Microscopic batteries for MEMS systems
AssigneeBipolar Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRodney M. LaFollette, Linton G. Salmon, John N. Harb
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Abstract
Microscopic batteries, integratable or integrated with and integrated circuit, including a MEMS microcircuit, and methods of microfabrication of such microscopic batteries are disclosed.
Claims31
A microfabricated battery comprising a system for internal storage of electricity comprising reactants, the microfabricated battery having a volumetric size which is microscopic including a micrometer footprint substantially less than 20 cm2 and congruent with a microelectronic circuit accommodating integration with the circuit to provide long term stored power and to materially limit power losses, the microfabricated battery comprising a body of material having a first microfabricated electrode of chemically reactant material, a second microfabricated electrode spaced from the first electrode and a microscopic amount of internal ion-transmitting electrolyte which restricts electronic current flow and accommodates reactions at the electrodes contained within an internal microfabricated space in the body accessible to both electrodes.
A method comprising the acts of:
- fabricating a microfabricated electrical energy storage battery comprised of reactant microfabricated electrodes by which an electrical charge is chemically transferred and having a microscopic footprint substantially less than 20 cm2 which is size-congruent and electronically compatible with a microelectromechanical system;
- integrating the microfabricated battery into the microelectromechanical system as an integrated internal source of electrical power.
A method comprising the acts of:
- fabricating a microfabricated electrical energy storage battery comprised of chemical reactant microfabricated electrodes and having a microscopic footprint substantially less than 20 cm 2 which is size-congruent, material-compatible and electronically suitable to be integrated into microcircuitry;
- integrating the microfabricated battery with the microcircuitry as a long term internally-derived source of electrical power.
A method comprising the acts of:
- fabricating a microfabricated electrical energy storage battery comprising a microscopic footprint substantially less than 20 cm 2 which is size-congruent material-compatible and electronically-suitable to be integrated as a power source into a microfabricated circuit;
- integrating the microfabricated battery into the microfabricated circuit as a fully integrated internally derived source of electrical power.
A method of making a microfabricated battery for internal storage of electricity comprising the acts of:
- forming spaced film microfabricated electrode layers of reactant materials upon non-conducting material, each layer having a microfabricated volume comprising a footprint substantially less than 20 cm2;
- etching away sacrificial portions of at least one film microfabricated electrode layer of reactant material;
- interposing reaction-accommodating electrolyte between the remaining microfabricated electrode layers of reactant material within a housing so that the electrode layers serve as internal only sources of reactants.
A conformable microfabricated battery comprising microfabricated volume and an internal only source of electricity having a first microfabricated electrode of reactant material in the form of a microscopic wire, reaction-accommodating electrolyte concentrically disposed around the microscopic wire and a second hollow tubular microscopic electrode of reactant material concentrically surrounding the electrolyte, the surface area of which is microscopic and substantially less than 20 cm2.
A rechargeable microfabricated battery comprising an internally operated source of electricity comprising internal only reactants in the nature of first and second spaced microfabricated electrodes, each being microfabricated to a microscopic volume and comprising a microfabricated footprint substantially less than 20 cm2 and a microscopic amount of aqueous reaction-accommodating electrolyte disposed in a microfabricated cavity between the reactant microfabricated electrodes.
A method of making a microfabricated battery comprising an internally operated source of electricity comprising internal only reactants, the method comprising the seriatim acts of depositing as microfabricated film a microscopic internal reactant in the nature of a first microfabricated electrode, a spacer and a microscopic internal reactant in the nature of a second microfabricated electrode comprising a footprint substantially smaller than 20 cm2, etching a part of the spacer to create a microfabricated cavity which accesses to both electrodes and filling the microfabricated cavity with aqueous reaction-accommodating electrolyte through a passageway in one of the thin films.
A microfabricated battery comprising at least one cell comprising spaced microfabricated reactant electrodes and a microscopic amount of reaction-accommodating electrolyte disposed between the reactant microfabricated electrodes, the battery providing specific power within the range of 10−0.4 to 101.6 KW/kg and specific energy within the range of 101.1 to 102.1 kJ/kg.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.