Integrated thin-film rechargeable battery in a thermoelectric scavenging microsystem

Thin-film solid-state rechargeable batteries are ideal power sources for microsystems applications, where a high level of integration is required. The technology and the steps involving the fabrication of such a battery are discussed in this paper. A DC reactive sputtering technique was used in the thin-films depositions. The battery uses SnO₂, Li₃PO₄ and LiCoO₂ materials in the anode, electrolyte and cathode, respectively. The application of the battery is for use in thermoelectric energy scavenging microsystems, which converts the small thermal power available in human-body. This lithium solid-state thin-film battery is integrated in the same device as well as the ultra low-power electronics to charge battery and perform DC-DC conversion.