Thermography for battery component quality assurance
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for monitoring a process for manufacturing batteries, comprising:
- providing a thin film battery component having two opposing sides, a source of energy, and a radiation imaging sensor;
moving the thin film battery component in a direction;
pulsing energy from the source onto one side of the thin film battery component;
detecting radiation with the sensor from the other side of the thin film battery component;
moving the sensor in the same direction during said detecting;
capturing at least one thermal image with the sensor of the other side after said pulsing and before the substantially one dimensional thermal response through the thickness of the thin film battery component dissipates in the thin film battery component; and
identifying a defective region of the thin film battery component from the at least one thermal image.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for the detection of irregularities in a thin film by measurement of transient thermal response.
21 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring a process for manufacturing batteries, comprising:
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providing a thin film battery component having two opposing sides, a source of energy, and a radiation imaging sensor; moving the thin film battery component in a direction; pulsing energy from the source onto one side of the thin film battery component; detecting radiation with the sensor from the other side of the thin film battery component; moving the sensor in the same direction during said detecting; capturing at least one thermal image with the sensor of the other side after said pulsing and before the substantially one dimensional thermal response through the thickness of the thin film battery component dissipates in the thin film battery component; and identifying a defective region of the thin film battery component from the at least one thermal image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for monitoring a process for manufacturing a thin film battery component, comprising:
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an imaging radiation sensor providing a signal corresponding to the temperature of the film of the thin film battery component; an actuatable source of radiation adapted and configured to emit radiation in repetitive short pulses directed at the thin film battery component; and a computer having memory and software, said computer being operably connected to said source to actuate a series of pulses, said software preparing image data in memory corresponding to the signal; wherein said sensor and said source are arranged on opposite sides of the thin film battery component; wherein the signal is acquired within a time period beginning when a pulse is first emitted and ending before a time of about 4×
TAU after the end of the pulse,wherein; the thin film battery component has a THICKNESS and a thermal conductivity ALPHA; and
TAU≈
(THICKNESS^2)/ALPHA, andwhich further comprises a conveyor for moving the thin film battery component in a direction, and a position tracking system supporting said sensor, said position tracking system being movable in the direction. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification