Battery arrays, constructions and method

Abstract

Disclosed is a stacked array of a plurality of thin film batteries electrically connected in a staggered configuration, where the side edges of the array preferably generally conform to an interior surface of an electronic device or component thereof in order to save space. In an embodiment, a stacked array comprises at least one battery having a single surface in contact with a plurality of batteries. In another embodiment, a shaped array of a plurality of thin film batteries electrically are connected together, whereby a plurality of batteries are arranged in a single layer on a non-rectangular substrate adjacent to one another generally in the shape of the surface of the substrate. Additionally, a thin film battery is described having at least one via through the substrate and at least one other via through an insulation layer to provide electronic connection to the battery cell.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A thin film battery comprising
 a) a substrate having a first surface;   b) a first current collector on the first surface of the substrate;   c) a second current collector, wherein one of the first and second current collector is an anode current collector and the other is a cathode current collector;   d) an electrolyte layer, the electrolyte separating the cathode current collector from the anode current collector; and   e) an insulation layer, the insulation layer together with the electrolyte layer separating the anode current collector from the cathode current collector;   wherein the first current collector is exposed to provide connectivity for electrical connection to a device to be powered by the battery through at least one via in the substrate, and   wherein the second current collector is exposed to provide connectivity for electrical connection to a device to be powered by the battery through at least one via in the insulation layer.   
     
     
         20 . The thin film battery of  claim 19 , wherein both the substrate and the insulation layer contain two or more vias. 
     
     
         21 . The thin film battery of  claim 19 , wherein the substrate contains two or more vias. 
     
     
         22 . The thin film battery of  claim 19 , wherein the insulation layer contains two or more vias. 
     
     
         23 . A plurality of thin film batteries of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of thin film batteries are electrically connected together and comprise at least one battery having a single surface in contact with a plurality of batteries. 
     
     
         24 . The plurality of thin film batteries of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of thin film batteries are connected in series. 
     
     
         25 . The plurality of thin film batteries of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of thin film batteries are connected in parallel. 
     
     
         26 . The plurality of thin film batteries of  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of thin film batteries are provided in a plurality of layers in a staggered array. 
     
     
         27 . The plurality of thin film batteries of  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of thin film batteries are provided in a plurality of layers in a staggered array. 
     
     
         28 . An electronic device comprising the plurality of thin film batteries of  claim 23 .