Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-21
2001-07-24
Maples, John S. (Department: 1745)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
C029S623100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264709
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the manufacture of electrical and electronic devices having an integral thin-film type battery electric power source, by using semiconductor fabrication techniques, and more particularly, to the manufacture of electrical and electronic devices having self-contained vertically integrated and interconnected thin-film type batteries whereby the device area is minimized, enabling a higher degree of integration, and to the devices manufactured thereby.
2. Description of the Background Art
As the manufacture of electrical and electronic devices by employing semiconductor fabrication techniques has increasingly being more commonplace, the size of such devices has become miniaturized, and their power consumption requirements have accordingly also been reduced. In use, such devices are typically mounted on a substrate or carrier, and supplied with necessary electric power from an externally connected power source or supply.
Recently, thin-film type batteries usable as an electric power source for electrical and electronic devices have been developed. Such thin-film type batteries are attractive because they are stable in operation, are capable of high energy output and make it possible to minimize the size of a battery power source. Furthermore, because they can be manufactured using familiar thin-film fabrication techniques, such batteries can be usefully employed as power sources for miniaturized electrical and electronic devices.
An example of such a thin-film type battery is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,625, wherein it is suggested that a thin-film battery cell could be fabricated directly onto a semiconductor chip, the chip package or the chip carrier. A possible application thereof as proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,625 and as represented in
FIG. 1
herein, is a thin-film rechargeable battery as a primary or standby power source for low current devices, which includes a Li-VO
x
thin-film battery cell
3
deposited onto a semiconductor chip package, with current leads
8
extending from the cell
3
to a semiconductor chip
2
mounted on the chip package. The thin-film battery cell as proposed therein would occupy an area of one square centimeter on the chip package, although it is further proposed therein that the capacity and current density of the battery could be increased by depositing a larger battery over the unused area of the chip package.
The use of thin-film batteries as power sources for miniature electrical and electronic devices is appealing, in that such batteries can be fabricated using similar techniques and processing as are employed for fabricating such devices. Also, such batteries can be freely fabricated in various shapes and sizes as desired. However, from the viewpoint of achieving higher integration of electrical and electronic devices, it is desirable to reduce the area occupied by such devices, and in case of integrating a thin-film battery as an “onboard” power source for such devices, it is thus desirable that the area occupied by the battery itself should be minimal. But the thin-film battery power source proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,625, being fabricated in horizontal or planar alignment with the semiconductor chip, that is, being laterally removed on the chip package from the chip, consequently occupies a significant area in addition to the area occupied by the chip itself, and such a horizontal arrangement of the battery and device does not admit of higher integration. Also, the lateral disposition of the thin-film battery relative the chip also necessitates current leads extending therebetween to be fabricated or otherwise provided on the chip package for enabling electrical interconnections therebetween, further increasing the area occupied by such an arrangement and complicating the fabrication process.
Moreover, although it is suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,625 that a thin-film battery could be fabricated directly onto a semiconductor chip, there is no disclosure therein as to how this could be accomplished, nor how the necessity could be avoided for externally providing current leads between the battery and the chip.
Thus, there has remained a need for integrating electrical and electronic devices with thin-film battery power sources in a way that minimizes the overall area occupied by such a combination and which lends itself to a higher degree of device integration in line with the trend of increasing miniaturization of micro-devices, and which uses current semiconductor and thin-film fabrication techniques.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to achieve the higher integration of electrical and electronic micro-devices with thin-film battery power sources, by reducing the necessary area occupied thereby.
It is another object of the present invention to provide for the manufacture of electrical and electronic micro-devices with integrated thin-film battery power sources in a way that minimizes the area necessarily occupied thereby.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an electrical or electronic device which is vertically interconnected with a thin-film battery power source.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide for the manufacture of electrical and electronic devices vertically integrated and electrically interconnected with thin-film type battery power sources.
In order to achieve the above objects, there is provided in accordance with the present invention an electrical or electronic device which is vertically both integrated and electrically interconnected with a thin-film type battery power source. By providing a thin-film type battery either underlying or overlying an electrical or electronic device, that is, in vertically superposed relation, the areal extent of the device and battery in combination can be advantageously minimized for enabling higher integration. And by providing vertical interconnections between the thin-film battery and the device, the areal extent can be further minimized while simplifying the fabrication. Both the device and the thin-film type battery, as well as the electrical interconnections therebetween may be fabricated using known techniques and processes employing currently available equipment.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided an electrical or electronic device having a thin-film battery directly laminated thereon, with an electrically non-conductive insulating layer interposed between a top or bottom surface of the device and the thin-film battery. Power terminals of the device are exposed via overlying or underlying openings formed through the insulating layer, and an electrically conductive material fills these openings and extends onto an outer surface of the insulating layer to form electrode conductors of the thin-film battery so as to electrically interconnect the device with the the thin-film battery.
In accordance with the present invention there is also provided a method for manufacturing an electrical or electronic device having a thin-film battery directly laminated thereon, which method includes forming an electrically non-conductive insulating layer on an upper or lower surface of an electrical or electronic device, exposing power terminals of the device by forming respective overlying or underlying openings in the insulating layer, depositing electrically conductive material in the openings and on an outer surface of the insulating layer to form respective electrode conductors, and forming a thin-film battery on the outer surface of the insulating layer with an anode and a cathode of the thin-film battery being respectively in electrical contact with the electrode conductors formed on the insulating layer.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5338625 (1994-08-01), Bates et al.
patent: 5567210 (1996-10-01), Bates et al.
patent: 5705293 (1998-01-01), Hobson
patent: 6168884 (2001-01-01), Neudecker et al.
Choi Won Kook
Jung Hyung Jin
Yoon Seok Jin
Yoon Young Soo
Korea Institute of Science and Tech.
Maples John S.
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
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