Hydrogel Separator for Microbattery Fabrication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional battery separators are not well-suited for microbatteries due to their inflexibility and difficulty in being physically placed between the positive and negative terminals, making it impractical for the production of very small, thin, flexible microbatteries.

Innovation Solution

A hydrogel or photo-patterned polymer mesh is used as a separator, which can be precisely applied and patterned using photolithography techniques, allowing for alignment with the microbattery terminals and facilitating the absorption of electrolytes while maintaining mechanical separation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional non-woven separators are used in microbatteries, then mechanical separation between terminals is achieved, but the separators are inflexible and difficult to place between small terminals

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of placementVSAvoidfabrication complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The separator material is changed from conventional non-woven materials to hydrogel or photo-patterned polymer mesh, fundamentally altering its physical properties to achieve flexibility, conformability to small terminals, and compatibility with photolithography fabrication processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The manual or mechanical placement process is replaced by a photolithography-based fabrication process where the separator is precisely patterned and applied directly to the negative terminal, eliminating the need for complex manual assembly of conventional separators

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If hydrogel or photo-patterned polymer mesh is used as separator, then precise application and alignment with terminals is achieved, but the material selection becomes more specialized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidmaterial fabrication ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The photolithography process, already established in microbattery fabrication for other components, is extended to also fabricate the separator, allowing a single versatile process to achieve both precise alignment and separator creation without requiring separate specialized fabrication steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The hydrogel or photo-patterned polymer mesh effectively separates the microbattery terminals, allowing for precise application and alignment, enhancing the production of small-scale microbatteries by enabling efficient electrolyte absorption and mechanical separation, thus improving the fabrication process for microbattery structures.

Implementation Method 1

a hydrogel layer positioned between and physically separating the negative terminal and the positive terminal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Implementation Method 2

which can be precisely applied and patterned using photolithography techniques

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotolithography: Photography

Data Source

PatentUS11258132B2Microbattery separator

Publication Date: 2022.02.22 JOHNSON & JOHNSON VISION CARE INC

AI summary

In one example, a battery includes a negative terminal, a positive terminal, an electrolyte contained between the negative terminal and the positive terminal, and a hydrogel layer positioned between and physically separating the negative terminal and the positive terminal.