Abstract: A method for exfoliation of deposited material off a work piece may comprise: immersing the work piece in an ultrasonic bath and applying ultrasonic energy, wherein the ultrasonic bath contains a fluid either held at a constant temperature within the range from greater than room temperature to less than the fluid boiling point, or the fluid is cycled over a ?T chosen within the range between room temperature and less than the fluid boiling point, wherein the temperature is chosen to provide a significant CTE mismatch between the layer and the work piece in order to promote exfoliation of the layer off the work piece, and wherein process time in the ultrasonic bath is within a range from several seconds up to 120 minutes for loosening the layer; cleaning the work piece by rinsing with liquids; and drying the work piece. A system is described for running the exfoliation process.

Abstract: Microwave radiation may be applied to electrochemical devices for rapid thermal processing (RTP) (including annealing, crystallizing, densifying, forming, etc.) of individual layers of the electrochemical devices, as well as device stacks, including bulk and thin film batteries and thin film electrochromic devices. A method of manufacturing an electrochemical device may comprise: depositing a layer of the electrochemical device over a substrate; and microwave annealing the layer, wherein the microwave annealing includes selecting annealing conditions with preferential microwave energy absorption in the layer. An apparatus for forming an electrochemical device may comprise: a first system to deposit an electrochemical device layer over a substrate; and a second system to microwave anneal the layer, wherein the second system is configured to provide preferential microwave energy absorption in the device layer.

Abstract: A thin film battery may include a substrate; with a cathode current collector layer an anode current collector layer, a cathode layer, an electrolyte layer, and an anode layer, wherein a portion of an anode contact area of the anode current collector is not covered by the anode layer, and wherein an electrically insulating buffer area in the electrolyte layer, for electrically isolating the laser cut edge of the cathode layer adjacent to the contact area of the cathode current collector from the laser cut edge of the anode layer, is not covered by the anode layer, the electrically insulating buffer area being between the contact area of the cathode current collector layer and the anode layer, Methods and apparatus for forming thin film batteries are also described herein.

Abstract: According to general aspects, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a special mask design that not only increases the ionic conductivity of a deposited LiPON layer but also increases device yield by reducing damage to the deposited layer from RF plasma. In embodiments, the mask includes a conductive bottom surface facing the substrate during deposition and a non-conductive opposite top side. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the conductive portion of the mask at the bottom side allows the formation of a weak secondary local plasma (or greater plasma immersion) to enhance nitrogen incorporation into the LiPON film. The non-conductive top side suppresses local micro-arcing, which will limit the plasma induced damage to the growing film.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a thin film battery may comprise: depositing a first stack of blanket layers on a substrate, the first stack comprising a cathode current collector, a cathode, an electrolyte, an anode and an anode current collector; laser die patterning the first stack to form one or more second stacks, each second stack forming the core of a separate thin film battery; blanket depositing an encapsulation layer over the one or more second stacks; laser patterning the encapsulation layer to open up contact areas to the anode current collectors on each of the one or more second stacks; blanket depositing a metal pad layer over the encapsulation layer and the contact areas; and laser patterning the metal pad layer to electrically isolate the anode current collectors of each of the one or more thin film batteries. For electrically non-conductive substrates, cathode contact areas are opened-up through the substrate.

Abstract: A thin film battery may comprise: a substrate comprising a substrate surface; a first current collector (FCC) layer formed on the substrate surface, the FCC layer having a first FCC surface and a second FCC surface and wherein the first FCC surface is in contact with the substrate and the second FCC surface is a first three-dimensional surface; a first electrode layer deposited on the first current collector, and an electrolyte layer deposited on the first electrode layer; wherein the interface between the first electrode layer and the electrolyte layer is a second three-dimensional surface roughly in conformity with the first three-dimensional surface. In embodiments, the substrate surface is a third three-dimensional surface and the first three-dimensional surface is roughly in conformity with the third three-dimensional surface. One of the first or the third three-dimensional surfaces may be formed by a laser ablation patterning process.

Abstract: Thin film batteries (TFB) are fabricated by a process which eliminates and/or minimizes the use of shadow masks. A selective laser ablation process, where the laser patterning process removes a layer or stack of layers while leaving layer(s) below intact, is used to meet certain or all of the patterning requirements. For die patterning from the substrate side, where the laser beam passes through the substrate before reaching the deposited layers, a die patterning assistance layer, such as an amorphous silicon layer or a microcrystalline silicon layer, may be used to achieve thermal stress mismatch induced laser ablation, which greatly reduces the laser energy required to remove material.

Abstract: A solid state thin film battery may comprise: an adhesion promotion and intermixing barrier layer on a substrate, the layer comprising an electrically insulating material having a thickness in the range of 50 nm to 5,000 nm; a metal adhesion layer on the adhesion promotion and intermixing barrier layer; a current collector layer on the metal adhesion layer; a cathode layer on the current collector layer; an electrolyte layer on the cathode layer; and an anode layer on the electrolyte layer; wherein the device layers form a stack on the thin substrate; and wherein the adhesion promotion layer prevents cracking of the stack and delamination from the thin substrate of the stack during fabrication of the stack, including annealing of the cathode at a temperature in the range of 500° C. to 800° C., and/or intermixing of the current collector and cathode layers during annealing of the cathode layer.

Abstract: Selective removal of specified layers of thin film structures and devices, such as solar cells, electrochromics, and thin film batteries, by laser direct patterning is achieved by including heat and light blocking layers in the device/structure stack immediately adjacent to the specified layers which are to be removed by laser ablation. The light blocking layer is a layer of metal that absorbs or reflects a portion of the laser energy penetrating through the dielectric/semiconductor layers and the heat blocking layer is a conductive layer with thermal diffusivity low enough to reduce heat flow into underlying metal layer(s), such that the temperature of the underlying metal layer(s) does not reach the melting temperature, Tm, or in some embodiments does not reach (Tm)/3, of the underlying metal layer(s) during laser direct patterning.

Abstract: Selective removal of specified layers of thin film structures and devices, such as solar cells, electrochromics, and thin film batteries, by laser direct patterning is achieved by including heat and light blocking layers in the device/structure stack immediately adjacent to the specified layers which are to be removed by laser ablation. The light blocking layer is a layer of metal that absorbs or reflects a portion of the laser energy penetrating through the dielectric/semiconductor layers and the heat blocking layer is a conductive layer with thermal diffusivity low enough to reduce heat flow into underlying metal layer(s), such that the temperature of the underlying metal layer(s) does not reach the melting temperature, Tm, or in some embodiments does not reach (Tm)/3, of the underlying metal layer(s) during laser direct patterning.

Abstract: Selective removal of specified layers of thin film structures and devices, such as solar cells, electrochromics, and thin film batteries, by laser direct patterning is achieved by including heat and light blocking layers in the device/structure stack immediately adjacent to the specified layers which are to be removed by laser ablation. The light blocking layer is a layer of metal that absorbs or reflects a portion of the laser energy penetrating through the dielectric/semiconductor layers and the heat blocking layer is a conductive layer with thermal diffusivity low enough to reduce heat flow into underlying metal layer(s), such that the temperature of the underlying metal layer(s) does not reach the melting temperature, Tm, or in some embodiments does not reach (Tm)/3, of the underlying metal layer(s) during laser direct patterning.

Abstract: Microwave radiation may be applied to electrochemical devices for rapid thermal processing (RTP) (including annealing, crystallizing, densifying, forming, etc.) of individual layers of the electrochemical devices, as well as device stacks, including bulk and thin film batteries and thin film electrochromic devices. A method of manufacturing an electrochemical device may comprise: depositing a layer of the electrochemical device over a substrate; and microwave annealing the layer, wherein the microwave annealing includes selecting annealing conditions with preferential microwave energy absorption in the layer. An apparatus for forming an electrochemical device may comprise: a first system to deposit an electrochemical device layer over a substrate; and a second system to microwave anneal the layer, wherein the second system is configured to provide preferential microwave energy absorption in the device layer.

Abstract: Selective removal of specified layers of thin film structures and devices, such as solar cells, electrochromics, and thin film batteries, by laser direct patterning is achieved by including heat and light blocking layers in the device/structure stack immediately adjacent to the specified layers which are to be removed by laser ablation. The light blocking layer is a layer of metal that absorbs or reflects a portion of the laser energy penetrating through the dielectric/semiconductor layers and the heat blocking layer is a conductive layer with thermal diffusivity low enough to reduce heat flow into underlying metal layer(s), such that the temperature of the underlying metal layer(s) does not reach the melting temperature, Tm, or in some embodiments does not reach (Tm)/3, of the underlying metal layer(s) during laser direct patterning.

Abstract: Selective removal of specified layers of thin film structures and devices, such as solar cells, electrochromics, and thin film batteries, by laser direct patterning is achieved by including heat and light blocking layers in the device/structure stack immediately adjacent to the specified layers which are to be removed by laser ablation. The light blocking layer is a layer of metal that absorbs or reflects a portion of the laser energy penetrating through the dielectric/semiconductor layers and the heat blocking layer is a conductive layer with thermal diffusivity low enough to reduce heat flow into underlying metal layer(s), such that the temperature of the underlying metal layer(s) does not reach the melting temperature, Tm, or in some embodiments does not reach (Tm)/3, of the underlying metal layer(s) during laser direct patterning.

Abstract: Selective removal of specified layers of thin film structures and devices, such as solar cells, electrochromics, and thin film batteries, by laser direct patterning is achieved by including heat and light blocking layers in the device/structure stack immediately adjacent to the specified layers which are to be removed by laser ablation. The light blocking layer is a layer of metal that absorbs or reflects a portion of the laser energy penetrating through the dielectric/semiconductor layers and the heat blocking layer is a conductive layer with thermal diffusivity low enough to reduce heat flow into underlying metal layer(s), such that the temperature of the underlying metal layer(s) does not reach the melting temperature, Tm, or in some embodiments does not reach (Tm)/3, of the underlying metal layer(s) during laser direct patterning.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a thin film battery may comprise: depositing a first stack of blanket layers on a substrate, the first stack comprising a cathode current collector, a cathode, an electrolyte, an anode and an anode current collector; laser die patterning the first stack to form one or more second stacks, each second stack forming the core of a separate thin film battery; blanket depositing an encapsulation layer over the one or more second stacks; laser patterning the encapsulation layer to open up contact areas to the anode current collectors on each of the one or more second stacks; blanket depositing a metal pad layer over the encapsulation layer and the contact areas; and laser patterning the metal pad layer to electrically isolate the anode current collectors of each of the one or more thin film batteries. For electrically non-conductive substrates, cathode contact areas are opened-up through the substrate.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an electrochemical device, comprising: depositing device layers, including electrodes and corresponding current collectors, and an electrolyte layer, on a substrate; and directly patterning at least one of said device layers by a laser light pattern generated by a laser beam incident on a diffractive optical element, the laser light pattern directly patterning at least an entire device in a single laser shot. The laser direct patterning may include, among others: die patterning of thin film electrochemical devices after all active layers have been deposited; selective ablation of cathode/anode material from corresponding current collectors; and selective ablation of electrolyte material from current collectors, Furthermore, directly patterning of the electrochemical device may be by a shaped beam generated by a laser beam incident on a diffractive optical element, and the shaped beam may be moved across the working surface of the device.

Abstract: Microwave radiation may be applied to electrochemical devices for rapid thermal processing (RTP) (including annealing, crystallizing, densifying, forming, etc.) of individual layers of the electrochemical devices, as well as device stacks, including bulk and thin film batteries and thin film electrochromic devices. A method of manufacturing an electrochemical device may comprise: depositing a layer of the electrochemical device over a substrate; and microwave annealing the layer, wherein the microwave annealing includes selecting annealing conditions with preferential microwave energy absorption in the layer. An apparatus for forming an electrochemical device may comprise: a first system to deposit an electrochemical device layer over a substrate; and a second system to microwave anneal the layer, wherein the second system is configured to provide preferential microwave energy absorption in the device layer.

Abstract: Selective removal of specified layers of thin film structures and devices, such as solar cells, electrochromics, and thin film batteries, by laser direct patterning is achieved by including heat and light blocking layers in the device/structure stack immediately adjacent to the specified layers which are to be removed by laser ablation. The light blocking layer is a layer of metal that absorbs or reflects a portion of the laser energy penetrating through the dielectric/semiconductor layers and the heat blocking layer is a conductive layer with thermal diffusivity low enough to reduce heat flow into underlying metal layer(s), such that the temperature of the underlying metal layer(s) does not reach the melting temperature, Tm, or in some embodiments does not reach (Tm)/3, of the underlying metal layer(s) during laser direct patterning.

Abstract: Selective removal of specified layers of thin film structures and devices, such as solar cells, electrochromics, and thin film batteries, by laser direct patterning is achieved by including heat and light blocking layers in the device/structure stack immediately adjacent to the specified layers which are to be removed by laser ablation. The light blocking layer is a layer of metal that absorbs or reflects a portion of the laser energy penetrating through the dielectric/semiconductor layers and the heat blocking layer is a conductive layer with thermal diffusivity low enough to reduce heat flow into underlying metal layer(s), such that the temperature of the underlying metal layer(s) does not reach the melting temperature, Tm, or in some embodiments does not reach (Tm)/3, of the underlying metal layer(s) during laser direct patterning.