery cells are connected in series.

4. A battery according to claim 1 wherein the first and second battery cells are connected in parallel.

5. A battery according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the electrolyte and conductors comprises a thin film comprising lithium or a lithium compound.

6. A battery according to claim 1 wherein the electrical connector strip comprises a foot that extends underneath a conductor of the first battery cell and a head that extends over a conductor of the second battery cell.

7. A battery according to claim 1 where the plurality of battery cells are arranged in a single row with a first conductor that is an anode of the first battery cell abutting a second conductor that is a cathode current collector of the second battery cell, and wherein the electrical connector connects the anode of the first battery cell to the cathode current collector of the second battery cell.

8. A battery according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in first and second rows, and wherein the first end of the first row comprises a first battery cell and the first end of the second row comprises the second battery cell, and wherein the electrical connector strip is a U-shaped strip connecting the first battery cell at the first end of the first row to the second battery cell at the first end of the second row.

9. A battery according to claim 8 where the first and second rows each comprise second ends having battery cells which are terminated with either a negative terminal or a positive terminal.

10. A battery according to claim 1 wherein the conductors include an anode and a cathode, and wherein the anode and cathode comprise at least one of a lithium film, LiMnO₂, LiMn₂O₂, LiMn₂O₄, LiCoO₂, LiNiO₂, V₂O₅ or TiS₂.

11. A battery according to claim 1 wherein the conductors include at least one of an anode current collector or cathode current collector, and wherein the anode current collector and cathode current collector comprise at least one of aluminum, copper, gold, platinum or silver.

12. A battery according to claim 1 wherein the electrolyte comprises a lithium phosphorus oxynitride film.

13. A thin film battery comprising:

(a) a substrate having a surface;

(b) first and second battery cells that are each deposited directly on the substrate surface, each battery cell comprising;

(i) an electrolyte having opposing surfaces; and

(ii) a plurality of conductors in electrical contact with at least one of the opposing surfaces of the electrolyte, the plurality of conductors including a first conductor in electrical contact with a surface of the electrolyte and a second conductor in electrical contact with the opposing surface of the electrolyte; and

(c) at least one electrical connector strip comprising a thin film deposited on the surface of the substrate, the thin film comprising a head that extends over a first conductor of the first battery cell and a foot that extends underneath a second conductor of the second battery cell.

14. A battery according to claim 13 wherein the first conductor comprises an anode or anode current collector of the first battery cell and the second conductor comprises a cathode or cathode current collector of the second battery cell.

15. A battery according to claim 13 wherein at least one of the electrolyte and conductors comprises a thin film comprising lithium or a lithium compound.

16. A battery according to claim 13 comprising at least one of:

(i) the conductors include an anode and a cathode, and wherein the anode and cathode comprise at least one of a lithium film, LiMnO₂, LiMn₂O₂, LiMn₂O₄, LiCoO₂, LiNiO₂, V₂O₅ or TiS₂; and

(ii) the electrolyte comprises a lithium phosphorus oxynitride film.

17. A thin film battery comprising:

(a) a substrate having a surface;

(b) first and second battery cells deposited directly on the substrate surface, each battery cell comprising;

(i) an electrolyte having opposing surfaces; and

(ii) an anode or anode current collector contacting a surface of the electrolyte; and

(iii) a cathode or cathode current collector contacting the opposing surface of the electrolyte; and

(c) at least one electrical connector strip comprising a thin film deposited on the surface of the substrate to connect the anode or anode current collector of the first battery cell to the cathode or cathode current collector of the second battery cell.

18. A battery according to claim 17 wherein at least one of the electrolyte and conductors comprises a thin film comprising lithium or a lithium compound.

19. A battery according to claim 17 comprising at least one of:

(i) the conductors include an anode and a cathode, and wherein the anode and cathode comprise at least one of a lithium film, LiMnO₂, LiMn₂O₂, LiMn₂O₄, LiCoO₂, LiNiO₂, V₂O₅ or TiS₂; and

(ii) the electrolyte comprises a lithium phosphorus oxynitride film.