Flash evaporation of solid state battery component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10158115-B2
Application number	US-201414785840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2014
Priority date	Jun 6, 2013
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

In an example, the present invention provides a method for forming a film of material for a solid state battery or other energy storage device. The method includes providing a first precursor species, and providing a second precursor species. The method also includes transferring the first precursor species through a first nozzle and outputting the first precursor species in a first molecular form and transferring the second precursor species through a second nozzle and outputting the second precursor species in a second molecular form. The method includes causing formation of first plurality of particles, ranging from about first diameter to about a second diameter, by intermixing the first precursor species with the second precursor species. The method also includes cooling the first plurality of particles at a rate of greater than 100° C./s to a specified temperature.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for forming a nanodimensioned material, the method comprising:
providing a lithium precursor species;
providing a transition metal precursor species;
wherein the said precursor species are precursor powders;
heating the lithium precursor species or the transition metal precursor species, or both, at a temperature in the range of 1000° C. to 2500° C., to generate a lithium precursor species vapor, a transition metal precursor species vapor, or both;
optionally filtering the lithium precursor species vapor, the transition metal precursor species vapor, or both;
transferring through at least one aperture the lithium precursor species vapor and transition metal precursor species vapor into a process region;
intermixing the vapors in the process region to form an intermixture;
and cooling the intermixture at a rate between about 100° C./s to about 2000° C./s by depositing the intermixture on a substrate by a thermal deposition process;
thereby forming a nanodimensioned material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing both precursor species is under vacuum or a reduced pressure atmosphere.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising independently transferring each precursor species vapors through one of two apertures.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising filtering the lithium precursor species vapor, the transition metal precursor species vapor, or both
wherein filtering comprises heating the precursor species so that only a vapor of the precursor species is transferred through the filter and into the process region.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanodimensioned material is in a substantially amorphous state.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising flowing a carrier gas through the process region.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising filtering the lithium precursor species prior to the transferring step.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising transferring each precursor species vapors through one of two apertures which are in a concatenated configuration.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising transferring each precursor species vapors through one of two apertures which are in a concentric configuration.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium precursor species is lithium fluoride.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transition metal precursor species is selected from FeF 2 , FeF 3 , or Fe.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is selected from a rotating drum or a foil on a roll to roll mechanism.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transition metal precursor species is an iron or an iron and fluoride species.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium precursor species is a lithium species or a lithium and fluoride species.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is an aluminum or Cu drum that is actively cooled.

16. A deposition apparatus for forming a nanodimensioned material, the apparatus comprising:
a source of a lithium precursor species;
a source of a transition metal precursor species;
wherein the said precursor species are precursor powders;
at least one aperture coupled to the lithium precursor source and the transition metal precursor source and configured for outputting the lithium precursor species or the transition metal precursor species, or both, in a vapor form into a process region;
a process region coupled to the at least one or more apertures and configured to intermix the precursor species; and
a thermal deposition process sink provided in the process region for cooling the vapors in the process region at a rate between about 100° C./s to about 2000° C./s.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the thermal deposition process sink is selected from a rotating drum or a foil on a roll to roll mechanism.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the thermal deposition process sink is actively cooled.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a thermal source to heat the precursor species by inductive or resistive heating.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a filter to filter vapors of the precursor species.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 , comprising two apertures formed in a concatenated configuration.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the thermal deposition process sink is a movable member selected from a rotating drum or a foil on a roll to roll mechanism.

23. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the transition metal precursor species is an iron or an iron and fluoride species.

24. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the lithium precursor species is a lithium species or a lithium and fluoride species.

25. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the source of a lithium precursor species is maintained at a temperature of 1000 to 2000° C.

26. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the source of a transition metal species is maintained at a temperature of 1000 to 2000° C.

27. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a source of a lithium, a silicon, a tin, a germanium, a phosphorous, or a sulfur species.

28. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the process region is maintained at a temperature of about 300 to 2500° C.

29. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the process region is maintained at a temperature of about 1000 to 2500° C.

30. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the process region is maintained at a temperature of about 1000 to 2000° C.

Assignees

• Quantumscape Corp

Inventors

• Stimson Bradley O
• Hermann Weston A
• Berkstresser David E
• Holme Tim
• Allenic Arnold

Classifications

• C23C14/14 Primary

  Metallic material, boron or silicon · CPC title

• B22F1/0018

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• C23C14/562

  for coating elongated substrates · CPC title

• C23C14/26

  by resistance or inductive heating of the source · CPC title

• B22F9/28

  starting from gaseous metal compounds · CPC title