Battery cell structure, battery structure and methods of forming a battery structure

Abstract

The present disclosure presents in various aspects a battery cell structure, a battery structure, a method of forming a battery cell structure, and a method of forming a battery structure. In illustrative embodiments herein, a battery cell structure is provided, the battery cell structure comprising a cathode comprising a cathode-side current collector and a cathode-side active material over the cathode-side current collector, an anode having an anode-side current collector and an anode-side active material over the anode-side current collector, and an electrolyte layer over at least one of the cathode-side active material and the anode-side active material. At least one of the cathode-side current collector and the anode-side current collector comprises a wire routing embedded into or onto an electrically insulating substrate, the wire routing having a space filling routing portion over a respective active material in which a wire routing is routed in a shape of a space filling curve.

Description

[0001] Battery Cell Structure, Battery Structure, Method of Forming a Battery Cell Structure, and Method of Forming a Battery Structure

[0002] Field of the Disclosure

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a battery cell structure, a battery structure, a method of forming a battery cell structure, and a method of forming a battery structure. In particular, some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a battery cell structure and a battery structure employing smart card technologies, e.g., fabricated using a method of forming a battery cell structure and a method of forming a battery structure employing fabrication techniques used in the fabrication of smart cards.

[0004] Technological Background

[0005] A battery is a device that converts the chemical energy contained in its active materials directly into electric energy by means of an electrochemical oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction. A redox reaction involves the transfer of electrons from one material to another through an electric circuit.

[0006] While the term “battery” is often used, the basic electrochemical unit being referred to is the “cell.” A battery consists of one or more of these cells, connected in series or parallel, or both, depending on the desired output voltage and capacity. The cell consists of three major components, an anode or negative electrode (also referred to as reducing or fuel electrode) which supplies electrons to an external circuit (the anode is oxidized during the electrochemical reaction), a cathode or positive electrode (also referred to as oxidizing electrode) which accepts electrons from the external circuit (the cathode is reduced during the electrochemical reaction), and an electrolyte (functioning as ionic conductor) which provides the medium for transfer of charge (as ions) inside the cell between the anode and cathode. Anode and cathode electrodes are electronically isolated in the cell to prevent internal short-circuiting, but are surrounded by the electrolyte.

[0007] Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a known battery cell 1 . The battery cell 1 has a housing 2 from which an anode contact 3 and a cathode contact 5 are exposed as exterior contacts of the battery cell 1 . The anode contact 3 and the cathode contact 5 are electrically connected to a cell stacking arrangement 7 housed within the housing 2 via current collectors 3a and 5a extending from the anode contact 3 and the cathode contact 5 into the housing 2 of the battery cell. The cell stacking arrangement 7 is formed of an active layer anode 7a, an active layer cathode 7b, an electrolyte 7c contacting the active layer anode 7a, and electrolyte 7d contacting the active

[0008] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB layer cathode 7b, and a separator 7e interposed between and physically separating the electrolytes 7c, 7d against each other but allowing interchange of charge carriers among the electrolytes 7c, 7d.

[0009] In a typical laminated battery cell layout of the battery cell 1 , the housing 2 is a folded substrate (indicated by an arrow in Fig. 1 showing a folding direction) having the current collectors 3a and 5a formed on a main surface of the unfolded substrate such that, when folding the substrate, the stacked layout shown in Fig. 1 is achieved. The substrate is usually a PET substrate and the current collectors are formed by printing Ag-paste onto a surface of the PET substrate. The cell stacking arrangement 7 is based on a Zn / MnC>2 redox pair with electrolytes provided by ZnCI / NH4CI, NaOH, KOH or others.

[0010] The battery cell 1 is limited in its application because Ag-paste limits assembly of the battery cell 1 in a battery and the fabrication of the battery cell 1 is not cost-efficient and time consuming as each printing step of printing the current collector onto the substrate is to be followed by a drying step. Furthermore, the fabrication of the battery cell needs a careful printing of Ag-paste in order to result in proper deposition of pinhole free layers in the battery cell 1 which stands against fast fabrication of the battery cell 1.

[0011] Document WO 2011 / 151263 A1 shows a battery with a layered structure comprising an electrode separator stack with an electrode layer made of positive electrode material, an electrode layer made of negative electrode material and an ion-conductive separator layer in between. Each electrode layer has a current collector on an electrically non-conductive substrate in direct contact with the electrode material of the respective electrode layer and a connection contact. The electrically non-conductive substrate is folded around an edge of the electrode separator stack so that it at least partially covers the electrode layers.

[0012] Summary of the Disclosure

[0013] The above problems and objects are at least partially resolved by at least one of a battery cell structure, a battery structure, a method of forming a battery cell structure, and a method of forming a battery structure employing smart card technologies.

[0014] In various aspects of the present disclosure, a battery cell structure and a battery cell having at least two such battery cell structures are provided. Herein, the battery cell structure has a sequence of patterned or unpatterned sheets or rolls of thermoplastics (e.g., PVC, PC, PLA, PS,

[0015] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB PET or others) which are laminated together into a laminated structure, cavities provided within the sheets being filled with redox active materials to form the battery cell structure. Herein, individual layers of the sequence of sheets may have predefined functionalities, for example outer layers having etched or printed or wire embedded contacts, current collectors, interior layers interposed between outer layers having and / or acting as a membrane. Some layers may be redox active layers comprising redox active composites or materials so as to form battery half-cells and, when combined into the laminated structure, the full battery cell structure functioning as a battery cell is provided. A chemistry for the battery cell structure may depend on the intended use and requirements for the battery cell structure, e.g., use as primary or secondary cells. For example, the chemistry may be determined by Leclanche, alkaline, AgO, Lilon, LiPolymer etc... The redox active materials can be either dispensed during fabrication of the battery cell structure in a respective receptacle formed by a respective cavity in a layer provided on another layer closing the cavity on one side, e.g., the redox active material being provided as a slurry. Alternatively, the redox active material may be inserted into a cavity when provided as a prepatterned film adapted for insertion into the cavity or receptacle, or it may be laminated as a prepatterned film or printed onto an outer layer. Furthermore, half-cells in the battery cell structure may be separated by a membrane for only allowing conductive ions passing among the half-cells in the battery cell structure. Ideally, the membrane may be laminated to the receptacles and is chemically inert to electrolyte material in the battery cell structure, where the electrolyte may be applied onto the membrane by dispensing and / or it may be of a gel type to prevent unintentional leakage. For example, wires of the current collectors may be bare wires or coated with different metals (e.g., Sn, Ag, Ni, Au, bi or ternary alloys, or alloys comprising at least one of these listed metals) before embedding into the outer layers to increase chemical resistance to the anode and cathode materials or for injection reasons. The laminated structure may be obtained by pressing (hot or cold) during lamination. The process for fabricating the battery cell structure may employ smart card manufacturing processes.

[0016] The present disclosure provides for substrates which may be provided in accordance with smart card technologies (e.g., lamination, cutouts, wire embedding, etc.), therefore these substrates being compatible with smart card fabrication techniques and battery cell structures fabricated on the basis of these substrates being compatible with smart card technologies. On the other hand, advantages of smart card fabrication techniques may be employed in the fabrication of battery cells such that battery cells may be fabricated with high fabrication volume and under high reproducibility. Furthermore, very flat or planar battery cells may be provided, e.g., planar and / or flexible battery cells, and / or battery cells may be easily integrated into the fabrication of smart cards such that it becomes possible to integrate battery cells into a smart card and equip a smart card with

[0017] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB one or more battery cells as part of a card body of the smart card. In other words, the battery cell(s) may be part of prelam and / or card body structures without having to integrate a prefabricated battery cell as a module of a smart card into the card body of the smart card. Thereby, constraints imposed by smart card technologies onto a configuration of a battery cell are avoided as the battery cell is quite naturally embedded into smart card fabrication because of representing a smart card technology element.

[0018] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a battery cell structure is provided. The battery cell structure of the first aspect represents an explicit implementation of the concept disclosed in the preceding paragraph and the disclosure of the preceding paragraph is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0019] In the illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the battery cell structure comprises a cathode comprising a cathode-side current collector and a cathode-side active material over the cathodeside current collector, an anode having an anode-side current collector and an anode-side active material over the anode-side current collector, and an electrolyte layer over at least one of the cathode-side active material and the anode-side active material. At least one of the cathode-side current collector and the anode-side current collector comprises a wire routing embedded into or onto an electrically insulating substrate, the wire routing having a space filling routing portion over a respective active material in which a wire routing is routed in a shape of a space filling curve. Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the cathode-side current collector and the anode-side current collector comprises an electrode cladded onto the electrically insulating substrate. The current collectors are partially exposed in the electrically insulating substrate for allowing physical contacting by material(s) arranged on the current collectors, e.g., active material.

[0020] In the illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the electrically insulating substrate may be a monolithic substrate or the electrically insulating substrate may be coated to at least one other substrate, e.g., a carrier substrate and / or a handle substrate, supporting the substrate at least during fabrication, possibly in a final product. In case of the electrically insulating substrate being coated to at least one other substrate, the electrically insulating substrate may be of a material softer than the at least one other substrate. Alternatively, the electrically insulating substrate may be coated with a hot-melt material as disclosed elsewhere herein, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Accordingly, current collector(s) may be easily embedded into the substrate and at least one other substrate may be easily equipped with the current collector(s)

[0021] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB via attaching the electrically insulating substrate with embedded current collector(s) to the at least one other substrate.

[0022] An active material is understood as a material used in a redox pair for causing an electrochemical reaction on active materials of the battery cell structure for providing the anode and the cathode. Preferably, the active material of the anode (or active anode material) is selected with at least one of efficiency as a reducing agent, high Coulombic output (Ah / g), good conductivity, stability, ease of fabrication, and low cost in mind. In special illustrative examples, the active anode material may comprise metals such as Zinc (Zn) or Lithium (Li) or Magnesium (Mg). Furthermore, the active material of the cathode (or active cathode material) is an efficient oxidizing agent, preferably stable when in contact with the electrolyte and having a useful working voltage. Although Oxygen can be used directly from ambient air when drawn into the cell as in a zinc / air battery, common active cathode materials are metallic oxides or halogens and oxyhalides or sulfur and its oxides.

[0023] The electrolyte layer comprises an electrolyte preferably having good ionic conductivity without being electronically conductive (as this would cause internal short-circuiting) The electrolyte is nonreactive with active materials and preferably has little change in properties with change in temperature. Often, electrolytes are aqueous solutions, but there may be solid electrolytes or gel form electrolytes. As described above, the anode and cathode are physically isolated in the cell to prevent internal short-circuiting, but are surrounded by the electrolyte.

[0024] In the first aspect, the current collectors on cathode and / or anode side may be provided by a wire routing having a space filling routing portion over a respective active material in which a wire routing is routed in a shape of a space filling curve in a portion of a surface of the electrically insulating substrate. The wire routing which may be routed in a shape of a space filling curve so as to increase a contact surface of active material relative to anode and cathode, respectively. Herein, a space filling curve may be a meander-shaped curve or curve of shape of at least one of a Peano curve or a Hilbert curve or a Dragon curve or a Gosper curve or a Koch curve or a Moore curve or a Murray polygon or a Sierpinski curve or a continuous mapping of such a curve or curves in a surface of the electrically insulating substrate. Additionally of alternatively, at least one of the cathode-side current collector and the anode-side current collector comprises an electrode cladded onto the electrically insulating substrate. That is, (a) all current collectors may be provided by a space filling routing of embedded wire in surface portions of the electrically insulating substrate or (b) some current collectors may be provided by a space filling routing of embedded wire in surface

[0025] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB portions of the electrically insulating substrate, while others of the current collectors may be provided by electrode(s) cladded onto the electrically insulating substrate, or (c) all current collectors may be provided by electrode(s) cladded onto the electrically insulating substrate or (d) at least one current collector may be of a mixed type such that the current collector is partly formed by a space filling routing of embedded wire in surface portions of the electrically insulating substrate and partly by one or more electrode portions cladded onto the electrically insulating substrate.

[0026] In some illustrative examples herein, a space filling curve may be of a planar or flat type such that the space filling curve is an area filling curve. For example, an area filling curve may be a purely meander-shaped routing in which no crossing of wire routing sections occurs and the curve has a pure planar or two dimensional configuration. A two dimensional configuration is understood as being represented by a configuration which may be parameterized substantially by two parameters or it may be mapped into a configuration which is homeomorphic to a configuration which is parameterized by only two parameters. However, this does not impose any limitation and a space filling curve may comprise at least one wire section routed in an overlapping arrangement with respect to at least one other wire section of at least one space filling routing portion. In other words, at least one wire section of a dedicated space filling routing portion is routed to extend across another wire section of the dedicated space filling routing portion. For example, at least one wire section extends out of a surface which is covered and / or into which the space filling wire routing portion is embedded such that the at least one wire section is portionwise in a stacked configuration with the wire routing of the respect space filling routing portion along a normal direction of the surface. In some more specific illustrative example herein, at least one space filling routing portion is routed at least partially in a grid or net shaped configuration with at least one crossing node at which two wire routing sections of the dedicated space filling routing portion are routed across each other. In providing crossing nodes, short-circuit nodes are formed at which the space filling routing portion is portionwise short-circuited and an overall conductivity of the current collector is increased (and an internal resistance of the battery cell is reduced). Furthermore, crossing nodes improve the mechanical stability of a wire routing with a space filling curve.

[0027] Herein, wire embedding into or onto the electrically insulating substrate is understood as representing a wire at most partially embedded into the electrically insulating substrate or routed on a surface of the substrate by fixing the wire to the surface such that the wire is arranged on the surface, e.g., by rolling (with pressure and optionally heat) and / or adhesion and the like for achieving mechanical attachment of the wire to the surface. Wire embedding into the insulating substrate may be understood as inserting a wire into one or more grooves formed in the surface of the

[0028] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB electrically insulating substrate or partially burying the wire into the material of the substrate, e.g., by employing local heat to the substrate such that the material of the substrate locally melts and the wire is partially buried into the substrate.

[0029] A wire may be understood as an electrical conductor material obtained by subjecting an electrically conductive material to punching and / or drawing and / or rolling processes for forming the electrical conductor material into a desired shape. The wire may be formed of copper (Cu) or aluminum (Al) or a combination of both materials. The wire may be coated with at least one of tin (Sn), silver (Ag), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), and bi or ternary alloys. Alternatively, the wire may be uncoated. A coated wire may represent a wire which is so as to increase chemical resistance of the wire to the anode and cathode active materials, while using an uncoated wire may decrease fabrication and product costs and result in easier fabrication.

[0030] Furthermore, an electrode cladded onto the electrically insulating substrate is understood as attaching an electrode material onto the substrate by providing the electrode in a desired shape (the desired shape representing at least partly a target shape of the current collector in the battery cell structure), e.g., by punching a metal sheet to a desired form, arranging it on a surface of the electrically insulating substrate, and subjecting this arrangement to a rolling and / or welding and / or fusing and / or gluing process to mechanically attach the electrode material to the surface of the electrically insulating substrate.

[0031] According to the first aspect, issues with conventional battery cells having current collectors made of Ag-paste are overcome and any limitations imposed by the conventional current collectors are avoided. Furthermore, costs are reduced in avoiding current collectors made of silver and electrical conductivity may be increased upon using a material for current collectors having better electrical conductivity than silver. Accordingly, a high power and high quality battery cell structure is provided at low fabrication cost and with simplified fabrication processes.

[0032] In some illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the cathode, the anode, and the electrolyte layer may be laminated with the electrically insulating substrate into a laminated stack arrangement, wherein the laminated stack arrangement further comprises a cathode contact terminal in electrical connection with the cathode-side current collector and an anode contact terminal in electrical connection with the cathode-side current collector. The electrically insulating substrate may completely house the cathode, the anode, and the electrolyte layer. Accordingly, a compact and flat battery cell structure with laminated layout may be provided.

[0033] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the electrically insulating substrate may be folded such that the anode and cathode are arranged in a stacked arrangement, the electrolyte layer being interposed between the cathode-side active material and the anode-side active material. A simple and cheap battery cell structure may be provided. In some more illustrative examples herein, the battery cell structure may further comprise a separator and another electrolyte layer arranged between the cathode-side active material and the anode-side active material, wherein the separator is sandwiched between the electrolyte layers. Accordingly, a compact and flat battery cell structure with laminated layout having oppositely arranged cathode and anode with the battery cell structure may be provided.

[0034] In some illustrative examples herein, the separator may be at least in a one-sided contact configuration with an absorbing material configured for absorbing electrolyte(s) comprised of liquids. For example, the absorbing material may be a material which is wettable by liquids comprising electrolyte^), e.g., woven or nonwoven fabrics of organic and / or nonorganic materials, materials with capillary effect on liquids comprising electrolyte(s), cellulose material and the like. For example, the absorbing material may be a polymer membrane with wettable characteristic with respect to the electrolyte but chemically inert to the electrolyte(s) and the active materials of the battery cell structure but permitting ion movement of electrolyte ions. The separator may be at least partially embedded into the absorbing material such that one main surface of the separator (that is, one surface facing towards cathode or anode) is at least partially covered by the absorbing material. For example, the absorbing material may be provided as a sheet to be arranged on a main surface of the separator so as to be sandwiched between the separator and a respective one of the anode and cathode of the battery cell structure. In some more illustrative example herein, another absorbing material may be provided on another main surface of the separator such that the separator is completely sandwiched between the absorbing material sheets. The battery cell structure may fed by electrolyte(s) via the absorbing materials by bringing the absorbing materials into contact with electrolyte reservoir(s), electrolyte(s) being absorbed by the absorbing material(s) and being transported to the separator via capillary forces. Accordingly, the battery cell may be supplied with electrolyte(s) which has the advantage that electrolyte may be fed to the battery cell after preparing the battery cell structure, such as after having performed fabrication processes which employ application of heat to the battery cell structure (e.g., lamination processes etc.).

[0035] In some illustrative embodiments, the electrically insulating substrate provides a housing which at least partially houses a battery cell stack comprising at least one current collector, at least one of

[0036] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB anode and cathode active materials, and the separator, absorbing material extending out of the housing provided by the electrically insulating substrate. For example, the housing provided by the electrically insulating substrate completely houses the battery cell stack, e.g., the housing is provided in a blister configuration, only absorbing material(s) extending at one or two sides out of the housing. Upon inserting absorbing material(s) extending out of the housing into a liquid comprising electrolyte(s), e.g., immersing an end of the absorbing material into a liquid containing electrolyte(s) or a solution of electrolyte(s), the electrolyte(s) may be supplied to internal space of the battery cell structure within the housing at the separator. The housing may be subjected to a final sealing process after having performed a one-time filling of the battery cell such that the housing is eventually sealed and no absorbing material is exposed to an outside of the housing. However, this does not impose any limitation and the battery cell structure may be periodically, temporarily or permanently contacting electrolyte reservoir(s).

[0037] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the cathode-side current collector and the anode-side current collector may be formed in adjacent surface regions of a main surface of the electrically insulating substrate, and wherein the electrolyte layer is arranged for extending over both of the cathode-side active material and the anode-side active material. Accordingly, a compact and flat battery cell structure with laminated and coplanar layout (cathode and anode being arranged on the same side with the battery cell structure) may be provided.

[0038] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, each of the cathode-side current collector and the anode-side current collector may comprise a wire routing embedded into an electrically insulating substrate, the wire routing having space filling curve-shaped routing portion over a respective active material. Accordingly, a high contact surface ratio between current collector and active material, as well as electrolyte may be achieved. In some more illustrative examples herein, the wire routing of the anode-side current collector may be formed of a copper or aluminum or nickel wire (or a wire coated with an according metal or coated with an alloy comprising at least one of these metals, e.g., by plating etc.) and the wire routing of the cathode-side current collector may be formed of a copper or aluminum wire or a nickel wire coated with carbon. In some more specific options herein, the copper or aluminum or nickel wire (or accordingly coated wire) of the anode-side current collector may be partially exposed to the anode-side active material and the copper or aluminum wire or the carbon coated nickel wire of the cathode-side current collector may be covered by a metal material of an electrode potential in the galvanic series higher than an electrode potential of copper in the galvanic series or even higher than an electrode potential of manganese oxide in the galvanic series, particularly of manganese dioxide. For example, the wire

[0039] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB may be accordingly passivated by such a coating or, alternatively, the wire may remain uncoated. Additionally or alternatively, the wire may be coated by a material of higher electrical conductivity compared to aluminum and / or copper such that an internal electrical resistance of the battery cell structure may be reduced and / or the wire may be coated by a material that is not redox active with respect to an active redox material used in the battery cell.

[0040] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, each current collector may be covered by a carbon comprising material or a conductive material not being redox active relative to over- lying active material. Herein, the conductive material not being redox active relative to the overlying active material may be understood as a material of an electrode potential in the galvanic series higher than an electrode potential of the uncoated wire in the galvanic series such that the wire may be accordingly passivated by such a coating. Additionally or alternatively, the wire may be coated by a material of higher electrical conductivity compared to aluminum and / or copper such that an internal electrical resistance of the battery cell structure may be reduced.

[0041] In some other illustrative embodiments of the first aspect, the space filling curve-shaped routing portion covers a surface portion of the electrically insulating substrate in congruence with a surface portion overlain by the respective active material such. This applies for at least one current collector at least partially having a wire embedded routing portion. Accordingly, an optimum contact relation between current collector and active material is achieved.

[0042] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a battery structure is provided. In illustrative embodiments herein, the battery structure comprises a plurality of electrically interconnected battery cell structures, each battery cell structure being formed in accordance with the battery cell structure of the first aspect.

[0043] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method of forming a battery cell structure is provided. In the illustrative embodiments herein, the method comprises providing an electrically insulating substrate with at least two wire routing portions embedded into or onto a main surface of the electrically insulating substrate or cladded onto the electrically insulating substrate, the at least two wire routing portions each having a space filling curve-shaped routing portion, printing a first active material having a first electrode potential in the galvanic series on a first wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions, printing a second active material having a different second electrode potential in the galvanic series on a second wire routing portion of the at least two wire

[0044] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB routing portions embedded into the main surface of the electrically insulating substrate or embedded into a main surface of another electrically insulating substrate, and printing an electrolyte layer over at least one of the first and second active materials.

[0045] Herein, wire embedded into or onto the electrically insulating substrate and wire cladded onto the electrically insulating substrate is understood as described above with respect to the first aspect, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Furthermore, a space filling curve shaped routing is understood as described above with respect to the first aspect, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0046] It is understood that features as disclosed in the context of the first aspect may also apply to the third aspect and the disclosure of identical worded or similarly worded features is incorporated by reference from the first aspect at this point in its entirety, as well.

[0047] The third aspect provides for a method in which a battery cell structure may be fabricated at low cost and in an easy manner. For example, the method may be applied in accordance with smart card techniques, allowing to provide the battery cell structure in compliance with smart card techniques and easily integrating battery cell structures into smart card fabrication.

[0048] In some illustrative embodiments of the third aspect, the second active material may be on the second wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions embedded into the main surface of the electrically insulating substrate. The electrolyte layer may be printed over both of the first and second active materials. Herein, the method may further comprise folding the electrically insulating substrate so as to flap a substrate surface portion of the main surface onto the electrolyte layer so as to completely cover the electrolyte layer and to obtain a stacked arrangement, the substrate surface portion being free of any embedded wiring, and laminating the stacked arrangement in a lamination process, preferably a hot lamination process. Accordingly, the method may provide for a compact and flat battery cell structure with laminated and coplanar layout (cathode and anode being arranged on the same side with the battery cell structure) may be provided.

[0049] In some other illustrative embodiments of the third aspect, the second active material may be on the second wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions embedded into the main surface of the electrically insulating substrate and the electrolyte layer may be printed over the first active material. Herein, the method may further comprise printing another electrolyte layer over the second active material, arranging a separator over one of the electrolyte layers, folding

[0050] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB the electrically insulating substrate so as to flap a substrate surface portion with the second wire routing portion towards and onto the first wire routing portion so as to arrange the electrolyte layers and the separator into a stacked arrangement, the separator being sandwiched between the electrolyte layers, and laminating the stacked arrangement in a lamination process, preferably a hot lamination process. Accordingly, the method may advantageously provide for a compact and flat battery cell structure with laminated layout having oppositely arranged cathode and anode with the battery cell structure may be provided.

[0051] In some special illustrative examples herein, the method may further comprise arranging an absorbing material on at least one main surface of the separator such that the absorbing material is interposed between the separator and at least one of the electrolyte layers, and bringing the absorbing material in contact with a liquid comprising an electrolyte of at least one of the electrolyte layers. Herein, a main surface of the separator is a surface of the separator facing towards an electrolyte layer. The absorbing material may be absorbing material as disclosed above in the context of the first aspect, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0052] In some other illustrative embodiments of the third aspect, the second active material may be on the second wire routing portion embedded into the main surface of the other electrically insulating substrate or cladded onto the main surface of the electrically insulating substrate and the electrolyte layer may be printed over the first active material. Herein, the method may further comprise printing another electrolyte layer over the second active material, arranging a separator over one of the electrolyte layers, arranging first and second active materials over each other by arranging a substrate surface portion with the second wire routing portion over the first wire routing portion so as to arrange the electrolyte layers and the separator into a stacked arrangement, the separator being sandwiched between the electrolyte layers, and laminating the stacked arrangement in a lamination process, preferably a hot lamination process. Accordingly, the method may provide for a compact and flat battery cell structure with laminated and coplanar layout (cathode and anode being arranged on the same side with the battery cell structure) may be provided.

[0053] In some other illustrative embodiments of the third aspect, the battery cell structure of one of the first aspect may be formed.

[0054] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a method of forming a battery structure is provided. In illustrative embodiments of the fourth aspect, the method comprises preparing a first battery half-cell structure, wherein the first battery half-cell structure comprises providing a first electrically

[0055] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB insulating substrate with at least two wire routing portions embedded into and / or cladded onto a main surface of the first electrically insulating substrate, the at least two wire routing portions each having a space filling curve-shaped routing portion embedded into and / or cladded onto the first electrically insulating substrate, printing a first active material having a first electrode potential in the galvanic series on a first wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions embedded into and / or cladded onto the first electrically insulating substrate, and printing a second active material having a different second electrode potential in the galvanic series on a second wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions. The method further comprises preparing a second battery half-cell structure, wherein the second battery half-cell structure comprises providing a second electrically insulating substrate with at least two wire routing portions embedded into and / or cladded onto a main surface of the second electrically insulating substrate, the at least two wire routing portions each having a space filling curve-shaped routing portion embedded into and / or cladded onto the second electrically insulating substrate. The method further comprises printing the first active material having the first electrode potential in the galvanic series on a first wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions embedded into and / or cladded onto the second electrically insulating substrate, printing the second active material having the second electrode potential in the galvanic series on a second wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions embedded into and / or cladded onto the second electrically insulating substrate, preparing an electrolyte stacking structure comprising a stacked layer arrangement comprising two electrolyte layers having a separator layer interposed between the two electrolyte layers, arranging the electrolyte stacking structure in a stacking arrangement with the first and second battery half-cell structures so as to interpose the electrolyte stacking structure between the first and second battery half-cell structures, wherein the active materials of the first and second battery half-cell structures are faced towards the electrolyte stacking structure, and laminating the stacking arrangement in a lamination process, preferably a hot lamination process. Accordingly, the battery having interconnected battery cells may be provided.

[0056] Herein, an electrically insulating substrate with at least two wire routing portions embedded into and / or cladded onto a main surface of the electrically insulating substrate means with respect to first and second electrically insulating substrates that at least one of the wire routing portions may be embedded into and / or at least another one of the wire routing portions may be cladded onto the main surface. Furthermore, it is understood that an embedded wire routing portion may be partially embedded and cladded, that is the wire routing portion may have a wire routing portion section which embedded into the main surface and another wire routing portion section of the wire

[0057] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB routing portion may be cladded onto the main surface, thereby the wire routing portion being partially embedded and partially cladded.

[0058] In some illustrative embodiments of the fourth aspect, each of the first battery half-cell structure, second battery half-cell structure and the electrolyte stacking structure may be prepared on a dedicated reel, the battery structure being formed in reel-to-reel process, or wherein each of the first battery half-cell structure and the second battery half-cell structure may be prepared on a dedicated sheet, the battery structure being formed in by colamination of separate sheets.

[0059] In some other illustrative embodiments of the fourth aspect, the electrolyte stacking structure may be prepared by further comprising an arranging an absorbing material on at least one main surface of the separator such that the absorbing material is interposed between the separator and at least one of the electrolyte layers. For example, the electrolyte stacking structure may have at least one sheet of absorbing material interposed between the separator and at least one electrolyte layer. In examples herein, each sheet may completely cover a dedicated main surface of the separator and have at least one projecting sheet portion extending out of the stacking such that the at least one projecting sheet portion is exposed in the electrolyte stacking structure. In a special illustrative example, each main surface of the separator may be completely covered by a sheet of absorbing materials, each sheet having at least one projecting sheet portion such as one projecting sheet portion (on same or opposite sides of the electrolyte stacking structure) or two projecting sheet portions at opposite sides of the electrolyte stacking structure. Furthermore, the one of more absorbing materials, i.e., at least one projecting sheet portion, may be brought in contact with a liquid comprising an electrolyte of at least one of the electrolyte layers after the lamination process. For example, at least one projecting sheet portion may be immersed into an electrolyte solution. Accordingly, electrolyte may be supplied to and / or refreshed after lamination at a late stage during fabrication, i.e., after process steps with high thermal budget are performed. Accordingly, integrity of electrolyte(s) may be ensured. Projecting sheet portions may be removed and the battery cell may be sealed after refreshing and / or supplying of electrolyte.

[0060] A main surface of the separator may be a surface facing towards an electrolyte layer.

[0061] The absorbing material may be absorbing material as disclosed above in the context of the first aspect, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0062] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB The first to fourth aspects as described above are not necessarily understood as separate and unrelated, but may be understood as being interrelated. Accordingly, the disclosure presented above explicitly in the context of one aspect of the first to fourth aspects may apply to at least one other of the first to fourth aspects, as well. Particularly, various embodiments and examples as described with respect to one of the first to fourth aspects, may be combined at least partially with at least one other embodiment and / or example of at least one other of the first to fourth aspects.

[0063] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0064] Various illustrative embodiments and other advantages of the various aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description of the accompanying Figures as presented below.

[0065] Fig. 1 shows in schematic cross-sectional view a known battery cell.

[0066] Fig. 2 shows in a top view a substrate with embedded current collectors in accordance with illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0067] Fig. 2a schematically shows a cross-sectional view of the substrate along line a-a in Fig. 2.

[0068] Fig. 3 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a battery cell structure in accordance with some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0069] Fig. 4 schematically shows a stacking arrangement as obtained in an intermediate stage during processing of a battery cell structure in accordance with some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0070] Figs. 5a to 5h schematically show various stages during a fabrication of a battery cell structure in accordance with some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0071] Figs. 6a to 6c schematically show various stages during a fabrication of a battery cell structure in accordance with some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0072] Fig. 7 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a battery structure in accordance with some other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0073] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB Fig. 8a to 8e schematically show top views of current collector layouts in accordance with some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0074] Figs. 9a to 9g schematically show various stages during a fabrication of a battery cell structure in accordance with some other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0075] Fig. 10 schematically shows in a sectional view a battery cell structure in accordance with some other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0076] Fig. 11 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of some embodiments of the battery cell structure of Fig. 10.

[0077] Fig. 12 schematically shows in a sectional view a battery cell structure in accordance with some other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0078] Fig. 13 schematically shows in a top view a battery cell structure in accordance with some other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0079] Fig. 13a schematically shows in a cross-sectional view a battery cell structure along line a-a in Fig. 13.

[0080] Fig. 14 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a battery cell structure in accordance with some other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0081] Fig. 15 schematically shows a top view of the battery cell structure in Fig. 14.

[0082] Fig. 16 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a battery cell structure in accordance with some still other illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure

[0083] The Figures accompanying the present disclosure are only provided for schematically showing some concepts and aspects of the present disclosure without showing all possible details of certain embodiments and without necessarily being actually to scale.

[0084] Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

[0085] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB With regard to Figs. 2 and 2a, substrates for use in a battery cell structure in accordance with various embodiments will be described below. These substrates may be provided in accordance with smart card technologies (e.g., lamination, cutouts, wire embedding, etc.), therefore these substrates being compatible with smart card techniques and battery cell structures fabricated on the basis of these substrates being compatible with smart card technologies. On the other hand, advantages of smart card fabrication techniques may be employed in the fabrication of battery cells such that battery cells may be fabricated with high fabrication volume and under high reproducibility. Furthermore, very flat or planar battery cells may be provided, e.g., planar and / orflexible battery cells, and / or battery cells may be easily integrated into the fabrication of smart cards.

[0086] Fig. 2 shows a schematic top view of a substrate S in accordance with some illustrative embodiments. The substrate S may be provided in accordance with smart card technologies.

[0087] For example, the substrate S may comprise at least one of PVC, PC, PLA, PS, and PET. The substrate S may be a flexible substrate and may be provided as a planar sheet or body with two dimensions length, width greater than a third dimension height, i.e. , length > height and width > height. For example, a smaller one of length and width may be at least 5 or 10 or 20 or 50 or 100 times greater than height.

[0088] In some illustrative examples herein, the substrate S may be coated with a layer (not illustrated) of a hot-melt material, e.g., a thermoplastic adhesive or a material of a composition with a glass transition temperature (onset of brittleness) below a lowest service temperature and a suitably high melt temperature as well. The accordingly prepared substrate S with coated hot-melt material layer (not illustrated) may be easily provided with current collector(s) as described below in greater detail. For example, the hot-melt material layer may be screen printed or deposited by other deposition processes, optionally using a doctor blade.

[0089] In some other illustrative examples herein, the substrate S may be coated to another type of substrate (not illustrated), e.g., a carrier substrate (not illustrated) or a handle substrate (not illustrated) supporting the substrate S at least during fabrication, possibly in a final product.

[0090] As shown in Fig. 2, the substrate S has a wire routing W embedded into or onto a surface ms of the substrate. The wire routing W has a space filling routing portions Sccll , Sccl2 and Sc1 , Sc2. Each of the space filling routing portions Sccll , Sccl2 and Sc1 , Sc2 has a wire routing portion routed in a shape of a space filling curve. The illustration in Fig. 2 shows a meander-shaped routing

[0091] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB in each of the space filling routing portions Sccl1 , Sccl2 and Sc1 , Sc2. However, this does not impose any limitation and is only for the purpose of illustration. Instead, the space filling routing portions Sccl1 , Sccl2 and Sc1 , Sc2 may have wire routing portions according to at least one of a Peano curve or a Hilbert curve or a Dragon curve or a Gosper curve or a Koch curve or a Moore curve ora Murray polygon or a Sierpinski curve or a continuous mapping of such a curve or curves in the surface ms of the substrate S. The space filling routing portions Sccl1 , Sccl2 may be of greater size than the space filling routing portions Sc1 , Sc2. For example, the space filling routing portions Sccl1 , Sccl2 may be provided with the target function of providing current collectors in a battery cell to be fabricated on the basis of the substrate S. The space filling routing portions Sc1 , Sc2 may be provided with the target function of providing anode and cathode contacts in a battery cell to be fabricated on the basis of the substrate S. Although the illustration in Fig. 2 shows space filling curves of a meander-shaped routing of pure planar configuration, this does not impose any limitation and wire sections of at least one of the space filling routing portions Sccl1 and Sccl2 may be routed in an overlapping arrangement in which at least one wire section is routed across the respective one of the space filling routing portions Sccl1 and Sccl2. Herein, the at least one wire section extends out of the surface ms and the at least one wire section is portionwise in a stacked configuration with wire routing of the respect space filling routing portion Sccl1 and Sccl2 along a normal direction of the surface ms.

[0092] In some special illustrative examples herein, at least one of the space filling curves is routed at least partially in a grid or net shaped configuration with at least one crossing node at which two wire routing sections are routed across each other. It is appreciated that crossing nodes represent short-circuit nodes at which a space filling curve is portionwise short-circuited such that an overall conductivity of the current collector may be increased and an internal resistance of the battery cell may be reduced.

[0093] The space filling routing portions Sccl1 and Sc1 are interconnected by an interconnection id routed between the space filling routing portions Sccl1 and Sc1. The space filling routing portions Sccl2 and Sc2 are interconnected by an interconnection ic2 routed between the space filling routing portions Sccl2 and Sc2.

[0094] A wire used for the wire routing W is an electrical conductor material obtained by subjecting an electrically conductive material to punching and / or drawing and / or rolling processes for forming the electrical conductor material into a desired shape. The wire may be formed of copper (Cu) or aluminum (Al) or a combination of both materials. The wire may be at least partially coated with at

[0095] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB least one of tin (Sn), silver (Ag), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), an alloy comprising at least one of these metals, and bi or ternary alloys. In case of a partially coated wire, a core of the coated wire is formed of copper (Cu) or aluminum (Al) or a combination of both materials, the cladding being formed of with at least one of tin (Sn), silver (Ag), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), and bi or ternary alloys which only coat a surface portion of the core such that an exposed surface region of the wire in the substrate is coated, while unexposed surface regions are not coated. Alternatively, the wire may be uncoated. A coated wire may represent a wire which is so as to increase chemical resistance of the wire to the anode and cathode active materials, while using an uncoated wire may decrease fabrication and product costs and result in easier fabrication.

[0096] Referring to Fig. 2a, a cross-sectional view along line a-a in Fig. 2 shown in terms of embodiments of the substrate S having the wire routing W embedded into the substrate such that the wire routing W is partially embedded into the substrate S. The wire routing W may be partially buried into the material of the substrate S, e.g., by employing local heat to the substrate S such that the material of the substrate S locally melts and the wire routing W is partially buried into the substrate S. However, this is not limiting and the wire routing W may be inserted into one or more grooves formed in the surface ms of the substrate S instead of burying the wire routing W into the substrate S.

[0097] Alternatively, the wire routing W may be embedded onto the electrically insulating substrate S such that the wire routing W is routed on the surface ms of the substrate S by fixing the wire to the surface ms such that the wire routing W is arranged on the surface ms. For example, the wire routing W may be formed on the surface ms of the substrate by gluing the wire routing W to the surface ms of the substrate S and the like for achieving mechanical attachment of the wire routing W to the surface ms.

[0098] In some illustrative examples herein, the wire routing W may be a wire coated with a hot-melt material or the substrate S may be a hot-melt material or the substrate S may be coated with a hot-melt material layer (not illustrated). The wire routing W may be mounted to the substrate S by exposing the wire routing W and the substrate S to a bonding process using at least one of heating (e.g., locally or by exposing the entire wire routing W and / or the entire substrate S to a heat source), supersonic, adhesive(s), etc.

[0099] However, the wire routing W being embedded into or onto the surface ms of the substrate S is not limiting and, alternatively, the wire routing W may be cladded onto the surface ms of the substrate

[0100] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB S. The wire routing W may be attached to the substrate S by providing the wire routing W as an integral structure in a desired shape (the desired shape representing at least partly a target shape of the current collector in the battery cell structure), e.g., by punching a metal sheet to a desired form, arranging the integral wire routing W on the surface ms of the substrate S, and subjecting this arrangement to a rolling and / or welding and / or fusing and / or gluing process to mechanically attach the wire routing W to the surface ms of the substrate S.

[0101] With reference to Fig. 3 to 5, various embodiments of battery cell structures and of methods of fabricating battery cell structures are illustrated and described below in greater detail.

[0102] Referring to Fig. 3, a battery cell structure 10 is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view, the battery cell structure 10 comprising a cathode 10a and an anode 10b. The cathode 10a comprises a cathode-side current collector 12a and a cathode-side active material 14a over the cathode-side current collector 12a. The anode 10b comprises an anode-side current collector 12b and an anode-side active material 14b over the anode-side current collector 12b. The battery cell structure 10 further comprises an electrolyte layer 16a over the cathode-side active material 14a and an electrolyte layer 16b over the anode-side active material 14b. The cathode-side current collector 12a and the anode-side current collector 12b comprise each a wire routing embedded into or onto a respective one of electrically insulating substrates 18a and 18b. Each of the current collectors 12a and 12b is formed of a wire routing having a space filling routing portion in contact with a respective on of the active materials 14a and 14b. The space filling routing portion may be provided in accordance with the wire routing W described above with respect to Fig. 2, the disclosure of which being incorporated in total by reference. Each of the substrates 18a and 18b may be provided in accordance with the substrate S as described above.

[0103] As an alternative to the wire embedded anode and cathode current collectors, the cathode-side current collector 12a and / or the anode-side current collector 12b may comprise an electrode cladded onto the electrically insulating substrate 18a and 18b, respectively, as described above in the context of Fig. 2 and the first aspect, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference.

[0104] The electrically insulating substrate 18a has a cavity 18ac formed as a though hole extending through the electrically insulating substrate 18a an in alignment with a cathode contact 12ac electrically connected to the cathode-side current collector 12a. Similarly, the electrically insulating substrate 18b has a cavity 18bc formed as a though hole extending through the electrically insu-

[0105] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB lating substrate 18b an in alignment with an anode contact 12bc electrically connected to the anode-side current collector 12b. Accordingly, each of the contacts 12ac, 12bc is exposed for exterior tapping of the battery cell structure 10.

[0106] With ongoing reference to Fig. 3, a battery separator 19 is interposed between the cathode 10a and the anode 10b of the battery cell structure 10. The battery separator 19 comprises a stacked arrangement of a separator 19a sandwiched between electrically insulating layers 19b. The battery separator 19 physically separates the cathode 10a and the anode 10b against each other, permitting charge carrier exchange among the electrolytes 16a, 16b. The layers 19b have cavities formed therein in alignment with the active materials 14a, 14b and the contacts 12ac, 12bs such that the cavity within each layer 19b receives respective active materials 14a, 14b and electrolytes 16a, 16b, while contacts 12ac, 12bc rest on outer surfaces of the battery separator 19, i.e., surfaces of the layers 19b opposite to surfaces contacting the separator 19a in the battery separator 19.

[0107] The active materials 14a, 14b represent redox active materials of a redox pair on which the battery cell structure is based, i.e., materials having different electrode potentials in the galvanic series such that an electron donating material is provided by a reducing agent material which is oxidized and an electron accepting material is provided by an oxidizing agent material which is reduced in the redox pair. As shown in Fig. 3, the active materials 14a, 14b are provided as prepatterned films which may be inserted into a cavity. In this respect, each of the cathode 10a and anode 10b represent half-cells in the battery cell structure 10, these half-cells being separated by the separator 19a. The separator 19a may be a membrane configured for allowing conductive ions passing among the half-cells in the battery cell structure 10, for example. The half-cells are laminated into a laminates stack arrangement, e.g., by hot or cold lamination.

[0108] Referring to Fig. 4, a battery separator 20 is illustrated, the battery separator 20 comprising a stacked or prelaminated configuration formed of a separator 26 interposed between an electrically insulating layer 22 and an electrically insulating layer 24. The electrically insulating layer 22 has a cavity 22c formed therein, the cavity 22c representing a through hole in the electrically insulating layer 22 and exposing a surface portion of the separator 26 in the battery separator 20. Similarly, the electrically insulating layer 24 has a cavity 24c formed therein, the cavity 24c representing a through hole in the electrically insulating layer 24 and exposing a surface portion of the separator 26 in the battery separator 20. The cavities 22c and 24c are in alignment with each other. In

[0109] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB particular, the cavities 22c and 24c are congruent to each other and arranged in total alignment with respect to each other on opposite sides of the separator 26.

[0110] Each of the electrically insulating layers 22 and 24 may be formed of a thermoplastic material (e.g., PVC, PC, PET or others). The separator 26 is provided for physically separating the cavities 22c and 24c and configured so as to allow passing of charge carriers of active materials to be arranged in the cavities 22c and 24c through the separator 26. For example, the separator 26 may be a membrane adapted to the redox pair of active materials of a battery cell to be formed by using the battery separator 20.

[0111] In some illustrative embodiments, the battery separator 20 may correspond to the battery separator 19 and / or combined with the substrate S described above. Accordingly, the embodiments described above with respect to Fig. 1 to 4 may be combined.

[0112] Referring to Fig. 5a to 5h, a method of forming a battery cell structure in accordance with some illustrative embodiments is described.

[0113] Fig. 5a shows an initial battery structure 30a at an initial stage during fabrication. The initial battery cell structure 30a comprises an electrically insulating substrate 32 with a wire routing comprising at least wire routing portions 32a, 32b embedded into / onto or cladded onto a main surface of the electrically insulating substrate 32 as provided in the initial stage during fabrication. The electrically insulating substrate 32 may be provided in accordance with the substrate S as described above with respect to Fig. 2, 2a, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. Particularly, the electrically insulating substrate 32 may correspond to the substrate S and the wire routing of Fig. 5a may correspond to the wire routing W described above. The at least two wire routing portions 32a, 32b are formed adjacent to each other in the surface of the electrically insulating substrate 32, optionally separated by insulating separators 33 surrounding each of the wire routing portions 32a, 32b.

[0114] Fig. 5b shows a battery cell structure 30b in accordance with an optional advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 30b being based on the battery cell structure 30a subjected to a process in which layer 32c is formed on the wire routing portion 32a and in which a layer 32d is formed on the wire routing portion 32b. In the battery cell structure 30b, the wire routing portion 32a is coated with the layer 32c and the wire routing portion 32b is coated with the layer 32d. At least one of the layers 32c, 32d is optional and may not be present in the subsequently described

[0115] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB structures, although Fig. 5b and following show the layers 32c, 32d. The layers 32c, 32d may be deposited by printing.

[0116] In illustrative embodiments, the layers 32c, 32d may be provided by a carbon comprising material and / or a conductive material which is not redox active relative to a material to be formed on layer(s) 32c and / or 32d for avoiding a redox active contact of layer(s) 32a and / or 32b and any subsequently formed overlying material. For example, a carbon coating may passivate copper or aluminum or nickel wires against Manganese (Mn) comprising material on cathode side of a final battery cell structure, such as Manganese dioxide (MnC>2), while tin (Sn) may be used for plating copper wires at anode side of the final battery cell structure. At the anode side, a noble metal passivation or plating of anode-side wire routings may lead to H2 generation during operation in a Mn+3 / Zn configuration for the final battery cell structure, while Sn or noble metal coating on a cathode-side wire routing of the Mn02 / Zn configuration for the final battery cell structure may be advantageous.

[0117] Fig. 5c shows a battery cell structure 30c in accordance with a more advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 30c being based on the battery cell structure 30b or 30a (in case the stage of 30b being omitted) subjected to a process in which a sealing 34 is selectively formed so as to surround each of the wire routing portions 32a, 32b. In case the separator 33 is present, the sealing 34 is formed on the separator 33. The sealing 34 may be formed by screenprinting.

[0118] Fig. 5d shows a battery cell structure 30d in accordance with a more advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 30d being based on the battery cell structure 30c subjected to a process in which a first active material 35a is formed over the wire routing portion 32a. The first active material 35a may be an anode-side active material of a redox pair, e.g., Zn, or a cathodeside active material, e.g., MnC>2. The first active material 35a may be formed by screenprinting.

[0119] Fig. 5e shows a battery cell structure 30e in accordance with a more advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 30e being based on the battery cell structure 30d subjected to a process in which a second active material 35b is formed over the wire routing portion 32b. The second active material 35b is complementary to the first active material in a redox pair. Accordingly, the second active material 35b may be an anode-side active material for the first active material 35a being a cathode-side material, e.g., the second active material 35b comprising Zn, or a cathode-side active material for the first active material 35a being an anode-side material, e.g., the second active material 35b comprising MnC>2. The second active material 35b may be formed by screenprinting.

[0120] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB Fig. 5f shows a battery cell structure 30f in accordance with a more advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 30f being based on the battery cell structure 30e subjected to a process in which an electrolyte layer 36a is formed on the first active material 35a and an electrolyte layer 36b is formed on the second active material 35b. The sealing 34 may define a space over the first and second active materials 35a, 35b acting as a receptable for receiving the electrolyte layers 36a and 36b. The electrolyte layers 36a, 36b may be formed by screenprinting.

[0121] Fig. 5g shows a battery cell structure 30g in accordance with a more advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 30g being based on the battery cell structure 30f subjected to a process in which a separator 37 is formed on one of the electrolyte layers 36a, 36b, e.g., the electrolyte layer 36b as shown in Fig. 5g. Alternatively, the separator 37 may be formed on the electrolyte layer 36a or on both of electrolyte layers 36a, 36b. The separator 37 may be formed by pick and place.

[0122] With ongoing reference to Fig. 5g, the battery cell structure 30g has half-cells 30g1 and 30g2. The half-cell 30g1 comprises the first active material 35a, while the half-cell 30g2 comprises the second active material 35b.

[0123] Fig. 5h shows a battery cell structure 30h in accordance with a more advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 30h being based on the battery cell structure 30g subjected to a process in which folding as indicated by an arrow in Fig. 5h. The half-cells 30g1 and 30g2 are flapped over each other by arranging the electrolyte layer 36a is flapped over the separator 37 such that the electrolyte layers 36a and 36b are in complete alignment. In the alignment of battery cell structure 30h, the sealings 34 are in complete alignment.

[0124] Subsequently, the folded battery cell structure 30h is subjected to a lamination process, e.g., a hot lamination process.

[0125] Referring to Fig. 6a to 6c, a method of forming a battery structure in accordance with some illustrative embodiments is described. A battery structure may comprise a plurality of interconnected battery cells. The battery cells may be coupled in parallel or series.

[0126] Fig. 6a shows an initial battery structure 40a at an initial stage during fabrication. The initial battery structure 40a comprises initial half-cells 40a1 and 40a2 formed adjacent to each other on a surface

[0127] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB of an electrically insulating substrate 42 with a wire routing comprising at least wire routing portions 42a1 , 42a2 embedded into / onto or cladded onto a main surface of the electrically insulating substrate 42. The electrically insulating substrate 42 may be provided in accordance with the substrate S as described above with respect to Fig. 2, 2a, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. Particularly, the electrically insulating substrate 42 may correspond to the substrate S and the wire routing of Fig. 6a may correspond to the wire routing W described above. The at least two wire routing portions 42a1 , 42a2 are formed adjacent to each other in the surface of the electrically insulating substrate 42, separated by insulating separators 43 surrounding each of the wire routing portions 42a1 , 42a2. Furthermore, the wire routing portion 42a2 is electrically connected with an interconnection pad 44a1. The interconnection pad 44a1 is arranged between the wire routing portions 42a1 and 42a2. However, this does not impose any limitation and the interconnection pad 44a1 may be connected to the wire routing portion 42a1 and / or arranged at one side of only one of the wire routing portions 42a1 , 42a2.

[0128] The half-cell 40a1 may comprise layer 42b1 formed on the wire routing portions 42a1 and the halfcell 40a2 may comprise layer 42b2 formed on the wire routing portions 42a2. For example, the wire routing portion 42a1 may be coated with the layer 42b1 and the wire routing portion 42a2 may be coated with the layer 42a2. At least one of the layers 42b1 , 42b2 may be optional and may not be present in the subsequently described structures, although Fig. 6a to 6c show the layers 42b1 , 42b2. The layers 42b1 , 42b2 may be deposited by printing. The layers 42b1 , 42b2 may be provided by a carbon comprising material and / or a conductive material which is not redox active relative to a material to be formed on layer(s) 42b1 and / or 42b2 for avoiding an redox active contact of layer(s) 42b1 and / or 42b2 and any subsequently formed overlying material. For example, a carbon coating may passivate copper or aluminum or nickel wires against Manganese (Mn) on cathode side of a final battery cell structure, while tin (Sn) may be used for plating copper wires at anode side of the final battery cell structure. At the anode side, a noble metal passivation or plating of anode-side wire routings may lead to H2 generation during operation in a Mn+3 / Zn configuration for the final battery cell structure, while Sn or noble metal coating on a cathode-side wire routing of the Mn02 / Zn configuration for the final battery cell structure may be advantageous.

[0129] With ongoing reference to Fig. 6a, a sealing 44 is formed on outer separators 33, the sealing 44 surrounding both half-cells 40a1 and 40b2. The sealing 44 may be formed by screenprinting. Furthermore, active materials 42c1 and 42c2 are formed over the wire routing portions 42a1 and 42a2. The active materials 42c1 and 42c2 may be complementary active materials of a redox pair, e.g., one of the active materials 42c1 and 42c2 may be an anode-side active material of a redox

[0130] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB pair, e.g., Zn, or a cathode-side active material, e.g., MnC>2, while the other one of the active materials 42c1 and 42c2 may be the complementary material. The active materials 42c1 and 42c2 may be formed by screenprinting. A separator 43 is further formed between each active material 42c1 and 42c2 and the interconnection pad 44a1 . A conductive glue 44a2 may be formed on the interconnection pad 44a1.

[0131] Referring to Fig. 6b, a sheet-to-sheet fabrication process is shown, two initial battery structures 40a and 40b are shown, the initial battery structure 40b complying with the initial battery structure 40a. The initial battery structure 40b having an electrically insulating substrate 42b on which wire routing portions 42d1 and 42d2 are formed in compliance with wire routing portions 42a1 and 42a2. An optional layer 42e1 and 42e2, respectively, may be formed on the wire routing portion 42a1 and 42a2, respectively, similar to layers 42b1 , 42b2. Active materials 42f1 and 42f2 are formed over the wire routing portions 42d1 , 42d2 similar to active materials 42c1 , 42c2. The initial battery structure 40b further has an interconnection pad 44b1 similar to interconnection pad 44a1 , the interconnection pad 44b1 having a conductive glue 44b2 formed on the interconnection pad 44b1.

[0132] The initial battery structure 40b is flipped and arranged over the initial battery structure 40a in an alignment of interconnection pads 44a1 and 44b1 with each other. A battery separator has a through hole 45a extending through the battery separator 45. The battery separator 45 has a two electrolyte layers e1 and e2 sandwiching a separator e3 corresponding to the separator 19a and 26 as described above. The battery separator 45 is arranged between the initial battery structures 40a and 40b such that the through hole 45a is in alignment with the interconnection pads 44a1 and 44b1 such that the conductive glues 44a2 and 44b2 may come into contact with each other. Accordingly, a battery structure 40 may be formed when laminating the half-cells 40a and 40b together as shown in Fig. 6b.

[0133] Referring to Fig. 6c, an alternative reel-to-reel process R2R is schematically shown in which initial half-cells 40 and 40b are not provided on a sheet-to-sheet basis but continuously feed by dedicated reels R2R1 and R2R2, while the battery separator 45 is supplied via a reel R2R3. Accordingly, a continuous battery structure fabrication is implemented.

[0134] Subsequent to any of the processes of Fig. 6b and 6c, a battery structure may be obtained by applying a lamination process, e.g., a hot lamination process.

[0135] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB Referring to Fig. 7, a battery system 50 as obtained after any of the processes of Fig. 6b and 6c is schematically illustrated in accordance with some illustrative embodiments. The battery system 50 comprises complementary half-cell structures 50a, 50b which are each formed on a dedicated one of electrically insulating substrates 52a and 52b. Each of the substrates 52a, 52b may be provided in accordance with the initial battery structures 40a, 40b.

[0136] Each of the half-cell structures 50a, 50b has wire routing portions 52a1 , 52a2 on substrate 52a and wire routing portions 52b1 , 52b2 on substrate 52b, similarly to wire routing portions 42a1 and 42a2 described above. An optional layer 53a may be formed on at least one of the wire routing portions 52a1 , 52a2, 52b1 , and 52b2, similar to layers 42b1 , 42b2 described above. Complementary active materials 54a1 and 54a2 are formed over the wire routing portions 52a1 and 52a2, while complementary active materials 54b1 and 54b2 are formed over the wire routing portions 52b1 and 52b2. The complementary active material pairs 54a1 , 54a2 and 54b1 , 54b2 are similar to active material pairs 42a1 , 42a2 and 42c1 , 42c2 described above. The battery structure 50 further has a battery separator 56 in accordance with battery separator 45 described above. The battery separator 56 is interposed between the half-cell structures 50a, 50b such that complementary active material pairs 54a1 , 54b1 and 54a2, 54b2 are separated by the battery separator 56. Battery cells of the battery structure 50 are interconnected by interconnection pads 57a1 and 57b1 similar to interconnection pads 44a1 and 44b1 , the interconnection pads 57a1 , 57b1 being interconnected by conductive glue 57ab. The battery cell structure 50 is sealed by sealing 53a and 53b.

[0137] Referring to Fig. 8a to 8e, different configurations of current collectors are schematically illustrated in top views.

[0138] Referring to Fig. 8a, wire routing comprising current collectors CCL1 and CCL2 are shown. The current collectors CCL1 and CCL2 are formed as space filling areas each. The current collectors CCL1 and CCL2 may be of a rectangular shape, although any regular or irregular polygonal shape or a circular or elliptical shape may be used. A shape of current collector is preferably congruent to a shape of active material to be formed over the current collector.

[0139] The current collectors CCL1 and CCL2 are electrical conductor materials obtained by subjecting an electrically conductive material to punching or rolling processes or deposition-etching processes or printing processes for forming the electrical conductor material into a desired shape. The current collectors CCL1 and CCL2 may be formed of copper (Cu) or aluminum (Al) or nickel

[0140] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB (Ni) or a combination of both materials or an alloy. At least one of the current collectors CCL1 and CCL2 may be coated with at least one of a carbon comprising material, tin (Sn), silver (Ag), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), and bi or ternary alloys. Alternatively, at least one of the current collectors CCL1 and CCL2 may be uncoated.

[0141] In some illustrative embodiments, the current collectors CCL1 and CCL2 may be partially embedded into a substrate either by burying at least one of the current collectors CCL1 and CCL2 into a substrate (e.g., by using local heating of the substrate) and / or inserting at least one of the current collectors CCL1 and CCL2 into a groove formed in a surface of the substrate.

[0142] In some illustrative embodiments, at least one of the current collectors CCL1 and CCL2 may be cladded onto an electrically insulating substrate. For example, at least one of the current collectors CCL1 and CCL2 is attached on the substrate by providing the electrode in a desired shape (the desired shape representing at least partly a target shape of the current collector in the battery cell structure), e.g., by punching a metal sheet to a desired form, arranging it on a surface of the electrically insulating substrate, and subjecting this arrangement to a rolling and / or welding and / or fusing and / or gluing process to mechanically attach the electrode material to the surface of the electrically insulating substrate.

[0143] Referring to Fig. 8b, wire routing comprising current collectors CCL3 and CCL4 are shown. The current collector CCL3 is formed as a wire loop routing and CCL4 is formed as a space filling area. The shape of the wire loop routing of the current collector CCL3 may be of a rectangular shape, although any regular or irregular polygonal shape or a circular or elliptical shape may be used. The current collector CCL4 may be of a rectangular shape, although any regular or irregular polygonal shape or a circular or elliptical shape may be used. A shape of current collector is preferably congruent to a shape of active material to be formed over the current collector.

[0144] The current collector CCL4 is formed of an electrical conductor material obtained by subjecting an electrically conductive material to punching or rolling processes or deposition-etching processes or printing processes for forming the electrical conductor material into a desired shape.

[0145] The current collectors CCL3 and CCL4 may be formed of copper (Cu) or aluminum (Al) or or nickel (Ni) a combination of both materials or an alloy. At least one of the current collectors CCL3 and CCL4 may be coated with at least one of a carbon comprising material, tin (Sn), silver (Ag), nickel

[0146] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB (Ni), gold (Au), and bi or ternary alloys. Alternatively, at least one of the current collectors CCL3 and CCL4 may be uncoated.

[0147] In some illustrative embodiments, the current collectors CCL3 and CCL4 may be partially embedded into a substrate either by burying at least one of the current collectors CCL3 and CCL4 into a substrate (e.g., by using local heating of the substrate) and / or inserting at least one of the current collectors CCL3 and CCL4 into a groove formed in a surface of the substrate.

[0148] In some illustrative embodiments, at least one of the current collectors CCL3 and CCL4 may be cladded onto an electrically insulating substrate. For example, at least one of the current collectors CCL3 and CCL4 is attached on the substrate by providing the electrode in a desired shape (the desired shape representing at least partly a target shape of the current collector in the battery cell structure), e.g., by punching a metal sheet to a desired form, arranging it on a surface of the electrically insulating substrate, and subjecting this arrangement to a rolling and / or welding and / or fusing and / or gluing process to mechanically attach the electrode material to the surface of the electrically insulating substrate.

[0149] Referring to Fig. 8c, wire routing comprising current collectors CCL5 and CCL6 are shown. The current collector CCL5 is formed as a wire loop mesh routing and the current collector CCL6 is formed as a space filling area. The shape of the wire loop mesh routing of the current collector CCL5 may have an outline of a rectangular shape, although any regular or irregular polygonal shape or a circular or elliptical shape may be used. The mesh may have a polygonal meshing, but curved meshing may be used instead. The current collector CCL6 may be of a rectangular shape, although any regular or irregular polygonal shape or a circular or elliptical shape may be used. A shape of current collector is preferably congruent to a shape of active material to be formed over the current collector.

[0150] The current collector CCL6 is formed of an electrical conductor material obtained by subjecting an electrically conductive material to punching or rolling processes or deposition-etching processes or printing processes for forming the electrical conductor material into a desired shape.

[0151] The current collectors CCL5 and CCL6 may be formed of copper (Cu) or aluminum (Al) or or nickel (Ni) a combination of both materials or an alloy. At least one of the current collectors CCL5 and CCL6 may be coated with at least one of a carbon comprising material, tin (Sn), silver (Ag), nickel

[0152] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB (Ni), gold (Au), and bi or ternary alloys. Alternatively, at least one of the current collectors CCL5 and CCL6 may be uncoated.

[0153] In some illustrative embodiments, the current collectors CCL5 and CCL6 may be partially embedded into a substrate either by burying at least one of the current collectors CCL5 and CCL6 into a substrate (e.g., by using local heating of the substrate) and / or inserting at least one of the current collectors CCL5 and CCL6 into a groove formed in a surface of the substrate.

[0154] In some illustrative embodiments, at least one of the current collectors CCL5 and CCL6 may be cladded onto an electrically insulating substrate. For example, at least one of the current collectors CCL5 and CCL6 is attached on the substrate by providing the electrode in a desired shape (the desired shape representing at least partly a target shape of the current collector in the battery cell structure), e.g., by punching a metal sheet to a desired form, arranging it on a surface of the electrically insulating substrate, and subjecting this arrangement to a rolling and / or welding and / or fusing and / or gluing process to mechanically attach the electrode material to the surface of the electrically insulating substrate.

[0155] Referring to Fig. 8d, wire routing comprising current collectors CCL7 and CCL8 are shown. The current collectors CCL7 is formed as an interleaved structure with an outline of a shape of the interleaving current collectors CCL 7.

[0156] The current collectors CCL7 and CCL8 are formed of an electrical conductor materials obtained by subjecting an electrically conductive material to punching or rolling processes or depositionetching processes or printing processes for forming the electrical conductor material into a desired shape.

[0157] The current collectors CCL7 and CCL8 may be formed of copper (Cu) or aluminum (Al) or nickel (Ni) or a combination of both materials or an alloy. At least one of the current collectors CCL7 and CCL8 may be coated with at least one of a carbon comprising material, tin (Sn), silver (Ag), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), and bi or ternary alloys. Alternatively, at least one of the current collectors CCL7 and CCL8 may be uncoated.

[0158] In some illustrative embodiments, the current collectors CCL7 and CCL8 may be partially embedded into a substrate either by burying at least one of the current collectors CCL7 and CCL8 into a

[0159] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB substrate (e.g., by using local heating of the substrate) and / or inserting at least one of the current collectors CCL7 and CCL8 into a groove formed in a surface of the substrate.

[0160] In some illustrative embodiments, at least one of the current collectors CCL7 and CCL8 may be cladded onto an electrically insulating substrate. For example, at least one of the current collectors CCL7 and CCL8 is attached on the substrate by providing the electrode in a desired shape (the desired shape representing at least partly a target shape of the current collector in the battery cell structure), e.g., by punching a metal sheet to a desired form, arranging it on a surface of the electrically insulating substrate, and subjecting this arrangement to a rolling and / or welding and / or fusing and / or gluing process to mechanically attach the electrode material to the surface of the electrically insulating substrate.

[0161] Referring to Fig. 8e, a wire routing comprising current collector CCL9 is shown. The current collector CCL9 is formed as an interleaved structure with an outline of a shape of two interleaving meander-shapes rotated with respect to each other. The current collector CCL9 is formed of a wire routed in accordance with a space filling curve comprising at least one wire section routed in an overlapping arrangement with respect to at least one other wire section of the current collector CCL9 such that a node point NP is provided at a wire section routed to extend across another wire section of the current collector CCL9. For example, one of the wire sections extends out of a surface which is covered and / or into which the current collector CCL9 is embedded. At the node point NP, the at least current collector CCL9 has portionwise a stacked configuration with a wire section of the current collector CCL9 extending out of the surface in or on which the current collector CCL9 is formed. Upon routing the wire of the current collector CCL9 so as to provide plural node pointes, a grid or net shaped configuration with crossing nodes such as node point NP is provided, wire routing sections of the current collector CCL9 being routed across each other at each crossing node such as at the node point NP. In providing plural crossing nodes, plural short- circuit nodes are formed at which the current collector CCL9 is portionwise short-circuited and an overall conductivity of the current collector is increased (and an internal resistance of the battery cell is reduced), similarly to the mesh of current collector CCL5 as described above.

[0162] The current collector CCL9 is formed of an electrical conductor material obtained by subjecting an electrically conductive material to punching or rolling processes or deposition-etching processes or printing processes for forming the electrical conductor material into a desired shape.

[0163] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB The current collector CCL9 may be formed of copper (Cu) or aluminum (Al) or nickel (Ni) or a combination of both materials or an alloy. Optionally, the current collector CCL9 may be coated with at least one of a carbon comprising material, tin (Sn), silver (Ag), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), and bi or ternary alloys. Alternatively, the current collector CCL9 may be uncoated.

[0164] In some illustrative embodiments, the current collector CCL9 may be partially embedded into a substrate either by burying the current collector CCL9 into a substrate (e.g., by using local heating of the substrate) and / or inserting the current collector CCL9 into a groove formed in a surface of the substrate.

[0165] In some illustrative embodiments, the current collectors CCL9 may be cladded onto an electrically insulating substrate. For example, the current collector CCL9 is attached on the substrate by providing the electrode in a desired shape (the desired shape representing at least partly a target shape of the current collector in the battery cell structure), e.g., by punching a metal sheet to a desired form, arranging it on a surface of the electrically insulating substrate, and subjecting this arrangement to a rolling and / or welding and / or fusing and / or gluing process to mechanically attach the electrode material to the surface of the electrically insulating substrate.

[0166] Any of the configurations described above and illustrated in Fig. 8a to 8e may be employed in any of the embodiments described above with respect to Fig. 2 to 7. Any of the embodiments described above with respect to Fig. 8 may be provided in accordance with the disclosure of the wire routing W described above with respect to Fig. 2.

[0167] In some illustrative embodiments as described above with respect to Fig. 8, a current collector is provided by a space filling curve. The space filling curve may be of a planar or flat type such that the space filling curve is an area filling curve. For example, an area filling curve may be a purely meander-shaped routing in which no crossing of wire routing sections occurs and the curve has a pure planar or two dimensional configuration. A two dimensional configuration is understood as being represented by a configuration which may be parameterized substantially by two parameters or it may be mapped into a configuration which is homeomorphic to a configuration which is parameterized by only two parameters. However, this does not impose any limitation and a space filling curve may comprise at least one wire section routed in an overlapping arrangement with respect to at least one other wire section of at least one space filling routing portion. In other words, at least one wire section of a dedicated space filling routing portion is routed to extend across another wire section of the dedicated space filling routing portion. For example, at least one wire

[0168] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB section extends out of a surface which is covered and / or into which the space filling wire routing portion is embedded such that the at least one wire section is portionwise in a stacked configuration with the wire routing of the respect space filling routing portion along a normal direction of the surface. In some more specific illustrative example herein, at least one space filling routing portion is routed at least partially in a grid or net shaped configuration with at least one crossing node at which two wire routing sections of the dedicated space filling routing portion are routed across each other. In providing crossing nodes, short-circuit nodes are formed at which the space filling routing portion is portionwise short-circuited and an overall conductivity of the current collector is increased (and an internal resistance of the battery cell is reduced).

[0169] Referring to Fig. 9a to 9g, a method of forming a battery cell structure in accordance with some illustrative embodiments is described.

[0170] Fig. 9a shows an initial battery structure 60a at an initial stage during fabrication. The initial battery cell structure 60a comprises an electrically insulating substrate 62 with a wire routing comprising at least wire routing portions 62a, 62b embedded into / onto or cladded onto a main surface of the electrically insulating substrate 62 as provided in the initial stage during fabrication. The electrically insulating substrate 62 may be provided in accordance with the substrate S as described above with respect to Fig. 2, 2a, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. Particularly, the electrically insulating substrate 62 may correspond to the substrate S and the wire routing of Fig. 9a may correspond to the wire routing W described above. The at least two wire routing portions 62a, 62b are formed adjacent to each other in the surface of the electrically insulating substrate 62.

[0171] Fig. 9b shows a battery cell structure 60b in accordance with an optional advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 60b being based on the battery cell structure 60a subjected to a process in which layer 63 is formed on the wire routing portion 62a and / or the wire routing portion 62b. In the battery cell structure 60b, the wire routing portion 62a is coated with the layer 63 and / or the wire routing portion 62b is coated with the layer 63. The layer 63 may be optional or only formed on one of the wire routing portions 62a, 62b. Instead, the layer 63 may not be present in the subsequently described structures, although Fig. 9b and following show the layer 63. The layer 63 may be deposited by printing.

[0172] In illustrative embodiments, the layer 63 may be provided by a carbon comprising material or a conductive material which is not redox active relative to a material to be formed on the layer 63

[0173] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB for avoiding an redox active contact from wire routing 62a and / or 62b and any subsequently formed overlying redox active material. For example, a carbon coating may passivate copper or aluminum or nickel wires against Manganese (Mn) comprising active material on cathode side of a final battery cell structure, such as MnC>2, while tin (Sn) may be used for plating copper wires at anode side of the final battery cell structure. At the anode side, a noble metal passivation or plating of anode-side wire routings may lead to H2 generation during operation in a Mn02 / Zn configuration for the final battery cell structure, while Sn or noble metal coating on a cathode-side wire routing of the MnC>2 / Zn configuration for the final battery cell structure may be advantageous.

[0174] Fig. 9c shows a battery cell structure 60c in accordance with a more advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 60c being based on the battery cell structure 60b or 60a (in case the stage of 60b being omitted) subjected to a process in which a sealing 64 is selectively formed so as to surround each of the wire routing portions 62a, 62b. The sealing 64 may be formed by screenprinting.

[0175] Fig. 9d shows a battery cell structure 60d in accordance with a more advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 60d being based on the battery cell structure 60c subjected to a process in which a first active material 65a is formed over the wire routing portion 62a. The first active material 65a may be an anode-side active material of a redox pair, e.g., Zn, or a cathodeside active material, e.g., MnC>2. The first active material 65a may be formed by screenprinting.

[0176] Fig. 9e shows a battery cell structure 60e in accordance with a more advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 60e being based on the battery cell structure 60d subjected to a process in which a second active material 65b is formed over the wire routing portion 62b. The second active material 65b is complementary to the first active material in a redox pair. Accordingly, the second active material 65b may be an anode-side active material for the first active material 65a being a cathode-side material, e.g., the second active material 65b comprising Zn, or a cathode-side active material for the first active material 65a being an anode-side material, e.g., the second active material 65b comprising MnC>2. The second active material 65b may be formed by screenprinting.

[0177] Fig. 9f shows a battery cell structure 6f in accordance with a more advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 60f being based on the battery cell structure 60e subjected to a process in which an electrolyte layer 66 is formed on the first active material 65a and the second active material 65b. The sealing 64 may define a space over the first and second active materials

[0178] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB 65a, 65b acting as a receptable for receiving the electrolyte layer 66. The electrolyte layer 66 may be formed by screenprinting.

[0179] Fig. 9g shows a battery cell structure 60g in accordance with a more advanced stage during fabrication, the battery cell structure 60g being based on the battery cell structure 60f subjected to a process in which another electrically insulating substrate 62’ is arranged on the electrolyte layer 66 and the sealing 64 for encapsulating the electrolyte layer 66 into the battery cell structure 60g.

[0180] Subsequently, the battery cell structure 60g is subjected to a lamination process, e.g., a hot lamination process. Accordingly, a coplanar version of the battery cell structure 60g is obtained.

[0181] With reference to Fig. 10 to 13, 13a, various further embodiments of battery cell structures are illustrated and described below in greater detail.

[0182] Referring to Fig. 10, a battery cell structure 70 is shown in a schematic perspective view, the battery cell structure 70 comprising a cathode and an anode housed in a vertical stacking in a housing formed of two housing halves 71 a and 71 b, physically separated by a battery separator including a stacking of electrolyte layers with an interposed separator. The cathode and anode are described below as first and second electrodes, where the first electrode denotes one of the cathode and anode, while the second electrode denotes the other one of the cathode and anode. The first electrode comprises a first current collector 72a and a first active material 73a formed over the first current collector 72a (optionally a passivating layer comprising a carbon or passivating material, formed between the first active material 73a and the first current collector 72a). The second electrode comprises a second current collector 72b and a second active material 73b formed over the second current collector 72b.

[0183] The first electrode further comprises a first electrolyte layer 74a on the first active material 73a and the second electrode further comprises a second electrolyte layer 74b on the second active material 73b. A separator 75 is arranged between the first and second electrolyte layers 74a, 74b, the separator 75 physically separates the first and second electrodes. The separator 75 is configured to physically separate the two electrodes, however allowing a passing through of charge carriers through the separator 75. For example, the separator 75 may be a membrane chosen on its function relative to the redox materials and electrolyte materials of the battery cell structure 70.

[0184] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB The first and second current collectors 72a, 72b may be provided in accordance with any of the current collectors and wire routings, respectively, as described above. The first and second current collectors 72a, 72b may each be formed of a wire routing embedded into or onto a respective one of the housing halves 71 a, 71 b. Alternatively, the first and second current collectors 72a, 72b may each cladded onto a respective one of the housing halves 71a, 71 b. The disclosures of embedded and cladded wiring routings are incorporated by reference.

[0185] In some illustrative embodiments herein, each of the housing halves 71 a, 71 b may be formed of an electrically insulating substrate such as the substrate S described above. For example, at least one of the housing halves 71a, 71 b may be drawn into a concave / convex shape such that a receptacle is formed for housing the first and second electrodes. A sealing 76 encapsulates the first and second electrodes into the housing.

[0186] As shown in Fig. 10, a first electrode contact 72a1 and a second electrode contact 72b1 is exposed for exterior tapping of the battery cell structure 70. The first electrode contact 72a1 is electrically connected with the first current collector 72a and the second electrode contact 72b1 is electrically connected with the second current collector 72b. The first and second electrode contacts 72a1 , 72b1 lead out from the battery cell structure 70 at opposite sides of the battery cell structure 70. Alternatively, the first and second electrode contacts 72a1 , 72b1 may be led out from the battery cell structure 70 at the same side of the battery cell structure 70.

[0187] The first and second active materials 73a, 73b represent redox active materials of a redox pair on which the battery cell structure is based, i.e., materials having different electrode potentials in the galvanic series such that an electron donating material is provided by an reducing agent material which is oxidized and an electron accepting material is provided by an oxidizing agent material which is reduced in the redox pair. As shown in Fig. 10, the first and second active materials 73a, 73b may be provided as prepatterned films for insertion into the housing of the battery cell structure 70. The battery cell structure 70 may be at least partially laminated, e.g., at least some components of the battery cell structure 70 may be laminated. Lamination may be achieved by hot or cold lamination, for example.

[0188] Referring to Fig. 11 , a battery cell structure 80 is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view, the battery cell structure 80 comprising a cathode and an anode housed in a vertical stacking in a housing formed of two housing halves 82a and 82b, physically separated by a battery separator including a stacking of electrolyte layers with an interposed separator. The cathode and anode are

[0189] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB described below as first and second electrodes, where the first electrode denotes one of the cathode and anode, while the second electrode denotes the other one of the cathode and anode. The first electrode comprises a first current collector 82a1 and a first active material 83a formed over the first current collector 82a1 (optionally a passivating layer comprising a carbon or passivating material, formed between the first active material 83a and the first current collector 82a1 ). The second electrode comprises a second current collector 82b1 and a second active material 83b formed over the second current collector 82b1 .

[0190] The first electrode further comprises a first electrolyte layer 84a on the first active material 83a and the second electrode further comprises a second electrolyte layer 84b on the second active material 83b. A separator 85 is arranged between the first and second electrolyte layers 84a, 84b, the separator 85 physically separates the first and second electrodes. The separator 85 is configured to physically separate the two electrodes, however allowing a passing through of charge carriers through the separator 85. For example, the separator 85 may be a membrane chosen on its function relative to the redox materials and electrolyte materials of the battery cell structure 80.

[0191] The first and second current collectors 82a1 , 82b1 may be provided in accordance with any of the current collectors and wire routings, respectively, as described above. The first and second current collectors 82a1 , 82b1 may each be formed of a wire routing embedded into or onto a respective one of the housing halves 82a, 82b. Alternatively, the first and second current collectors 82a1 , 82b1 may each cladded onto a respective one of the housing halves 82a, 82b. The disclosures of embedded and cladded wiring routings are incorporated by reference.

[0192] In some illustrative embodiments herein, each of the housing halves 82a, 82b may be formed of an electrically insulating substrate such as the substrate S described above. For example, at least one of the housing halves 82a, 82b may be drawn into a concave / convex shape such that a receptacle is formed for housing the first and second electrodes. A sealing with sealing elements 86a, 86b encapsulates the first and second electrodes into the housing where the separator 86 is sandwiched between the sealing elements 86a, 86b.

[0193] As shown in Fig. 11 , a first electrode contact 82a2 and a second electrode contact 82b2 is exposed for exterior tapping of the battery cell structure 80. The first electrode contact 82a2 is electrically connected with the first current collector 82a1 and the second electrode contact 82b2 is electrically connected with the second current collector 82b1.The first and second electrode contacts 82a2, 82b2 lead out from the battery cell structure 80 at the same side of the battery cell structure 80.

[0194] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB Alternatively, the first and second electrode contacts 82a2, 82b2 may be led out from the battery cell structure 80 at opposite sides of the battery cell structure 80.

[0195] The first and second active materials 83a, 83b represent redox active materials of a redox pair on which the battery cell structure is based, i.e., materials having different electrode potentials in the galvanic series such that an electron donating material is provided by a reducing agent material which is oxidized and an electron accepting material is provided by an oxidizing agent material which is reduced in the redox pair. As shown in Fig. 11 , the first and second active materials 83a, 83b may be provided as prepatterned films for insertion into the housing of the battery cell structure 80. The battery cell structure 80 may be at least partially laminated, e.g., at least some components of the battery cell structure 80 may be laminated. Lamination may be achieved by hot or cold lamination, for example.

[0196] In any of the battery cell structures 70 and 80 as described above, at least one of the electrolyte layers may be a solid electrolyte and / or at least one of the electrolyte layers may be a liquid or gel electrolyte.

[0197] Referring to Fig. 12, a battery cell structure 90 having a coplanar configuration is shown in a schematic perspective view, the battery cell structure 90 comprising a cathode and an anode housed in a vertical stacking in a housing formed of two housing halves 92a and 92b. The cathode and anode are described below as first and second electrodes, where the first electrode denotes one of the cathode and anode, while the second electrode denotes the other one of the cathode and anode. The first electrode comprises a first current collector 92a1 and a first active material 93a formed over the first current collector 92a1 (optionally a passivating layer comprising a carbon or passivating material, formed between the first active material 93a and the first current collector 92a1 ). The second electrode comprises a second current collector 92b1 and a second active material 93b formed over the second current collector 92b1. The first and second current collectors 92a1 and 92b1 are formed on the same housing half 92a, the first and second current collectors 92a1 and 92b1 being arranged next to each other without electrical connection.

[0198] As shown in Fig. 12, an electrolyte layer 94 is formed on both of the first active material 93a and the second active material 93b. The electrode layer 94 acts as common electrolyte vertically stacked between the laterally (i.e., perpendicular to a direction along which the current collectors and the electrolyte layer are stacked) arranged current collectors 92a1 and 92b1 and the opposite

[0199] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB (upper) housing half 92b opposite the housing half 92a on which the current collectors 92a1 and 92b1 are formed.

[0200] The first and second current collectors 92a1 , 92b1 may be provided in accordance with any of the current collectors and wire routings, respectively, as described above. The first and second current collectors 92a1 , 92b1 may each be formed of a wire routing embedded into or onto a respective one of the housing halves 92a, 92b. Alternatively, the first and second current collectors 92a1 , 92b1 may each cladded onto a respective one of the housing halves 92a, 92b. The disclosures of embedded and cladded wiring routings are incorporated by reference.

[0201] In some illustrative embodiments herein, each of the housing halves 92a, 92b may be formed of an electrically insulating substrate such as the substrate S described above. For example, at least one of the housing halves 92a, 92b may be drawn into a concave / convex shape such that a receptacle is formed for housing the first and second electrodes. A sealing 96 encapsulates the first and second electrodes into the housing.

[0202] As shown in Fig. 12, a first electrode contact 92a2 and a second electrode contact 92b2 is exposed for exterior tapping of the battery cell structure 90. The first electrode contact 92a2 is electrically connected with the first current collector 92a1 and the second electrode contact 92b2 is electrically connected with the second current collector 92b1.The first and second electrode contacts 92a2, 92b2 lead out from the battery cell structure 90 at opposite sides of the battery cell structure 90. Alternatively, the first and second electrode contacts 92a2, 92b2 may be lead out from the battery cell structure 90 at the same side of the battery cell structure 90.

[0203] The first and second active materials 93a, 93b represent redox active materials of a redox pair on which the battery cell structure is based, i.e., materials having different electrode potentials in the galvanic series such that an electron donating material is provided by a reducing agent material which is oxidized and an electron accepting material is provided by an oxidizing agent material which is reduced in the redox pair. As shown in Fig. 12, the first and second active materials 93a, 93b may be provided as prepatterned films for insertion into the housing of the battery cell structure 90. The battery cell structure 90 may be at least partially laminated, e.g., at least some components of the battery cell structure 90 may be laminated. Lamination may be achieved by hot or cold lamination, for example.

[0204] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB Referring to Fig. 13, a schematic top view of a battery cell structure 100 in accordance with some other illustrative embodiments is shown. The battery cell structure 100 represents a coplanar configuration. On a surface of an electrically insulating substrate 102, first and second wiring routings 103 and 104 are formed. At least one of the first and second wiring routings 103 and 104 is embedded into or onto the electrically insulating substrate 102 similar to any wire routing embedding as disclosed above which is incorporated by reference. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the first and second wiring routings 103 and 104 may comprises an electrode cladded onto the electrically insulating substrate 102 similar to any cladded wire or electrode as disclosed above which is incorporated by reference.

[0205] The first and second wire routings 103 and 104 are routed in an interleaved pattern 105, e.g., an interleaved meander pattern. For example, the first and second wire routings 103 and 104 may each be formed as interleaved space filling curve-shaped routings. The interleaved space filling curve-shaped routing of the first and second wire routings 103 and 104 realizes adjacent routing portions of the first and second wire routings 103 and 104 such that a highly interleaved space ratio between the first and second wire routings 103 and 104 is achieved.

[0206] With ongoing reference to Fig. 13, the first wire routing 103 is covered by a first active material

[0207] 106 and the second wire routing 104 is covered by a second active material 107. The first and second wire routings 103 and 104 are covered by the first and second active materials 106 and

[0208] 107 at the interleaved pattern 105. Space between the first and second active materials 106 and 107 over the electrically insulating substrate 102 is filled by an electrolyte layer 108.

[0209] Referring to Fig 13a, a cross-sectional view of the battery cell structure 100 along line a-a in Fig. 13. As shown in Fig. 13a, the first and second wire routings 103, 104 are formed by partially embedded wirings in the electrically insulating substrate 102. However, the illustration of Fig. 13a is not limiting and any other type of wiring may be employed, e.g., a flat wire or a rectangular wire (in cross-section) or a wire attached to the surface of the substrate 102 without embedding such that a contact surface between the wire routings 103, 104 and the active materials 106, 107 is increased, thereby reducing an internal resistance of the battery cell.

[0210] As shown in Fig. 13a, the electrolyte layer 108 fills the space between the first and second wire routings 103, 104 and contacts the surface of the electrically insulating substrate 102, thereby physically separating the active materials 106 and 107.

[0211] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB Although Fig. 13a shows a non-coated wire, this does not impose any limitation and the wire may be at least partially coated by a passivating material or alloy, e.g., a carbon comprising material or a conductive material not being redox active relative to overlying active material. Upon passivating the wire with the metal comprising material, an electrical conductivity may be increased such that an internal resistance of the battery cell may be improved.

[0212] Referring to Fig. 14, an enlarged portion of a battery cell structure 200 with a battery cell 210 is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view, the battery cell structure 200 comprising a cathode 210a and an anode 210b. The cathode 210a comprises a cathode-side current collector 212a and a cathode-side active material 214a over the cathode-side current collector 212a. The anode 210b comprises an anode-side current collector 212b and an anode-side active material 214b over the anode-side current collector 212b. The battery cell 210 further comprises an electrolyte layer 216a over the cathode-side active material 214a and an electrolyte layer 216b over the anode-side active material 214b. The elements 212a, 212b, 214a, 214b, 216a, 216b may be provided in accordance with elements described with respect to Fig. 1 to 13 above, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0213] In illustrative embodiments, the cathode-side current collector 212a and the anode-side current collector 212b may comprise each a wire routing embedded into or onto a respective one of electrically insulating substrates 218a and 218b. Each of the current collectors 212a and 212b may be formed of a wire routing having a space filling routing portion in contact with a respective on of the active materials 214a and 214b. The space filling routing portion may be provided in accordance with the wire routing W described above with respect to Fig. 2, the disclosure of which being incorporated in total by reference. Each of the substrates 218a and 218b may be provided in accordance with the substrate S as described above.

[0214] As an alternative to wire embedded anode and cathode current collectors, the cathode-side current collector 212a and / or the anode-side current collector 212b may comprise an electrode cladded onto the electrically insulating substrate 218a and 218b, respectively, as described above in the context of Fig. 2 and the first aspect, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference. Contacts (not illustrated) to each of the cathode-side current collector 212a and / or the anode-side current collector 212b may be provided, e.g., by one or more though holes (not illustrated) extending through the electrically insulating substrate 218a and / or 218b, the contacts (not illustrated) may be exposed for exterior tapping of the battery cell structure 200.

[0215] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB With ongoing reference to Fig. 14, a battery separator structure is interposed between the cathode 210a and the anode 210b of the battery cell structure 200. The battery separator structure comprises a stacked arrangement of a separator 219a sandwiched between absorbing layers 219ba, 219bb. The battery separator structure physically separates the cathode 210a and the anode 210b against each other, permitting charge carrier exchange among the electrolytes 216a, 216b. The absorbing layers 219ba, 219bb may sandwich the separator 219a such that the absorbing layers 219ba, 219bb are arranged on dedicated main surfaces of the separator 219a. A main surface of the separator 219a faces towards one of anode 210b and cathode 210a.

[0216] The active materials 214a, 214b represent redox active materials of a redox pair on which the battery cell structure is based, i.e., materials having different electrode potentials in the galvanic series such that an electron donating material is provided by an reducing agent material which is oxidized and an electron accepting material is provided by an oxidizing agent material which is reduced in the redox pair. As shown in Fig. 14, the active materials 214a, 214b are provided as prepatterned films which may be inserted into a cavity provided by the electrically insulating substrate 218a, 218b which form a housing into which the battery cell 210 is completely received. In this respect, each of the cathode 210a and anode 210b represent half-cells in the battery cell structure 200, these half-cells being separated by the separator 219a.

[0217] In some illustrative embodiments, the separator 219a may be a membrane configured for allowing conductive ions passing among the half-cells in the battery cell structure 200, for example. The half-cells are laminated into a laminates stack arrangement, e.g., by hot or cold lamination.

[0218] With ongoing reference to Fig. 14, the battery separator structure comprises, as described above, a stacked configuration formed of the separator 219a interposed between the absorbing layers 219ba, 219bb. However, this does not impose any limitation and only one of the absorbing layers 219ba, 219bb may be present such that one of the cathode 210a and the anode 210b is arranged directly on a main surface of the separator 219a. This configuration of the battery separator structure being formed of only one absorbing layer may be employed in a configuration of the battery cell structure 200 in which the battery cell 210 is arranged within the housing such that sidewalls of the battery cell 210 are not in mechanical contact with the housing and fillable space is present between sidewalls of the battery cell 210 and the electrically insulating substrates 218a, 218b. Accordingly, the empty spaces may be filled by an liquid comprising electrolyte(s). In this way, electrolyte may be filled into or replenished to the battery cell structure 200 after process steps in

[0219] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB the fabrication of the battery cell structure 200 are terminated which possibly lead to loss of electrolyte, e.g., heat budget processes in the fabrication.

[0220] Each of the electrically insulating layers 218a and 218b may be formed of a thermoplastic material (e.g., PVC, PC, PET or others). As described above, the separator 219a is provided for physically separating the anode 210b and the cathode 210a. For example, the separator 219a may be a membrane adapted to the redox pair of active materials of a battery cell to be formed by using the battery separator 219a.

[0221] The absorbing layers 219ba and 219bb may be formed of an absorbing material configured for absorbing electrolyte(s) comprised of liquids. For example, the absorbing material may be a material which is wettable by liquids comprising electrolyte(s), e.g., woven or nonwoven fabrics of organic and / or nonorganic materials, materials with capillary effect on liquids comprising electrolyte^), cellulose material and the like. For example, the absorbing material may be a polymer membrane with wettable characteristic with respect to the electrolyte but chemically inert to the electrolyte(s) and the active materials of the battery cell structure 200 but permitting ion movement of electrolyte ions.

[0222] As described above, the separator 219a may be at least partially embedded into the absorbing material by at least one of the absorbing layers 219ba, 219bb such that one main surface of the separator 219a (that is, one surface facing towards cathode 210a or anode 210b) is at least partially covered by the absorbing material. For example, the absorbing material may be provided as a sheet to be arranged on a main surface of the separator 219a so as to be sandwiched between the separator 219a and a respective one of the anode 210b and cathode 210a of the battery cell structure 200.

[0223] In some illustrative examples, another absorbing material by another one of the absorbing layers 219ba, 219bb in the illustrated two-sided absorber configuration, the other absorbing material being provided on the other main surface of the separator 219a resulting in the separator 219a being completely sandwiched between the absorbing material sheets 219ba, 219bb as shown in Fig. 14. In this way, the battery cell structure 200 may fed by electrolyte(s) via the absorbing materials by bringing the absorbing materials into contact with an electrolyte reservoir 220, electrolyte(s) being absorbed by the absorbing material of the absorbing layers 219ba, 219bb extending into the electrolyte reservoir 220 and drawn into the battery cell 210 by capillary forces. Accordingly, the battery

[0224] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB cell 210 may be supplied with electrolyte from the electrolyte reservoir 220 which has the advantage that electrolyte may be fed to the battery cell 210 after preparing the battery cell structure 200. After having performed fabrication processes which possibly lead to loss of electrolyte, lost electrolyte may be replenished.

[0225] In some illustrative embodiments, the electrically insulating substrates 218a, 218b form a housing which at least partially houses the battery cell 210 in that absorbing layers 219ba and 219bb extend out of the housing into the reservoir 220 for providing electrolyte replenishing.

[0226] Referring to Fig. 15, a schematic top view of the battery cell structure 200 of Fig. 14 is illustrated, showing the battery cell 210 arranged laterally between reservoirs 220. The battery cell structure 200 may be provided in a reel band as one of plural other battery cell structures (not illustrated) formed adjacent the reservoirs 220 in a repetitive pattern. The reservoirs 220 may be prefilled or filled upon demand for replenishing at least the battery cell structure 200. Upon having terminated replenishing in a one-time replenishing, the housing may be cut along broken lines in Fig. 15 for singling out the battery cell 210 with replenished electrolyte. Accordingly, integrity of electrolyte(s) of the battery cell 210 may be ensured after fabrication.

[0227] Referring to Fig. 16, a battery cell structure 200a is schematically illustrated in a cross-sectional view, the battery cell structure 200a being based on the battery cell structure 200 described above. The battery cell structure 200a is shown in stage during fabrication prior to singling out the battery cell 210a (prior to cutting along broken lines in Fig. 15). At the stage illustrated in Fig. 16, replenishing of electrolyte from reservoirs 220 is terminated and a sealing of the battery cell 210a is performed, e.g., by applying a lamination process (hot or cold) or fusion process or welding process as indicated by arrows PL acting on regions LP arranged between the battery cell 210a and adjacent reservoirs 220. The process PL is a process which results in a sealing of the regions LP such that the absorbing materials in the regions LP are eliminated which means that no absorbing function is available in the regions LP after the process PL is terminated. Thereby, the battery cell 210a is sealed and loss of electrolyte through regions LP is avoided.

[0228] Although Fig. 14 to 16 show absorbing material extending out of the housing provided by the electrically insulating substrates 218a, 218b at two opposite sides of the battery cell 210 / 210a, this does not impose any limitation and only one reservoir 220 may be connected to the battery cell 210 / 210a instead. Alternatively, each of the absorbing layers 219ba, 219bb may only extend out of the housing at one side such that at each side only one of the absorbing layers 219ba, 219bb

[0229] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB is exposed. Accordingly, different electrolytes may be supplied via dedicated ones of the absorbing layers 219ba, 219bb such that it becomes possible to selectively supply dedicated electrolytes to anode and cathode in case that the absorbing layers are completely separated by a separator. The separator completely extending into the regions LP in Fig. 16, for example.

[0230] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. “Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where the event occurs and instances where it does not.

[0231] Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “about”, “approximately” and “substantially”, are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and / or interchanged, such ranges are identified and include all the subranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise. “Approximately” or “substantially” as applied to a particular value of a range applies to both values, and unless otherwise dependent on the precision of the instrument measuring the value, may indicate + / - 10% of the stated value(s).

[0232] The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0233] Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB

Claims

Claims1 . A battery cell structure, comprising: a cathode comprising a cathode-side current collector and a cathode-side active material over the cathode-side current collector; an anode comprising an anode-side current collector and an anode-side active material over the anode-side current collector; and an electrolyte layer over at least one of the cathode-side active material and the anodeside active material, wherein the cathode-side current collector and / or the anode-side current collector comprises a wire routing embedded into or onto an electrically insulating substrate, the wire routing having a space filling routing portion over a respective active material in which a wire routing is routed in a shape of a space filling curve, and / or wherein the cathode-side current collector and / or the anode-side current collector comprises an electrode cladded onto the electrically insulating substrate.

2. The battery cell structure of claim 1 , wherein the cathode, the anode, and the electrolyte layer are laminated with the electrically insulating substrate into a laminated stack arrangement, the electrically insulating substrate completely housing the cathode, the anode, and the electrolyte layer, and wherein the laminated stack arrangement further comprises a cathode contact terminal in electrical connection with the cathode-side current collector and an anode contact terminal in electrical connection with the cathode-side current collector.

3. The battery cell structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the electrically insulating substrate is folded such that the anode and cathode are arranged in a stacked arrangement, the electrolyte layer being interposed between the cathode-side active material and the anode-side active material.Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB4. The battery cell structure of claim 3, further comprising a separator and another electrolyte layer arranged between the cathode-side active material and the anode-side active material, wherein the separator is sandwiched between the electrolyte layers, the separator preferably being at least partially covered by an absorbing material.

5. The battery cell structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the cathode-side current collector and the anode-side current collector are formed in adjacent surface regions of a main surface of the electrically insulating substrate, and wherein the electrolyte layer is arranged for extending over both of the cathode-side active material and the anode-side active material.

6. The battery cell structure of one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the cathode-side current collector and the anode-side current collector comprises a wire routing embedded into an electrically insulating substrate, the wire routing having a spacefilling curve-shaped routing portion over a respective active material.

7. The battery cell structure of claim 6, wherein the wire routing of the anode-side current collector is formed of a copper or aluminum or nickel wire and the wire routing of the cathode-side current collector is formed of a copper or aluminum wire or a nickel wire coated with carbon, wherein the copper or aluminum or nickel wire of the anode-side current collector is partially exposed to the anode-side active material and the copper or aluminum wire of the cathode-side current collector is covered by a metal material of an electrode potential in the galvanic series higher than an electrode potential of copper in the galvanic series.

8. The battery cell structure of one of claims 1 to 7, wherein each current collector is covered by a carbon comprising material or a conductive material not being redox active relative to overlying active material.

9. The battery cell structure of one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the space filling curve-shaped routing portion covers a surface portion of the electrically insulating substrate in congruence with a surface portion overlain by the respective active material such.

10. A battery structure, comprising a plurality of electrically interconnected battery cell structures, each battery cell structure being formed in accordance with the battery cell structure of one of claims 1 to 9.Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB11. A method of forming a battery cell structure, the method comprising: providing an electrically insulating substrate with at least two wire routing portions embedded into or cladded onto a main surface of the electrically insulating substrate, the at least two wire routing portions each having a space filling curve-shaped routing portion; printing a first active material having a first electrode potential in the galvanic series on a first wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions; printing a second active material having a different second electrode potential in the galvanic series on a second wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions embedded into the main surface of the electrically insulating substrate or embedded into a main surface of another electrically insulating substrate; printing an electrolyte layer over at least one of the first and second active materials.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second active material is on the second wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions embedded into or cladded onto the main surface of the electrically insulating substrate, and wherein the electrolyte layer is printed over both of the first and second active materials, and wherein the method further comprises: folding the electrically insulating substrate so as to flap a substrate surface portion of the main surface onto the electrolyte layer so as to completely cover the electrolyte layer and to obtain a stacked arrangement, the substrate surface portion being free of any embedded wiring; and laminating the stacked arrangement in a lamination process, preferably a hot lamination process.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second active material is on the second wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions embedded into or cladded onto the main surface of the electrically insulating substrate, wherein the electrolyte layer is printed over the first active material, and wherein the method further comprises:Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbBprinting another electrolyte layer over the second active material; arranging a separator over one of the electrolyte layers; folding the electrically insulating substrate so as to flap a substrate surface portion with the second wire routing portion towards and onto the first wire routing portion so as to arrange the electrolyte layers and the separator into a stacked arrangement, the separator being sandwiched between the electrolyte layers; and laminating the stacked arrangement in a lamination process, preferably a hot lamination process.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: arranging an absorbing material on at least one main surface of the separator such that the absorbing material is interposed between the separator and at least one of the electrolyte layers; and bringing the absorbing material in contact with a liquid comprising an electrolyte of at least one of the electrolyte layers.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second active material is on the second wire routing portion embedded into or cladded onto the main surface of the other electrically insulating substrate, wherein the electrolyte layer is printed over the first active material, and wherein the method further comprises: printing another electrolyte layer over the second active material; arranging a separator over one of the electrolyte layers; arranging first and second active materials over each other by arranging a substrate surface portion with the second wire routing portion over the first wire routing portion so as to arrange the electrolyte layers and the separator into a stacked arrangement, the separator being sandwiched between the electrolyte layers; andGriinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbBlaminating the stacked arrangement in a lamination process, preferably a hot lamination process.

16. The method of one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the battery cell structure of one of claims 1 to 1 1 is formed.

17. A method of forming a battery structure, the method comprising: preparing a first battery half-cell structure, comprising: providing a first electrically insulating substrate with at least two wire routing portions embedded into and / or cladded onto a main surface of the first electrically insulating substrate, the at least two wire routing portions each having a space filling curve-shaped routing portion embedded into the first electrically insulating substrate; printing a first active material having a first electrode potential in the galvanic series on a first wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions embedded into and / or cladded onto the first electrically insulating substrate; and printing a second active material having a different second electrode potential in the galvanic series on a second wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions; preparing a second battery half-cell structure, comprising: providing a second electrically insulating substrate with at least two wire routing portions embedded into a main surface of the second electrically insulating substrate, the at least two wire routing portions each having a space filling curveshaped routing portion embedded into the second electrically insulating substrate; printing the first active material having the first electrode potential in the galvanic series on a first wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions embedded into the second electrically insulating substrate;Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbBprinting the second active material having the second electrode potential in the galvanic series on a second wire routing portion of the at least two wire routing portions embedded into and / or cladded onto the second electrically insulating substrate; preparing an electrolyte stacking structure comprising a stacked layer arrangement comprising two electrolyte layers having a separator layer interposed between the two electrolyte layers; arranging the electrolyte stacking structure in a stacking arrangement with the first and second battery half-cell structures so as to interpose the electrolyte stacking structure between the first and second battery half-cell structures, wherein the active materials of the first and second battery half-cell structures are faced towards the electrolyte stacking structure; and laminating the stacking arrangement in a lamination process, preferably a hot lamination process.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the first battery half-cell structure, second battery half-cell structure and the electrolyte stacking structure are prepared on a dedicated reel, the battery structure being formed in reel-to-reel process, or wherein each of the first battery half-cell structure and the second battery half-cell structure are prepared on a dedicated sheet, the battery structure being formed in by colamination of separate sheets.

19. The method of claim 17 or 18, further comprising: when preparing the electrolyte stacking structure, arranging an absorbing material on at least one main surface of the separator such that the absorbing material is interposed between the separator and at least one of the electrolyte layers; and after the lamination process, bringing the absorbing material in contact with a liquid comprising an electrolyte of at least one of the electrolyte layers.Griinecker Patent- und Rechtsanwâlte PartG mbB

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