Hybrid nanostructured materials and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10211448-B2
Application number	US-201415034393-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2014
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A hybrid nanostructured surface and methods are shown. In one example the hybrid nanostructured surface is used to form one or more electrodes of a battery. Devices such as lithium ion batteries are shown incorporating hybrid nanostructured surfaces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surface structure, comprising:
a number of carbon nanotubes protruding from a graphene substrate, wherein the carbon nanotubes form a number of substantially cone shaped structures wherein the number of substantially cone shaped structures are electrically coupled together to operate as a single electrode, each cone shaped structure formed from a plurality of bundled carbon nanotubes; and
a silicon coating formed over the number of substantially cone shaped structures.

2. The surface structure of claim 1 , further including a metallic conductor layer coupled beneath the graphene substrate.

3. The surface structure of claim 1 , wherein the metallic conductor layer includes copper.

4. A battery, comprising:
a pair of electrodes, including an anode and a cathode, wherein at least one of the pair of electrodes includes:
a number of carbon nanotubes protruding from a graphene substrate, wherein the carbon nanotubes form a number of substantially cone shaped structures wherein the number of substantially cone shaped structures are electrically coupled together to operate as a single electrode, each cone shaped structure formed from a plurality of bundled carbon nanotubes;
a silicon coating formed over the number of substantially cone shaped structures; and
an electrolyte between the anode and the cathode.

5. The battery of claim 4 , wherein one of the pair of electrodes includes a lithium compound to form a lithium ion battery.

6. The battery of claim 4 , further including a copper conductor layer coupled beneath the graphene substrate.

7. A method, comprising:
forming an array of carbon nanotubes on a graphene substrate;
bombarding the array of carbon nanotubes with inert atoms to form a number of substantially cone shaped structures; and
coating the number of substantially cone shaped structures with a silicon based coating.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein bombarding the array of carbon nanotubes with inert atoms includes inductively coupled plasma argon milling the array of carbon nanotubes.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein coating the number of substantially cone shaped structures includes sputter depositing an amorphous silicon layer on the number of substantially cone shaped structures.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising forming a first electrode from the coated substantially cone shaped structures.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising coupling a second electrode adjacent to the first electrode with an electrolyte separating the first and second electrodes to form a battery.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Ozkan Cengiz S
• Ozkan Mihrimah
• Wang Wei

Classifications

• H01M4/1393

  of electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx · CPC title

• H01M4/134

  Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title

• H01M2004/021

  Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area · CPC title

• H01M4/0426

  Sputtering · CPC title

• H01M4/587

  for inserting or intercalating light metals · CPC title