Apparatus and method for fabricating a microbattery

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In one embodiment, a set of four Si wafers is used to form the planar microbattery structure.
The two exterior Si wafers or frames are used to enclose and seal the anode and cathode of the microbattery while providing support for external circuitry.
For example, on one Si frame, power management circuitry that is either pre-fabricated on the wafer, or attached as a hybrid, can be precisely located.
The other exterior Si frame can be used to support photovoltaic cells that can be used as a power source for the microbattery.
Through-frame plated vias can also be fabricated into the Si frame structures to provide electrical contact from the external circuitry to the anode and cathode.
The interior Si wafers are patterned using DRIE in a honeycomb cell structure for placement of the anodic and cathodic battery materials.
A patterned insulating layer overlaid by an electronic conductor can be placed onto the Si frames as one option for current collection.
A dielectric porous membrane is located between the anode and cathode layers to prevent contact of the solid battery materials but allow the flow of the electrolyte material between electrodes as well as possibly providing continuous mechanical support throughout the structure.
The silicon frames and interior electrodes are accurately aligned using alignment wells and pins.
Bonding of the silicon frames can be used to form a hermetically sealed structure.