# US 11,443,902 B2 · Hybrid anode and electrolytic capacitor

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- Number: US 11,443,902 B2
- Document ID: US11443902B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/588,145
- Filed: 2019-09-30
- Published: 2020-04-09
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-04
- Assignees: Pacesetter, Inc.
- Applicants: Pacesetter, Inc.
- Inventors: Xiaofei Jiang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443902B2

## CPC

- H01G 9/045: based on aluminium
- C22C 21/00: Alloys based on aluminium
- C25F 3/02: Etching
- H01G 9/008: Terminals
- H01G 9/052: Sintered electrodes
- H01G 9/055: Etched foil electrodes
- H01G 9/14: Structural combinations {or circuits} for modifying, or compensating for, electric characteristics of electrolytic capacitors
- H01G: CAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES, LIGHT-SENSITIVE OR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEVICES OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE (selection of specified materials as dielectric H01B3/00; capacitors having potential barriers H10D1/62, H10K10/10)
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- C25F: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC REMOVAL OF MATERIALS FROM OBJECTS; APPARATUS THEREFOR

## Abstract

A capacitor has an anode with one or more active layers that each includes fused particles positioned on a current collector. The current collector includes tunnels that extend from a first face of the current collector to a second face of the current collector.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A capacitor, comprising:
an anode with active layers that each includes fused particles positioned on a tunneled portion of an aluminum current collector; and
the tunneled portion of the current collector has tunnels that extend from a first face of the current collector to a second face of the current collector,
the tunnels having an average width greater than 1.5 μm and less than 10 μm and the tunnels having an average tunnel density greater than 5 M/cm2 and less than 90 M/cm2,
an average width of all of the tunnels that extend from the first face of the current collector to the second face of the current collector and that are between the active layers is greater than 1.5 μm and less than 10 μm, and
the current collector is positioned between the active layers and includes a tab portion that excludes the tunnels and that provides electrical communication between the anode and a terminal that is accessible from outside of a case for the capacitor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein a thickness of at least one of the one or more active layers is greater than 150 μm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the current collector is less than 200 μm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the anode is more than 400 μm; and
a thickness of the current collector is less than 200 μm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the one or more active layers are not positioned over a portion of the current collector.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the fused particles include aluminum and an electrolyte in the tunnels is a liquid.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the one or more active layers are not positioned over the tab portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the average width of the tunnels is greater than 2 μm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the particles have an average width greater than 6 μm.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the active layers do not contact one another through the tunnels.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein an average width of the particles exceeds the average width of the tunnels.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein an electrolyte is positioned in the tunnels.

### Claim 13

A method of forming an anode for a capacitor, comprising:
generating tunnels in a tunneled portion of an aluminum current collector such that the tunnels extend from a first face of the current collector to a second face of the current collector,
the tunnels having an average width greater than 1.5 μm and less than 10 μm, and
the tunnels having an average tunnel density greater than 5 M/cm2 and less than 90 M/cm2,
adding active layers to the tunneled portion of the current collector such that the current collector is positioned between the active layers and the one or more active layers are not positioned over a tab portion of the current collector,
the tab portion of the current collector excludes the tunnels,
an average width of all of the tunnels that extend from the first face of the current collector to the second face of the current collector and that are between the active layers is greater than 1.5 μm and less than 10 μm, and
the one or more active layers including fused particles; and
fabricating the capacitor such that the tab portion provides electrical communication between the anode and a terminal that is accessible from outside of a case of the capacitor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the tunnels are generated in the current collector before the one or more active layers are added to the current collector.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
generating a layer of an anode metal oxide in an interior of the tunnels after the one or more active layers are added to the current collector.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the particles include a dielectric on a core.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the dielectrics are generated on the core concurrently with an anode metal oxide being generated in an interior of the tunnels.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein generating the tunnels includes laser drilling the tunnels.