Encapsulating in-situ energy storage device with electrode contact

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020403190-A1
Application number	US-201916445185-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 18, 2019
Priority date	Jun 18, 2019
Publication date	Dec 24, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An energy storage device sits within a trench with electrically insulated sides within a substrate. Within the trench there is an anode, an electrolyte disposed on the anode, and a cathode structure disposed on the electrolyte. Variations of an electrically conductive contact are disposed on and in electrical contact with the cathode structure. At least part of the conductive contact is disposed within the trench and the conductive contact partially seals the anode, electrolyte, and cathode structure within the trench. Conductive and/or non-conductive adhesives are used to complete the seal thereby enabling full working electrochemical devices where singulation of the devices from the substrate enables high control of device dimensionality and footprint.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An energy storage device comprising:
a substrate with one or more trenches and a substrate top; one or more electrically insulating layers, the electrically insulating layers covering the substrate top and one or more sides of the trench; an anode disposed within the trench; an electrolyte disposed on the anode within the trench; a cathode structure disposed on the electrolyte within the trench; and a conductive contact disposed on the cathode structure, at least part of the conductive contact being disposed within the trench and the conductive contact partially sealing the anode, electrolyte, and cathode structure within the trench.

2 . A device, as in claim 1 , where the conductive contact is made of one or more of the following: a metal, aluminum (Al), a hardened Al alloy, Titanium (Ti), a Titanium Alloy or Nickel (Ni).

3 . A device, as in claim 1 , where the cathode structure comprises:
a dielectric separator adhered to the cathode, the dielectric separator being ionically conducting for ions and electrically insulating for electrons; a cathode disposed on the dielectric separator; and a conductive layer disposed on the cathode, electrically connecting the cathode and conductive contact.

4 . A device, as in claim 3 , where the dielectric separator is a woven fabric-like polymer material made from one of the following: Polyacrylnitrile (PAN), a quarternized polysulfone membrane, an electrospun Polyvinylidene fluoride, and a methylmethacrylate (MMA)/polyethylene (PE) composite.

5 . A device, as in claim 1 , further comprising:
a conductive adhesive layer covering the conductive contact enabling electrical conductivity between the conductive contact and the electrode; and
a non-conductive adhesive layer covering the insulating layers cover the substrate top, the non-conductive adhesive layer completely sealing the trench.

6 . A device, as in claim 1 , where the conductive contact is a T-shape, the T-shape having a T-shape leg and a T-shape top, the T-shape leg disposed within the trench and in electrical contact with the cathode structure.

7 . A device, as in claim 6 , further comprising:
a conductive adhesive layer covering the cathode structure covering the substrate top, wherein the T-shape leg are in contact with and over the conductive adhesive layer and
where a non-conductive adhesive layer covers the T-shape leg sides and the T-shape top and completely seals the anode, electrolyte, and cathode structure within the trench.

8 . A device, as in claim 1 , where the conductive contact is a pi-shape, with the pi-shape having two legs, a pi-shape top, and a cathode space between the two legs, the two legs being within the trench and the cathode structure being disposed in the cathode space.

9 . A device, as in claim 8 , where the cathode structure comprises:
a conductive layer disposed between the two legs of the pi-shaped conductive contact, electrically connecting the cathode and conductive contact. a cathode disposed on the conductive layer between the two legs of the pi-shaped conductive contact; and a dielectric separator adhered to the cathode surface, the dielectric separator being ionically conducting for ions and electrically insulating for electrons, the dielectric separator electrically separating the two legs and the cathode from the electrolyte;

10 . A device, as in claim 9 , further comprising a non-conductive adhesive layer covering the outside of the two legs of the pi-shaped conductive contact where the non-conductive adhesive layer completely seals the pi-shaped conductive contact to the sidewalls of the trench; and
where the non-conductive adhesive resides between the top contact and the top surface/field of the trench substrate completely sealing the anode, electrolyte, and cathode structure within the trench.

11 . A device, as in claim 1 , where the cathode structure comprises a cathode made of Lithium Manganese Oxyfluoride, with the approximate stoichiometry of Li 2 MnO 2 F, (LMOF) in combination with a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) material.

12 . An energy storage device comprising:
a substrate with one or more trenches and a substrate top; one or more electrically insulating layers, the electrically insulating layers covering the substrate top and one or more sides of the trench; an anode disposed within the trench; an electrolyte disposed on the anode within the trench; a cathode structure disposed on the electrolyte within the trench; a conductive contact disposed on the cathode structure, at least part of the conductive contact being disposed within the trench and the conductive contact partially sealing the anode, electrolyte, and cathode structure within the trench; an external positive contact electrically connected to the conductive contact; and an external negative contact electrically connected to the substrate.

13 . A method of making an energy storage device comprising the steps of:
fabricating one or more trenches in a Silicon (Si) substrate; conformally depositing at least one insulating layer on one or more walls of the trench and on a top of the Si substrate; depositing anode precursor materials within the trench; depositing electrolyte precursor materials on top of the anode precursor materials within the trench; depositing a dielectric separator precursor material on the electrolyte precursor materials; depositing a cathode structure on the dielectric separator precursor materials within the trench; and depositing a conductive contact on the cathode structure, at least part of the conductive contact being within the trench, the conductive contact partially sealing the anode precursor materials, electrolyte precursor materials, and the cathode structure within the trench.

14 . A method, as in claim 13 , further comprising the step of applying a conductive adhesive over the conductive contact portion which is in contact with the cathode material; and
depositing a non-conductive adhesive over the remaining portion of the conductive contact which is in contact with insulating layers on the trench sidewalls and the top of the substrate, the conductive adhesive hermetically sealing the precursor materials within the trench.

15 . A method, as in claim 14 , further comprising the step of singulation of the hermetically sealed electrochemical device using one or more of sawing, cleaving, and laser ablation techniques.

16 . A method, as in claim 15 , where the ratio comprising the area of the active energy storage materials to the total area of the top contact is greater than or equal to 0.64.

17 . A method, as in claim 16 , where the conductive contact is a T-shape with a leg and a top, where the leg fits within the trench and makes contact with the cathode structure and the top covers a portion of the insulating layer on the top of the substrate.

18 . A method, as in claim 16 , where the conductive contact is a pi-shape with two legs, a top, and a cathode space between the two legs, where the two legs fit within the trench and makes contact with the cathode structure and the top covers a portion of the insulating layer on the top of the substrate.

19 . A method, as in claim 18 , where the cathode structure is placed within the cathode space between the two legs of the pi-shaped conductive contact; where
a dielectric separator layer is adhered to the top portion of the cathode, covering both the cathode and the conductive contact legs and the combined conductive contact, dielectric separator an

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Collins John
• Sadana Devendra K
• Webb Bucknell C
• Andry Paul S

Classifications

• H10W42/00

  Arrangements for protection of devices (arrangements for thermal protection H10W40/00) · CPC title

• H01M4/505 Primary

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy · CPC title

• H01M50/11

  having a chip structure, e.g. micro-sized batteries integrated on chips · CPC title

• H01M50/126

  comprising three or more layers · CPC title

• H01M50/117

  Inorganic material · CPC title