Miniature electrical energy power source housed in a casing formed from an intermediate ceramic ring micro-bonded to upper and lower plate-shaped ceramic wafers

An electrical energy power source, comprising:

• a) a first fused silica plate-shaped wafer comprising a first fused silica having a first annular peripheral edge extending to a first fused silica plate-shaped wafer upper major face spaced from a first fused silica plate-shaped wafer lower major face, wherein:
• i) A first conductive pathway extends through the first fused silica plate-shaped wafer to the first fused silica plate-shaped wafer upper and lower major faces;
• ii) a cathode current collector contacted to the first fused silica plate-shaped wafer lower major face is in electrical continuity with the first conductive pathway;
• iii) a cathode active material is contacted to the cathode current collector opposite the first fused silica plate-shaped wafer lower major face so that the first conductive pathway serves as a cathode terminal;
• and
• iv) an electrolyte fill port extends through the first fused silica plate-shaped wafer to the first fused silica plate-shaped wafer upper and lower major faces thereof;
• b) a second fused silica plate-shaped wafer comprising a second fused silica having a second annular peripheral edge extending to a second fused silica plate-shaped wafer upper major face spaced from a second fused silica plate-shaped wafer lower major face, wherein:
• i) a second conductive pathway extends through the second fused silica plate-shaped wafer to the second fused silica plate-shaped wafer upper and lower major faces;
• ii) an anode current collector contacted to the second fused silica plate-shaped wafer upper major face is in electrical continuity with the second conductive pathway;
• and
• iii) an anode active material is contacted to the anode current collector opposite the second fused silica plate-shaped wafer upper major face so that the second conductive pathway serves as an anode terminal;
• and
• c) a third fused silica ring comprising a third fused silica having a third annular peripheral edge extending to a third fused silica ring upper surface spaced from a third fused silica ring lower surface,
• d) wherein the first fused silica plate-shaped wafer lower major face is directly micro-bonded to the third fused silica ring upper surface through interdiffusion of first and third atoms comprising the respective first and third fused silicas, and the second fused silica plate-shaped water upper major face is directly micro-bonded to the third fused silica ring lower surface through interdiffusion of second and third atoms comprising the respective second and third fused silicas to thereby provide a casing for the power source;
• e) a separator segregating the anode active material from direct physical contact with the cathode active material;
• and
• f) an activating electrolyte filled into the casing to contact the anode and cathode active materials.

A method for providing an electrical energy power source, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a first ceramic host sheet comprising a first ceramic, a second ceramic host sheet comprising a second ceramic, and a third, intermediate ceramic host sheet comprising a third ceramic;
• b) forming a plurality of first and second conductive pathways through the respective first and second ceramic host sheets;
• c) cutting a plurality of openings in the third, intermediate ceramic host sheet;
• d) contacting a plurality of first current collectors to an inner surface of the first ceramic host sheet, the first current collectors being aligned and in contact with a respective one of the first conductive pathways;
• e) contacting a plurality of second current collectors to an inner surface of the second ceramic host sheet, the second current collectors being aligned and in contact with a respective one of the second conductive pathways;
• f) micro-bonding the first ceramic host sheet to a lower surface of the intermediate ceramic host sheet through interdiffusion of first and third ceramic atoms comprising the respective first and third ceramics so that the plurality of first conductive pathways are aligned with a corresponding one of the openings in the intermediate ceramic host sheet;
• g) supporting a plurality of first polarity active material layers on a respective one of the plurality of first current collectors opposite the corresponding plurality of first conductive pathways extending through the first ceramic host sheet;
• h) positioning a plurality of separators on a corresponding one of the plurality of first polarity active material layers;
• i) supporting a plurality of second, opposite polarity active material layers on a respective one of the plurality of second current collectors opposite the corresponding plurality of second conductive pathways extending through the second ceramic host sheet;
• j) micro-bonding the second ceramic host sheet to an upper surface of the intermediate ceramic host sheet through interdiffusion of second and third ceramic atoms comprising the respective second and third ceramics to thereby provide a plurality of casings, each casing housing an electrode assembly comprising one of the plurality of first active material layers aligned with a respective one of the second active material layers opposite an intermediate separator;
• k) providing a plurality of electrolyte fill ports in one of the first and second ceramic host sheets, the fill ports corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of casings;
• l) filling an activating electrolyte into each of the plurality of casings and then closing the fill ports;
• and
• m) singulating a plurality of electrical energy power sources from the first ceramic host sheet micro-bonded to the third, intermediate ceramic host sheet in turn micro-bonded to the second ceramic host sheet, each power source comprising a casing housing an electrode assembly activated with the electrolyte, wherein the first and second conductive pathways provide opposite polarity first and second terminals for each power source.