Metal film encapsulation

• US 8,404,376 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sapurast Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Infinite Power Solutions, Inc. (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Snyder, Shawn W., Neudecker, Bernd J., Brantner, Paul C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US12/764,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20100203377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/136
• 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 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/40 Printed batteries , e.g. thin film batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The present invention relates to metal foil encapsulation of an electrochemical device. The metal foil encapsulation may also provide contact tabs for the electrochemical device. The present invention may also include a selectively conductive bonding layer between a contact and a cell structure.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an electrochemical device with at least one notch;

a metal foil comprising a surface; and

an electronically insulating layer wherein said insulating layer contacts said surface of said metal foil;

wherein said metal foil encapsulates said electrochemical device and a portion of said metal foil extends over said notch providing an electrical contact tab on said metal foil over the notched portion of said electrochemical device; and

wherein said insulating layer does not cover the electrical contact tab on said metal foil.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising at least one opening in said metal foil.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of openings in said metal foil.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said contact tab is a lead extending from said metal foil.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising a second electrochemical device.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said metal foil also encapsulates said second electrochemical device with at least one notch and a portion of said metal foil extends over said notch providing an electrical contact tab on said metal foil over the notched portion of said electrochemical device.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said contact tab is a lead extending from said metal foil.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the metal foil acts as a cathode element of said electrochemical device.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the metal foil acts as an anode element of said electrochemical device.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of electrochemical devices with at least one notch in each electrochemical device stacked one upon another with at least one metal foil encapsulating each electrochemical device.

11. The device of claim 10 further comprising a plurality of cell structures.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein said electrochemical device comprises a substrate and said metal foil is conductively attached to said substrate.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein said metal foil lays over said electrochemical device.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein said metal foil comprises stainless steel.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein said metal foil is less than approximately 100 microns thick.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein said metal foil is less than approximately 50 microns thick.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein said metal foil is less than approximately 25 microns thick.

18. The device of claim 1 wherein said cathode is not annealed.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein said cathode is annealed via rapid thermal anneal.