THIN FILM BATTERY DEVICE AND METHOD OF FORMATION

1 . A thin film battery, comprising:

a cathode current collector, the cathode current collector being disposed in a first plane;

a device stack disposed on the cathode current collector, the device stack comprising an anode current collector, the anode current collector being disposed in a second plane, above the first plane; and

a thin film encapsulant, the thin film encapsulant disposed above the device stack,

wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a first portion extending along a surface of the anode current collector and a second portion extending along a plurality of sides of the device stack,

wherein the cathode current collector extends under the second portion of the thin film encapsulant and outside of the thin film encapsulant, and

wherein the anode current collector extends under the first portion of the thin film encapsulant and outside of the thin film encapsulant.

2 . The thin film battery of claim 1 , wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises at least one dyad, wherein a dyad of the at least one dyad comprises:

a soft and pliable polymer layer; and

a rigid dielectric layer or a rigid metal layer, the soft and pliable polymer layer being disposed adjacent the rigid dielectric layer or rigid metal layer.

3 . The thin film battery of claim 1 , wherein the device stack further comprises:

a cathode, the cathode being disposed on the cathode current collector; and

a solid state electrolyte, the solid state electrolyte disposed on the cathode and under the anode current collector.

4 . The thin film battery of claim 3 , wherein the thin film encapsulant encapsulates the cathode, the solid state electrolyte and the anode current collector on a side of the device stack.

5 . The thin film battery of claim 4 , wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a polymer layer and a rigid dielectric layer, the rigid dielectric layer being disposed adjacent the polymer layer, wherein the polymer layer and the rigid dielectric layer extend in a non-planar fashion along the surface of the anode current collector and along the side of the device stack.

6 . The thin film battery of claim 2 , wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a plurality of dyads, wherein the thin film encapsulant further comprises a third region, wherein in the third region, in at least one dyad of the plurality of dyads the soft and pliable polymer layer and the rigid dielectric layer extend in a non-planar fashion above the surface of the anode current collector.

7 . The thin film battery of claim 1 further comprising a substrate base, the substrate base disposed adjacent the cathode current collector.

8 . A method of forming a thin film battery, comprising:

depositing a cathode current collector on a substrate in a first plane;

forming a device stack on the cathode current collector, the device stack comprising an anode current collector, the anode current collector being disposed in a second plane above the first plane; and

forming a thin film encapsulant above the device stack,

wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a first portion extending along a surface of the anode current collector and a second portion extending along a side of the device stack,

wherein the cathode current collector extends under the device stack, under the second portion of the thin film encapsulant and outside of the thin film encapsulant, and

wherein the anode current collector extends under the first portion of the thin film encapsulant and outside of the thin film encapsulant.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the forming the device stack comprises:

depositing a cathode layer on the cathode current collector;

annealing the substrate after the depositing the cathode layer;

depositing a solid state electrolyte layer on the cathode layer;

depositing the anode current collector on the solid state electrolyte layer; and

before the forming the thin film encapsulant, patterning the cathode layer, the solid state electrolyte layer, and the anode current collector to form the device stack and to expose the cathode current collector in a first region.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising depositing a lithium anode layer after the depositing the solid state electrolyte layer and before the depositing the anode current collector.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the patterning the cathode layer, the solid state electrolyte layer, and the anode current collector comprises etching the cathode layer, the solid state electrolyte layer, and the anode current collector over the first region using laser ablation to selectively remove a portion of the cathode layer, the solid state electrolyte layer, and the anode current collector.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the forming the thin film encapsulant comprises forming a plurality of patterned dyads on the anode current collector, wherein a given patterned dyad of the plurality of patterned dyads comprises a soft and pliable polymer layer and a rigid dielectric layer.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the forming the thin film encapsulant comprises:

depositing a plurality of layers, wherein at least one layer comprises a soft and pliable polymer and at least one layer comprises a rigid dielectric layer; and

etching the plurality of layers using a plurality of etch operations.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the forming the thin film encapsulant comprises depositing an initial polymer layer in blanket form directly on the anode current collector and on the first region of the cathode current collector, wherein the initial polymer layer comprises a soft and pliable polymer.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising: after the depositing the initial polymer layer: patterning the initial polymer layer to form a patterned polymer layer over the device stack and to expose the cathode current collector in a second region, the second region being disposed in the first region.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising performing, at least once, a patterned dyad process me, the patterned dyad process comprising:

depositing a blanket dyad comprising a rigid dielectric layer and a polymer layer on the device stack and on the cathode current collector; and

patterning the blanket dyad to form a patterned thin film encapsulant over the device stack and to expose the cathode current collector in a new region, the new region being disposed in the second region.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

depositing a final rigid dielectric layer in blanket form on the patterned thin film encapsulant and on the new region of the cathode current collector; and

patterning the final rigid dielectric layer to form the thin film encapsulant, the thin film encapsulant being disposed over the device stack and exposing the cathode current collector in a new region, the new region being disposed in the second region.

18 . A method of encapsulating a thin film battery, comprising:

providing an active device region on a substrate base, wherein the active device region comprises a cathode current collector and a device stack, the device stack being disposed on a portion of the cathode current collector and including an anode current collector; and

forming a thin film encapsulant above the device stack,

wherein the thin film encapsulant comprises a first portion extending along a surface of the anode current collector and a second portion extending along a side of the device stack,

wherein the cathode current collector extends under the device stack, under the second portion of the thin film encapsulant and outside of the thin film encapsulant, and

wherein the anode current collector extends under the first portion of the thin film encapsulant and outside of the thin film encapsulant.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the active device region further comprises a cathode and a solid state electrolyte, wherein the providing the active device region comprises:

depositing in blanket form the cathode current collector, the cathode, the solid state electrolyte, and the anode current collector; and

patterning the anode current collector, the solid state electrolyte, and the cathode, wherein a portion of the cathode current collector is exposed.