Method for high volume manufacturing of thin film batteries

Abstract

Concepts and methods are provided to reduce the cost and complexity of thin film battery (TFB) high volume manufacturing by eliminating and/or minimizing the use of conventional physical (shadow) masks. Laser scribing and other alternative physical maskless patterning techniques meet certain or all of the patterning requirements. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing thin film batteries comprises providing a substrate, depositing layers corresponding to a thin film battery structure on the substrate, the layers including, in order of deposition, a cathode, an electrolyte and an anode, wherein at least one of the deposited layers is unpatterned by a physical mask during deposition, depositing a protective coating, and scribing the layers and the protective coating. Further, the edges of the layers may be covered by an encapsulation layer. Furthermore, the layers may be deposited on two substrates and then laminated to form the thin film battery.

1 . A thin film battery comprising:
 a first substrate;   a set of layers corresponding to a thin film battery structure attached to said first substrate, said set of layers including, in order from said first substrate, a cathode, an electrolyte, an anode and a protective coating, wherein at least one of said layers is unpatterned; and   an encapsulating layer covering the edges of said set of layers.   
     
     
         2 . The thin film battery of  claim 1 , wherein all of said layers are unpatterned, parallel and co-extensive. 
     
     
         3 . The thin film battery of  claim 1 , wherein said protective coating is an anode current collector. 
     
     
         4 . The thin film battery of  claim 1 , wherein said protective coating is a second substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The thin film battery of  claim 3 , wherein the anode current collector is a barrier material. 
     
     
         6 . The thin film battery of  claim 1 , further comprising a cathode current collector adjacent to the cathode layer. 
     
     
         7 . The thin film battery of  claim 1 , wherein the set of layers further includes a cathode current collector deposited between the first substrate and the cathode. 
     
     
         8 . The thin film battery of  claim 1 , wherein the first substrate is a cathode current collector. 
     
     
         9 . The thin film battery of  claim 6 , wherein the cathode current collector is a barrier material. 
     
     
         10 . A thin film battery, comprising:
 a substrate;   a plurality of layers contacting the substrate, the plurality of layers comprising a current collector, a cathode, an electrolyte, an anode, and a protective layer, wherein at least one of the layers is unpatterned; and   an encapsulating layer covering the edges of the plurality of layers.   
     
     
         11 . The thin film battery of  claim 10 , wherein the protective layer is a second current collector. 
     
     
         12 . The thin film battery of  claim 10 , wherein the protective layer is a second substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The thin film battery of  claim 10 , wherein the protective layer is a barrier material. 
     
     
         14 . The thin film battery of  claim 10 , wherein the current collector and the protective layer are each barrier materials. 
     
     
         15 . The thin film battery of  claim 10 , wherein the patterned layers have edges that are aligned. 
     
     
         16 . The thin film battery of  claim 10 , wherein the protective layer comprises a dielectric layer and a metal layer. 
     
     
         17 . The thin film battery of  claim 10 , wherein the substrate is a current collector. 
     
     
         18 . A thin film battery device, comprising:
 a substrate;   a plurality of thin film batteries, each thin film battery comprising a current collector layer, a cathode layer, an electrolyte layer, an anode layer, and a protective layer, wherein at least one of the current collector layer, the cathode layer, the electrolyte layer, the anode layer, and the protective layer of each thin film battery is unpatterned; and   an encapsulating layer covering the edges of each thin film battery.   
     
     
         19 . The thin film battery device wherein the current collector layer is unpatterned.