Abstract: An electrochemical cell has a container containing a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte. The container has a bottom face and a hole formed in the bottom face. A positive electrode current collector is embedded in the bottom face of the container so that the hole formed in the bottom face exposes a portion of the positive electrode current collector. A covering portion is adhered to the positive electrode and covers the exposed portion of the positive electrode current collector. The positive electrode current collector is electrically connected to the positive electrode via the covering portion. A lid seals the container.

Abstract: In a method of reflow soldering, a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is discharged to a first discharge voltage different from a second discharge voltage at an inflection point in a discharge curve of the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having an axis of abscissa representing discharge capacity and an axis of ordinate representing discharge voltage. The discharged non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is placed on a substrate which is then exposed to a reflow soldering temperature to reflow solder the non-aqueous secondary battery to the substrate. The first discharge voltage is higher than the second discharge voltage to prevent degradation of characteristics of the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery resulting from decomposition of the non-aqueous electrolyte due to reaction of the non-aqueous electrolyte with excessive lithium ions in the cathode active material when the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is exposed to the reflow soldering temperature.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell has an outer case formed of one of ceramics and glass. An electrochemical cell element is hermetically sealed in the outer case. The electrochemical cell element contains a positive pole, a negative pole, and a non-aqueous electrolyte containing an organic solvent. A metal layer is formed on an edge of the outer case. A sealing plate is resistance welded to the metal layer. The sealing plate is made of an alloy containing, in weight percentage, Co by 1 to 50%, Ni by 1 to 70%, Fe by 20% or higher, Cr by 10% or lower, Mn by 2.0% or lower, Si by 1.0% or lower and C by 1.0% or lower.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell capable of reflow soldering has a terminal for connection to a circuit board. The terminal is fixed to either the positive pole can or the negative pole can, and the bottom surface of the other pole can which is not fixed to the terminal is provided with a layer consisting of at least one of Au, Sn, Sn-alloy and Ni.

Abstract: A button-type alkaline battery not causing increase of the pressure inside the battery and liquid leakage contains zinc or zinc alloy in the negative electrode and a hydrogen occluding alloy in the positive electrode.

Abstract: The invention provides a mercury-free alkaline cell which does not generate a hydrogen gas. The alkaline cell according to the invention contains a positive electrode, a negative electrode comprising zinc alloy powder, a separator which separates the positive electrode from the negative electrode, an alkaline electrolyte, a positive electrode can imparted with the positive electrode, a negative electrode can imparted with the negative electrode which has a tin-coated layer formed after subjected to a surface treatment with an electrically conductive polymer and comes in contact with the negative electrode via the tin-coated layer and a gasket interposed between the positive electrode can and the negative electrode can.

Abstract: The invention provides a mercury-free alkaline cell which does not generate a hydrogen gas. The alkaline cell according to the invention is composed of: a positive electrode; a negative electrode containing zinc alloy powder; a separator which separates the positive electrode from the negative electrode; an alkaline electrolyte; a positive electrode can imparted with the positive electrode, a negative electrode can imparted with the negative electrode, the negative electrode can having a tin-coated layer subjected to a thermal treatment at a melting point (232° C.) of tin or higher and coming in contact with the negative electrode via the tin-coated layer; and a gasket interposed between the positive electrode can and the negative electrode can.

Abstract: In a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary-battery that is soldered to a circuit board by a reflow soldering process, there has been a problem that when a secondary battery that requires discharging a after assembling the battery that requires discharging after assembling the battery is subjected to reflow, battery characteristics degrade due to heat treatment. Discharge voltage at the end of the discharging is made to be higher than a discharge voltage value that is an inflectional value at the end of a voltage plateau region indicating a cell reaction in a discharge curve (discharge capacity in abscissa and discharge voltage in ordinate) of initial discharge, thereby degradation of the battery characteristics due to the reflow hear treatment can be suppressed.

Abstract: In an electrochemical cell using a conventional thermally resistant container, there is a problem in that, when it is used at a relatively high voltage, for example, around 3 V, a metal of a collector is dissolved and characteristics thereof are extremely deteriorated. In order to prevent a positive electrode current collector from being dissolved even at a high potential, a surface of the positive electrode current collector is covered by a valve metal or carbon such that the positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode do not come in contact with each other. Therefore, in the electrochemical cell according to the invention, the positive electrode current collector is prevented from being dissolved.

Abstract: In an electrochemical cell, a highly reliable sealing by welding was not possible with a sealing plate of aluminum, stainless steel or nickel resistant to cathodic corrosion, because of a significant thermal expansion as the welded portion of the sealing plate and the outer case is heated to a high temperature. A sealing plate resistant to cathodic corrosion, serving also as a negative pole current-collecting member, can be obtained by employing an alloy containing Co by 1 to 50 wt. %, and using it in combination with a ceramic package, and a highly reliable sealing can be realized by executing a seam welding utilizing resistance welding.

Abstract: In an electrochemical cell, an area required for mounting is reduced by soldering one electrode of the electrochemical cell directly to a circuit board. Also a underlying plating was found which suppresses whisker generation in Sn or Sn-alloy.

Abstract: By enhancing a sealing property of an electrochemical cell, enhancement of its long-term reliability is attempted. In the electrochemical cell in which a power generation element is sealed by an outer packaging laminated film, a sealing material is melt-bonded in an entire periphery of a predetermined portion of an outer lead terminal.

Abstract: Heat in a reflow soldering may cause a reaction between the electrolyte liquid and the positive or negative pole active material to result in a rapid inflation or a burst in a battery. A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of a high capacity adaptable to reflow soldering can be produced by employing a positive pole active material or a negative pole active material constituted of particles coated with an oil repellent material.

Abstract: When trying to check the lamination structure of devices advanced in scaling and integration, SEM observation is insufficient in resolution. TEM observation presents a problem such that high throughputs cannot be achieved because it is required to prepare a sample for TEM observation. To include: a focused ion beam apparatus for processing a sample surface and preparing a sample chip; a pick-up apparatus for picking up the sample chip; a sample chip holder for securing the sample chip picked up; an argon ion beam irradiating apparatus for etching a surface of the sample chip secured to the sample chip holder with an argon ion beam; and a SPM for observing the surface of the sample chip secured to the sample chip holder.

Abstract: For avoiding problems in existent non-aqueous electrolyte cells or electric double layer capacitors of a rectangular pyramidal shape that sealing at high reliability can not be attained unless a bonded portion has a margin of a certain degree in view of electrolytes contained therein, a metal layer comprising a metal ring and a brazing material having a heat expansion coefficient approximate to that of a concave vessel of a non-aqueous electrolyte cell or an electric doceble layer capacitor is disposed to the edge of the vessel, a sealing plate made of a metal having a property similar with the metal ring and having a brazing material layer at the bonded surface is also used for the sealing plate and, further, paired electrodes comprising a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a separator and an electrolyte are contained in the concave vessel, the sealing plate is placed on the vessel and seam welding is conducted by using a resistance welding method thereby capable of attaining sealing at high reliab

Abstract: A method for producing an electrical double layer capacitor comprising the steps of assembling together components comprised of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a non-aqueous solvent, an electrolyte containing a supporting salt, a separator, and a gasket to form a coin- or button-type electrical double layer capacitor, heating the assembled coin- or button-type electrical double layer capacitor so that a temperature profile of the heating step is approximately the same as a temperature profile of reflow soldering, and welding an outer connection terminal to the heated assembled coin- or button-type electrical double layer capacitor after the heating step.

Abstract: An alkaline battery comprises a negative electrode having an active material comprised of mercuryless zinc powder, and an electrolyte. In one embodiment, the electrolyte contains one or more indium compounds selected from the group consisting of indium sulfate, indium sulfamate and indium chloride. In another embodiment, the negative electrode contains one or more indium compounds selected from the group consisting of indium sulfate, indium sulfamate and indium chloride. An improved alkaline battery is achieved which does not pose environmental problems, in which corrosion of the zinc powder by the electrolyte during storage of the battery is suppressed, and in which a good discharge performance of the battery is maintained.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery is resistant to the reflow temperature during reflow soldering. The non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery has a positive electrode having an active material comprised of an oxide of molybdenum, a negative electrode comprised of lithium and SiO, an electrolytic solution comprised of a material containing a supporting salt and resistant to the reflow temperature during reflow soldering of the non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery, and a gasket comprised of a compound selected from the group consisting of LCP, PEEK, PEN, and tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer resin.

Abstract: An electrical double layer capacitor has an electrolyte included of a non-aqueous solvent and a supporting salt dissolved in the non-aqueous solvent. A pair of polarizing electrodes are disposed in confronting relation with one another. A separator is disposed between the polarizing electrodes. The supporting salt contained in the electrolyte exists only in regions proximate a surface of the polarizing electrodes when the electrical double layer capacitor is fully charged. When the electrical double layer capacitor is charged at 3.3 V for 24 hours, a charged current after 24 hours is in the range of from about 5 &mgr;A/cm2 to about 22 &mgr;A/cm2 per unit area of the polarizing electrodes.

Abstract: A power source element has a positive electrode case, a negative electrode case, and a pair of connecting terminals, each having a first end portion connected to a respective one of the positive and negative electrode cases, a second end portion for connection to a circuit board, and an intermediate portion disposed between the first and second end portions. The intermediate portion of each of the connecting terminals has a weakened region so that the first end portion is separated from the second end portion along a weakened line in the weakened region upon relative movement between the first and second end portions in a give direction.