Miniature electrochemical cell having a current collector/active material subassembly welded to the inner surface of a lid or base plate

An electrochemical cell, comprising:

• a) a casing, comprising:
• i) an annular sidewall extending to an upper annular edge spaced from a lower annular edge, the annular sidewall having an outer surface spaced from an inner surface;
• ii) a lid closing the upper annular edge of the annular sidewall, wherein the lid has a hermetically sealed electrolyte fill port that extends through a lid thickness from a lid upper surface to a spaced-apart lid inner surface;
• iii) a base plate having a base plate thickness extending from a base plate inner surface to a spaced-apart base plate lower surface;
• iv) a dielectric material coating the lower annular edge of the annular sidewall and at least a portion of the inner surface of the annular sidewall;
• and
• v) a ring-shaped sealing glass in a glass-to-metal seal relationship with the base plate and in a glass-to-ceramic seal relationship with the dielectric material coating the lower annular edge of the annular sidewall;
• and
• b) an electrode assembly housed inside the casing, the electrode assembly comprising:
• i) a first current collector;
• ii) a first electrode active material contacted to the first current collector;
• iii) a first weld connecting the first current collector contacting the first electrode active material to an inner surface of the one of the lid and the base plate without the first weld extending completely through the one of the lid thickness and the base plate thickness;
• iv) a second, opposite polarity electrode active material;
• and
• v) a separator segregating the first and second electrode active materials from directed physical contact with each other,
• vi) wherein the first current collector contacting the first electrode active material is in electrical continuity with one of the lid and the base plate serving as a first terminal for the cell, and wherein the second electrode active material is in electrical continuity with the other of the lid and the base plate serving as a second, opposite polarity terminal for the cell;
• and
• c) an electrolyte in the casing to activate the electrode assembly.