THIN FILM DEVICE ENCAPSULATION USING VOLUME CHANGE ACCOMMODATING MATERIALS
A thin film device, comprising: an active device region, the active device region having reversible motion at least along a first direction between a first device state and a second device state; and a thin film encapsulant disposed adjacent the selective expansion region, wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a first thickness in the first device state and a second thickness in the second device state, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness by 10% or greater, wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a laser-etchable material.
1 . A thin film device, comprising:
an active device region, the active device region having reversible motion at least along a first direction between a first device state and a second device state; and
a thin film encapsulant disposed adjacent the active device region, wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a first thickness in the first device state and a second thickness in the second device state, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness by 10% or greater,
wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a laser-etchable material.
2 . The thin film device of claim 1 , wherein the active device region comprises:
a source region comprising a diffusant; and
a selective expansion region, wherein transport of the diffusant takes place from the source region to the selective expansion region.
3 . The thin film device of claim 2 , wherein the source region comprises a solid state cathode, and wherein the selective expansion region comprises an anode.
4 . The thin film device of claim 3 , wherein the anode comprises a third thickness in the first device state and a fourth thickness in the second device state, wherein a sum of the first thickness and third thickness differs by 10% or less from a sum of the second thickness and fourth thickness.
5 . The thin film device of claim 2 , wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a polymer layer disposed adjacent the selective expansion region.
6 . The thin film device of claim 1 , wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a multilayer stack, the multilayer stack including at least one polymer layer.
7 . The thin film device of claim 1 , the thin film encapsulant comprising at least one of: a getter/absorbent infused silicone, a porous low dielectric constant material, a silver paste, and epoxy, a printed circuit board) material, a photo-resist material, silicone, rubber, urethane, polyurethane, polyurea, polytetrafluoroethylene, parylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyimide, nylon, acetal, ultem, acrylic, epoxy, and phenolic a polymer, or combination thereof.
8 . The thin film device of claim 1 , the thin film encapsulant comprising a plurality of dyads, a dyad comprising a polymer layer and at least one of: a rigid dielectric layer and a metal layer.
9 . The thin film device of claim 8 , wherein the polymer layer comprises a polymer stack, the polymer stack including a plurality of polymer sub-layers, wherein at least one sub-layer of the plurality of polymer sub-layers.
10 . The thin film device of claim 2 , the thin film device comprising a lithium thin film battery, the active device region comprising a cathode of the lithium thin film battery, the selective expansion region comprising an anode of the lithium thin film battery.
11 . The thin film device of claim 10 , further comprising a solid state electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein the thin film encapsulant encapsulates the cathode, the anode, and the solid state electrolyte.
12 . The thin film device of claim 2 , the thin film encapsulant comprising a polymer layer arranged as a polymer layer stack having a thickness of 10 um to 50 um, the selective expansion region comprising an anode, wherein an anode thickness changes by at least 1 um between the first device state and the second device state.
13 . A thin film battery, comprising:
a cathode region comprising a diffusant;
an anode, wherein transport of the diffusant takes place between the cathode region and the anode; and
a thin film encapsulant disposed adjacent the anode, wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a first thickness in a first device state and a second thickness in a second device state, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness by 10% or greater,
wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a laser-etchable material.
14 . The thin film battery of claim 13 , wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a layer absorbent to laser radiation at a wavelength in a range of 157 nm to 1064 nm.
15 . The thin film battery of claim 13 , the thin film encapsulant comprising at least one of: a getter/absorbent infused silicone, a porous low dielectric constant material, a silver paste, and epoxy, a printed circuit board material, a photo-resist material, silicone, rubber, urethane, polyurethane, polyurea, polytetrafluoroethylene, parylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyimide, nylon, acetal, ultem, acrylic, epoxy, and phenolic a polymer, or combination thereof.
16 . The thin film battery of claim 13 , wherein the anode comprises a third thickness in the first device state and a fourth thickness in the second device state, wherein a sum of the first thickness and third thickness differs by 10% or less from a sum of the second thickness and fourth thickness.