Apparatus and method for depositing material onto multiple independently moving substrates in a chamber

• US 20040131760A1
• Filed: 01/02/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cymbet Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cymbet Corporation
• Inventors: Shakespeare, Stuart
• Application Number:
  US10/336,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20040131760A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/58
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker
• 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 4/0426 Sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/40 Printed batteries , e.g. thin film batteries
• 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 battery-operated device provided on a thin-film battery and a method for making. Some embodiments provide a system that includes a vacuum chamber, a plurality of pairs of source and take-up reels within the vacuum chamber, including a first source reel that supplies a first strip of substrate material and a first take-up reel, and a second source reel that supplies onto a second strip of substrate running between the second source reel and a second take-up reel; and a controller operatively coupled to run the first strip of substrate between the first source reel and the first take-up reel at a first independent rate and tension, and to run the second strip of substrate between the second source reel and the second take-up reel at a second independent rate and tension. Some embodiments further include a roll-to-roll mask that has a plurality of different mask patterns that are moved into place as needed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a deposition chamber that contains;

a plurality of pairs of source and take-up reels within the vacuum chamber, including a first source reel and a first take-up reel, and a second source reel and a second take-up reel;

a deposition station configured to deposit material onto a first strip of substrate running between the first source reel and the first take-up reel, and to deposit material onto a second strip of substrate running between the second source reel and the second take-up reel; and

a controller operatively coupled to run the first strip of substrate between the first source reel and the first take-up reel at a first independent rate and tension, and to run the second strip of substrate between the second source reel and the second take-up reel at a second independent rate and tension.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the deposition chamber includes a vacuum chamber.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of movable mask strips, each mask strip associated with one of the plurality of source and take-up reels, each mask strip including a plurality of mask areas, each mask area defining a pattern to be deposited on a respective strip of substrate.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each mask strip is supplied from a source reel and collected on a corresponding take-up reel.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising an adhesive deposition station that attaches an adhesive layer to the substrate.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the deposition chamber includes a vacuum chamber.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of movable mask strips, each mask strip associated with one of the plurality of source and take-up reels, each mask strip including a plurality of mask areas, each mask area defining a pattern to be deposited on a respective strip of substrate.

14. The system of claim 3, wherein each mask strip is supplied from a source reel and collected on a corresponding take-up reel.

15. The system of claim 3, further comprising an adhesive deposition station that attaches an adhesive layer to the substrate.

6. A method comprising:

moving a plurality of substrate strips through a deposition station at independent rates of movement; and

depositing material in layers on each of the substrate strips.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the deposition station is within a vacuum chamber.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

moving a plurality of movable mask strips through the deposition station, each mask strip associated with one of the plurality of substrate strips, each mask strip including a plurality of mask areas, each mask area defining a pattern that controls the depositing operation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each mask strip is supplied from a source reel and collected on a corresponding take-up reel.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising depositing an adhesive layer to the substrate.

11. A system comprising:

a deposition chamber that contains;

means for moving a plurality of substrate strips through a deposition station at independent rates of movement; and

a deposition station that deposits material in layers on each of the substrate strips.