Abstract:
A battery cell and a method of producing the cell. The cell includes a pair of electrodes and a smart electronic circuit having one or more active or passive components directly mounted on one of the electrodes, so that the electronic circuit is inside the electrodes and is electrically connected to the electrodes. The components are protected by a coating.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/180,468 filed Nov. 9, 1998 now abandoned, which has the priority of French Application 96/05881 filed May 7, 1996, and International Application PCT/FR97/00818 filed May 7, 1997. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Within the framework of prior studies carried out in the field of electronic marking and, more particularly, the effort against loss (French patent filed under the number 93 15063) we have observed that the energy sources, of the battery type, available on the market, do not correspond in most cases to the need for the electronic circuits used. 
     Conventional energy sources of self-contained or portable equipment, batteries and accumulators, are far from having ideal characteristics for the supply of modern electronic circuits. 
     Their voltage varies greatly in the course of their lifetime and their undesirable characteristics are their limited capacity, their size, their weight, and their cost of installation. 
     Most of these drawbacks could be corrected with the help of carefully selected mountings, external to the battery (see for example the patents WO 94/00888, EP 0 457 569, or FR 2 672 713). 
     Another major difficulty encountered, essentially with batteries, resides in the control: 
     of the quantity of energy available at any moment, in a battery, 
     of the quantity of energy necessary to recharge it, 
     of the control and estimation of the total lifetime of this battery, as a function of the conditions of use (number of cycles of charging and discharging, temperature of use, large current draws, frequency of current draws . . . ). 
     This difficulty of controlling the operation of a battery, and of the quantity of energy available, has not always been resolved in a satisfactory manner, until now, and the solutions brought to this problem remain overall solutions, external to the battery (see for example the patents EP 0 644 642, WO 92/16979 or WO 96/08846). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention has for its object the integration of an intelligence, in the form of one or several chips within the interior itself of each of the generator cells or electrochemical couples which constitute a battery, to control, directly on each of the elements, the parameters of the latter and to compute permanently the condition of the instantaneous health of the battery. 
     The invention thus permits providing smart batteries thanks to which it will be possible to control the matrices of energy sources, and hence to create a better adaptation between the electronic means used and the size of the energy source which itself is associated in the framework of microsystems of a very small consumption. 
     It is however necessary to give the following particularities: 
     electric batteries, designed for a single use, and hence discardable, are qualified from primary generators in that the electrical energy that they produce is introduced therein one time for all, during their production, in a chemical form. 
     This is in contrast to secondary generators which are batteries, true reservoirs that can be refilled during each recharge, from an external electrical energy source. 
     As to the latter, one can speak in present day terms of accumulators or batteries. However, this latter term is improper because it designates in fact any assembly of several elements, no matter what the type of battery. 
     For the sake of clarity, in the text, we will use: 
     the term “non-rechargeable battery” to designate a battery made of primary cells that are not rechargeable, 
     the term “rechargeable battery” to designate a battery with secondary cells, which therefore are rechargeable, 
     the term “battery cell” to designate an element (or electrochemical pair) rechargeable or not. 
     It is known that rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries are constituted of several identical battery cells mounted at present in series but that they could be disposed also with certain precautions, in parallel. FIGS. 1 and 2 show respectively by way of example a mounting in series and in parallel of battery cells  10 . 
     Whether rechargeable or non-rechargeable, with liquid or solid electrolyte, with a cathode that is polarizable or not, with oxygen or another gas, each battery cell is constituted of an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte, one or several separators, a casing permitting holding and protecting the assembly, and two external electrical connections. 
     There also exist other modifications of cells, with gas circulation, electrolyte circulation, sea water circulation, for example. 
     The invention seeks to provide a battery cell, rechargeable or not, comprising within the electrochemical couple, an electronic chip supplied by said generator, and adapted to fulfill various functions such as, by way of non-limiting example: 
     controlling the output voltage of the cell, 
     controlling the current passing through the cell, 
     monitoring one or several parameters such as the temperature or pH of the cell, 
     computing the input or output energies, 
     memorizing the results, 
     transmitting data toward a centralized processing system, 
     or quite simply providing a microsource of energy, rechargeable or not. 
     Certain of these uses are the object of prior patents (see for example the patents EP 0 350 235, WO 93/14612 or WO 95/12901) but, in all cases, the electronic parts are connected to the outside of the electrochemical couple constituting the cell, over conductors used to cause the electrical current to flow supplied by said electrochemical couple, toward the user circuit. 
     In the patent EP 0 644 642, the electronic circuit is generally positioned on a surface plate, in a space available between the interior of the housing and the electrochemical couple. It is also proposed to integrate this electronic circuit within the materials constituting the cell, but such a modified embodiment is not described. The connection of the chip is however provided only outside the electrochemical couple. 
     The present invention thus relates to a cell of a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery, comprising an electrochemical couple constituted by two electrodes separated by an electrolyte, characterized in that it comprises an electronic circuit disposed within said electrochemical couple and electrically connected to the electrodes. 
     The generator according to the invention is further noteworthy in that: 
     at least one of the electrodes comprising a current collector, the electronic circuit is electrically connected to said collector, 
     the electronic circuit is fixed on a current collector, 
     the current collector is constituted by the metallic cladding of a printed circuit card on which is fixed the electronic circuit, 
     the metallic cladding constituting the current collector covers the upper surface of said card, except for a central surface adapted for positioning the electronic circuit, 
     the electric circuit having connecting terminals, openings are formed in the card at the points where said connection terminals will be located, the lower surface of the card carrying a metallized coating constituted by circuits independent from each other of which one is connected electrically to the cladding of the upper surface through an opening in the card, 
     the connections are connected to the segments of the metallized coating of the lower surface of the card by microballs, 
     the contacts are connected to the metallized coating surfaces of the lower surface of the plate by conductive wires, 
     the electrolyte comprising a separator, the electronic circuit is fixed to said separator. 
     A process for the production of a cell according to the invention is characterized in that: 
     there is used a printed circuit card whose upper surface carries a metallic cladding adapted to constitute a current collector, said cladding covering the upper surface of said card, except a central surface adapted for positioning the electronic circuit and whose lower surface carries a metallized cladding constituted by segments independent of each other, of which one is electrically connected to the cladding of the upper surface through an opening in the card, 
     an electronic circuit is used having connection contacts, 
     openings are formed in the card at the points where said connection contacts will be located, 
     the electronic circuit is secured to the printed circuit card, 
     the connection contacts are electrically connected to the segments of the cladding of the oversurface of the card, 
     the electronic circuit is coated with a protective molding, 
     the electrochemical couple of the cell is constituted on the card used as a support for the collector, by forming a first electrode by deposition of material on the upper surface of the card, then by positioning the electrolyte and the second electrode on said first electrode, 
     an electrical connection is formed between one of the lower cladding segments and the electrode, 
     the electrochemical is enclosed in a housing. 
     A second process for production of a cell according to the invention is characterized in that: 
     there is used a separator as the electrolyte, 
     an opening is cut in said separator, 
     an electronic circuit is positioned in the opening and the connection contacts are connected to current collectors, 
     a molding is carried out about said electronic circuit so as to ensure the protection and its securement to said separator, 
     the electrodes on opposite sides of the separator are made to be in contact with the current collectors, 
     the electrochemical couple is enclosed in a housing. 
     A third process for production of a cell according to the invention is characterized in that: 
     the electrochemical couple is produced by stacking elements constituting the first electrode with its collector, the electrode and the second electrode with its collector so as to leave an empty cavity, and by positioning in said cavity a portion of each of the collectors, 
     the electric circuit is introduced into the cavity, 
     the connection contacts are connected to said collectors by means of connections, 
     the cavity is filled with resin so as to constitute the protective molding of said component, 
     the electrochemical couple is enclosed in a housing. 
     The invention also provides a process for making a cell according to the invention, characterized in that the electronic circuit ensures a function of analysis of at least one parameter of the electrochemical couple and transmits this information to external control means. 
     The information is transmitted by a radio frequency modulation process superposed on the supply voltage through the connections of the electronic circuit to the electrodes of the electrochemical couple and the connections of the electrodes of the electrochemical couple to the terminals of the cell. 
     The electronic circuit can be of any type, it is for example constituted by a chip or by several active or passive components. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood from the description which follows, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically show a series mounting and a parallel mounting of three cells, 
     FIG. 3 shows a mounting in series of four elements in which it will be seen that the cells ( 101 ) and ( 103 ) are connected in series, whilst the cells ( 102 ) and ( 104 ) are on standby, either as an energy reserve or in case of malfunction. 
     FIG. 4 shows a parallel mounting of four elements in which it will be seen that the cells ( 101 ) and ( 104 ) are connected in parallel between the lines ( 0 ) and (II), whilst the cell ( 102 ) is connected in parallel between the lines ( 0 ) and (I) and that the cell ( 103 ) is on standby either as an energy reserve or in case of malfunction. This energy source is thus separated into two energy supply lines, 
     FIG. 5 shows a mixed mounting of four elements in which it will be seen that the cells ( 101 ) and ( 102 ) are connected in series between the points (I′) and (I″) and the line ( 1 ), whilst the cell ( 104 ) is connected in parallel between the lines ( 0 ) and (II) and that the cell ( 103 ) is on standby either as an energy reserve or in case of malfunction. 
     FIG. 6 shows a battery with three cells ( 10 ), each provided with an intelligent component ( 20 ) in an automatic control structure for the energy source, 
     FIG. 7 shows a matrix of 24 intelligent cells ( 10 ), in an automatic distribution structure, of the whole, or of a portion of the energy sources, toward one or several points of use, 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of the electrochemical couple of a cell according to the invention, 
     FIGS.  9 / 1  to  9 / 8  show different phases of a process of assembly of an electronic circuit, constituted by a component directly positioned on a current collector of the cell, 
     FIG. 10 is a logic diagram of the phases of the process of assembly shown in FIG. 9, 
     FIGS. 11 and 12 are partial cross-sectional views and on an enlarged scale, at the level of the electronic component of two modified embodiments, 
     FIGS. 13 a  to  13   c  show respectively views from below, in cross section on the line B—B, and from above, the electrical connections between the chip and the electrochemical couple of a modified embodiment, 
     FIGS. 14 and 15 are views similar to FIGS. 11 and 12 for two modified embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The object of the invention is an assembly comprising an electronic circuit, for example constituted by a component  20  such as an electronic chip, disposed within elements constituting the electrochemical couple of a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery cell, so as to constitute what could be called a rechargeable or non-rechargeable “smart cell”. 
     There is schematically shown in FIG. 8 the electrochemical couple  100  of a cell, by three thin plates representing the electrodes  11  and  13  and the electrolyte  12 . These elements can of course be of variable dimensions as a function of the characteristics of the destination of the cell. As shown in the drawing, the cell according to the invention comprises an electronic circuit, constituted for example by a component  20  having four connection contacts  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24 , disposed within the electrochemical couple  100  itself, in the internal volume of the latter. In a way known per se, the component  20  is enclosed in an epoxy resin molding  30  so as to be protected from outside attack. For its supply, as will be explained later but is not shown in FIG.  8 ,said component  20  is directly electrically connected to the electrodes of the cell. 
     In a manner known per se, the electrodes of an electrochemical couple  100  are constituted by a metal which is electrically conductive, or by a chemical component, for example an oxide, which does not conduct electricity. By way of example, a lithium battery comprises a lithium anode and a manganese oxide cathode. The lithium is a metal and hence conductive, whilst the manganese oxide is not conductive. So as to render possible the circulation of electrons, it is usual to use a current collector. This current collector can be constituted by a metallic sheet, for example of expanded metal, or by a grill of a non-conductive material, for example a cloth or plastic material, covered with a conductive coating. The collector is of course especially adapted for the non-metallic electrodes, but it is however often used also for metallic electrodes because it permits giving a mechanical resistance to these electrodes when they are not thick. It could also ensure an electrical continuity of the electrode when the material comprising said electrode thins out in the course of use of the cell. 
     The electronic component  20  introduced into the electrochemical couple of the cell according to the invention is thus connected to the anode and cathode current collectors when these are present. 
     So as to facilitate the assembly of the cell according to the invention, there are provided modified embodiments shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 to  13 , to fix the electronic component  20  on one of the current collectors. 
     Refer now to FIGS. 9-1 to  9 - 8  as well as to the logic scheme of FIG. 10, to study in detail an embodiment of the assembly of a component  20 , of which three connection contacts  21 ,  22  and  23  are visible, in the electrochemical couple  100  of a cell  10 . 
     In this assembly mode, the printed circuit card  200  on which is fixed the component  20  is used as a current collector. This card  200  is metallized on two surfaces. The metallic cladding  225  disposed on the surface of the card  200  on which will be positioned the component  20 , the upper surface in the illustrated example, covers practically all said card  200 , except a central surface  220  adapted for the positioning of the component  20 . Openings  221  to  223  are formed in the card  200  at the points where the connection contacts  21  to  23  of the electronic component  20  will be positioned. The opposite surface carries a metallized cladding  226  constituted by segments independent from each other of which one is electrically connected to the cladding  225  of the upper surface through an opening  234  in the card  200 . 
     An example of embodiment applied to an electronic component  20  having four connection contacts  21  to  24  arranged in a square is shown in FIGS. 13 a  to  13   c , but they can be arranged as a function of the number of connection components of the electronic component  20  and of their position. 
     FIG. 13 a  shows the lower surface of the card  200  carrying the electronic component  20  and constituting a current collector, cathodic or anodic, of the electrochemical couple of a cell according to the invention. The metal cladding  226  is constituted by four segments  121 ,  122 ,  123  and  124  connected to the openings  121  to  124  through which they will be connected to the connection contacts of the chip. The segment  122  is moreover connected to the opening  234 . 
     In FIG. 13 c  is shown the upper surface of the card  200  having a cladding  225  which covers it practically completely, except for the free circular region  220  adapted to be secured to the molding  30  of transfer resin adapted to ensure the protection of the component  20 . 
     This upper cladding  225 , which extends over practically all the surface of the card  200 , is adapted to constitute the current collector of the electrode  13 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 9-2, there is shown the step in the course of which is performed the securement of the component  20  to the card  200  and the electrical connection of its connection contacts to the segments  121 ,  122  of the lower cladding  226 . 
     So as to keep minimum size and simultaneously to ensure the securement of the chip and its electrical connection, it is possible to turn the chips over on its support and to make the connections by microballs  321 ,  322 . Such a securement is visible on a larger scale in FIGS. 11,  14  and  15  for a component  20  of which only two connection contacts  21  and  22  are seen, the latter being adapted to have others outside the section plane. 
     As a modification, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 12, the chip can be secured by its rear surface and produce the connection by conductive wires  421  to  424 , for example of gold or aluminum. 
     The securement of the component  20  and the electrical connections of its connection contacts having been carried out, this component  20  is clad in a molding  30  of epoxy resin known per se in the step shown in FIG. 9-3. In a manner known per se, this molding  30  can be carried out on a single surface of the card  200  as shown in FIGS. 9-3,  11  and  12 , or on opposite sides of the card  200  as shown in FIG. 13 b , which permits ensuring a better mechanical grip and a better sealing. 
     The following steps are adapted to constitute the electrochemical couple of the cell from the card  200  used as a support for the collector  225 . 
     In the step shown in FIG. 9-4, one of the electrodes,  13 , is formed by deposition of material on the upper cladding  225  of the card  200  which thus constitutes the collector of this electrode. 
     The electrolyte  12  and the second electrode  11  are then positioned on the electrode  13  during the steps shown in FIGS. 9-5 and  9 - 6 . 
     In the step shown by FIG. 9-7, there is produced the electrical connection symbolized by the drawing clamp  40  between one of the segments of the lower cladding  226 , for example the segment  121 , and the collector of the electrode  11 . 
     This connection can be made by electrical contact, by vacuum deposition or by bending of a same substrate/current collector, of which half will be the anode and the other half the cathode. 
     Such a connection is better seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, in which the conductor segment  121  is prolonged beyond the card  200  and bent upwardly to be connected electrically to the connector  111  of the electrode  11 . 
     The electrochemical couple  100  enclosing the electronic component  20  is then completed. Said component  20  has its connection contact  22  electrically connected to one of the electrodes ( 13 ) by the connection  322  or  422 , the segment  122  and the collector  225  and its contact  21  connected to the other,  11 , of the electrodes by the connection  321 ,  421 , the segment  121  and the collector  111 . It is thus supplied with electric current by the direct connections to the electrodes of the electrochemical couple of the cell. 
     The production of the cell according to the invention is completed by the step shown in FIG. 9-8, in the course of which the electrochemical couple  100  is enclosed in a housing  50 , preferably sealed. 
     According to a modified embodiment not shown in the drawing, in the case in which at least one of the electrodes is conductive in nature and fairly mechanically resistant, one end or the other of the collectors  111  and  225  is not used. 
     FIG. 14 shows an example of an embodiment in which the electronic component  20  is fixed on the separator  112  of the electrolyte  12 . In a manner known per se, the separator  112  of an electrolyte  12  is constituted by a sheet material, porous, which is saturated with a liquid electrolyte. Such a separator has no electrical function in the generator but constitutes a mechanical support adapted to maintain the electrodes  11  and  13  spaced from each other so that they do not touch. The separators are generally used in flexible cells in which the electrodes could come into contact with each other during bending. 
     As seen in the drawing, the component  20  is positioned in an opening  212  formed in the separator  112  and has its connection contacts  21  and  22  electrically connected to the collectors  111  and  113  of the electrodes by means of microballs  321 ,  322 . The protective molding  30  of said component  20  extends on opposite sides of the separator  112  and ensures the securement of the component  20  to said separator. The electrodes  11  and  13  are then constituted on opposite sides of the separator  112 , in contact with the collectors  111  and  113 . 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the electrochemical couple  100  is made by stacking elements constituting the electrode  13  with its collector  113 , the electrolyte  12  and the electrode  11  with its collector  111 , so as to leave an empty cavity  210 . In this cavity, there is positioned a portion of the collector  113  and a portion of the collector  111 , the contacts  21  and  22  of an electronic component  20  are connected to said collectors by means of connections  321 ,  322  and the cavity is filled with resin so as to constitute the protective molding  30  of said component  20 . 
     In the preceding description, the nature of the electrolyte has not been mentioned, the latter being adapted, in a manner known per se, to have the consistency of a liquid or a gel because, apart from the requirement to constitute a sealed housing  50 , the process of assembly remains the same. 
     The use of an air cathode (example: zinc/air battery), on the other hand, substantially modifies the order of the steps of the assembly process but is not inconsistent with the principle of the invention. 
     In the embodiments described, the chip, and hence the support, comprise four contacts  21  to  24 , of which two,  21  and  22 , ensure the energy supply to the component  20 . 
     The other connection contacts and the segments connected thereto are used and connected as a function of the tasks they must perform. The component  20  can for example perform the function of analyzing a parameter such as temperature, pressure, voltage, current quantity within the electrochemical couple, and transmit this information to external control means. 
     This information is sent toward the external means by a process, known per se, of radio frequency modulation superposed on the supply voltage, through connections of the component  20  to the electrodes and the electrical connection wires, not shown in the drawing, connecting the electrodes of the electrochemical couple to the terminals of the cell. Conversely, the external control means can in the same way send instructions to component  20 . 
     In fact, the number of contacts of the chip is not limited, because it depends on the number of parameters of the cell, that it is desired to control, and on the complexity of the electronics that are to be installed. 
     The minimum number is three contacts, in the case of auto-controlled cell without any interconnection, nor with adjacent cells, nor with the exterior of the battery (example: voltage regulator, current generator, pulse generator . . . ) 
     The number of connections of the battery is two, at least, for the anode and the cathode, give that in certain cases, the connection of the anode or that of the cathode can also be used to transport the control signal which is thus superposed on the energy supply signal. 
     For purposes of clarity, we have selected a multi-layer current collector constituted by an insulating support and a conductive printing (or metallization) on each surface. 
     In a manner known per se, on a uniformly conductive current collector, it is necessary to deposit an intermediate insulating layer (of the Kapton type, for example) to insulate the electronic components of the active elements of the cell and to constitute the different connections. 
     According to the angle from which the invention is considered, three large types of industrial applications will be clearly seen: 
     smart batteries, 
     the control of matrices of cells, 
     microsources of energy 
     The Smart Batteries, 
     In the case of a battery, rechargeable or not, comprising a series of cells juxtaposed according to FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the presence of a smart chip on each cell permits observing the essential parameters of operation of each of the generators, and to intervene separately on the supply of energy of each of the generators and hence overall to control the energy source. 
     FIGS. 3 to  5  show non-exhaustive examples of the control of energy sources in “all or nothing”. The connections are provided by the smart element of each cell as a function of the parameters belonging to the generator itself or to instructions supplied by means external to each smart element. 
     The use of cells according to the invention thus permits identifying, at any time, each cell and attributing to it a use, series or parallel, toward one point or another, without this attribution being definitive. 
     The process according to the invention also permits controlling certain well-known defects of assemblies comprising cells. 
     Without limitation, there could be cited for example: 
     in all vehicles having a battery, the overall charging current of the rechargeable battery can be controlled, which ensures a good overall operation of this battery but does not permit foreseeing the imminent failure due to malfunction of a single battery cell, nor to know the quantity of energy effectively available in the battery. The control, element by element, permits managing this type of situation. 
     similarly, a rechargeable battery could be provided with a discharge signal which will be triggered not at an overall voltage value but rather when one of the cells has reached its minimum discharge threshold, even if the good operation of the other cells hides this local malfunction. 
     In the case of use in northern countries (lower temperatures), the rechargeable batteries can be provided with a self-supplied preheating element which will be triggered by at least one of the smart cells preventing the supply of energy to the starter until all the battery cells and the electrolyte have reached a suitable temperature to supply the maximum electrical energy. 
     A preheating signal of the cells, similar to or coupled with the preheating signal of diesel motor plugs, can be sent directly from the generator to the dashboard of the vehicle. 
     Similarly, a charger could monitor the exact charging state of a rechargeable battery thanks to the simultaneous detection, cell by cell, of the derivative of the voltage curve, of the derivative of the temperature curve and of the differential between the energy supplied and the energy returned at the level of each cell. 
     The Management of Matrices of Battery Cells 
     The preceding examples are applicable to batteries, rechargeable or not, comprising a limited number of battery cells. 
     In the case of the use of a large number of cells, as in batteries for electrical vehicles, all the small imperfections of operation cited above (and others . . . ) are multiplied by the number of cells and thus become intolerable. By way of example, the lighting of the headlights must not cause the speed of the vehicle to drop. The failure of a cell should be signalled without leading to an overall breakdown. 
     The fact of providing battery cells with intelligence permits controlling where, when and how each cell distributes energy, in a structure designed for this purpose. 
     FIG. 6 schematically shows the architecture of a system of managing with three cells, and the distribution, at any moment, of the available current toward one source of use as a function of a pilot which manages the information from these cells and takes account if need be of external elements. 
     By such a process, it is thus possible to connect or disconnect one of the cells whilst guaranteeing the overall supply of energy, to the extent of course to which redundant elements are available to supply to the failed elements or to supply supplemental energy. 
     In a more general matrix configuration, it becomes possible to distribute the use of the various cells toward one or several separate points of energy consumption and to redistribute these cells to the extent there is a demand as a function of the needs of the moment. 
     All or a portion of the matrix can be attributed, in an evolutive fashion, to all or a portion of the points of energy usage. 
     In FIG. 7, it will be understood that a microprocessor is completely able to manage such a matrix by overseeing the cells in turn and to use the data thus recovered to organize the distribution of the energy sources. 
     In such a system, there can even be envisaged that certain generators will be in the course of recharging, whilst certain are inactive and that others dispense energy, each generator being individually controlled. 
     Energy Microsources 
     It is known that there is an unbalance between the electronic components which have made enormous progress these last 20 years, in terms of miniaturization, reduction of cost, reduction of consumption, and the sources of electrical energy which, during this same time period, are simply rendered more reliable. 
     We thus now find, in the reverse situation to that in which we were several tens of years ago, namely, that: 
     the electronic apparatuses of small size, small energy consumption and small cost, 
     the sources of energy are often over-dimensioned in terms of too great an energy supply, too much volume, too much weight, and too high a price compared to the price of a chip. 
     It is interesting to note that the price of a battery is not connected to the quantity of active material present in it, but much more to the cost of the housing itself and its assembly. 
     There can thus be created microsystems comprising a microsource of energy precisely adapted to its need and to its life span. 
     In this microsystem, the component not only controls the energy microsource, but also integrates all of the electronic functions of the microsystem.