Miniature electrochemical cell having a casing of a metal container closed with a ceramic plate having two via holes supporting opposite polarity platinum-containing conductive pathways

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11114714-B2
Application number	US-201916431025-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2019
Priority date	Jun 4, 2019
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

A miniature electrochemical cell having a volume of less than 0.5 cc includes a casing having a header assembly comprising a ceramic plate formed by co-firing a metallic-containing paste in first and second via holes extending through a green-state ceramic. The ceramic plate is joined to a metal ring by a gold-braze to form the header assembly that is secured to an open-ended metal container by a weld to provide the casing. The fill material resulting from sintering the metallic-containing paste provides a first conductive pathway to the anode current collector contacting an anode active material and a second conductive pathway to a cathode current collector contacting a cathode active material. A solid electrolyte activates the anode and cathode while also serving as a separator. Outer surfaces of the first and second conductive pathways are configured for electrical connection to a load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
a) a casing, comprising:
i) an open-ended container of an electrically conductive material;
ii) a header comprising a ceramic plate hermetically secured to an outer annular metallic ring, the ceramic plate having a ceramic plate inner surface opposite a ceramic plate outer surface;
iii) a first electrically conductive pathway comprising a first platinum-containing fill material residing in a first via hole extending through the ceramic plate, and a second electrically conductive pathway comprising a second platinum-containing fill material residing in a second via hole extending through the ceramic plate, wherein the first and second conductive pathways have respective first and second conductive pathway inner surfaces located at or adjacent to the ceramic plate inner surface and first and second conductive pathway outer surfaces located at or adjacent to the ceramic plate outer surface; and
iv) a weld hermetically securing the outer annular ring of the header to the open end of the container; and

b) an electrode assembly, comprising:
i) a cathode current collector contacted to the ceramic plate inner surface at the first conductive pathway inner surface;
ii) a cathode active material conductively contacted to the cathode current collector opposite the first conductive pathway in the first via hole, the cathode active material having an outer peripheral edge;
iii) a solid electrolyte that curves over and around the cathode active material including its outer peripheral edge so that the solid electrolyte contacts the inner surface of the ceramic plate;
iv) an anode current collector contacted to the ceramic plate inner surface at the second conductive pathway inner surface, the anode current collector spaced from the cathode current collector; and
v) an anode active material contacting the solid electrolyte opposite the cathode active material, the anode active material conductively contacted to the anode current collector opposite the second conductive pathway in the second via hole extending through the ceramic plate of the header,

c) wherein the outer surfaces of the first and second conductive pathways are configured for electrical connection to a load.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic plate is selected from alumina and 3% YSZ.

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode and cathode current collectors each have a thickness that ranges from about 0.1 microns to about 50 microns.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrically conductive pathways each comprise substantially pure platinum disposed in a sealed relationship in the respective first and second via holes in the ceramic plate.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrically conductive pathways each comprise a platinum-containing fill material disposed in a sealed relationship in the respective first and second via holes in the ceramic plate, the platinum-containing fill material comprised of, by weight %, from 10:90 ceramic:platinum to 90:10 ceramic:platinum.

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 5 , wherein the ceramic in the platinum-containing fill material is either 3% YSZ or alumina, and mixtures thereof.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode and cathode current collectors are characterized as having been contacted to the inner surface of the ceramic plate using a physical vapor deposition process.

8. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode and cathode current collectors are individually selected from the group of nickel, titanium, copper, and a Ti/NiV composite.

9. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrode assembly is of either a Li/LiCoO 2 or Li/LiNi a Mn b Co 1-a-b O 2 couple.

10. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte is Li x PO y N z with x ranging from 3 to 4, y ranging from 3 to 4, and z ranging from 0.1 to 1.

11. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
a) a casing, comprising:
i) an open-ended container of an electrically conductive material;
ii) a header comprising a ceramic plate hermetically secured to an outer annular metallic ring by a gold-braze, the ceramic plate having a ceramic plate inner surface opposite a ceramic plate outer surface;
iii) a first electrically conductive pathway and a second electrically conductive pathway, both conductive pathways comprising a platinum-containing fill material residing in a respective first and second via holes extending through the ceramic plate, wherein the first and second conductive pathways each having a conductive pathway inner surface located at or adjacent to the ceramic plate inner surface and a conductive pathway outer surface located at or adjacent to the ceramic plate outer surface; and
iv) a weld hermetically securing the outer annular ring of the header to the open end of the container; and

b) an electrode assembly, comprising:
i) a cathode current collector contacted to the ceramic plate inner surface at the first conductive pathway inner surface;
ii) a cathode active material conductively contacted to the cathode current collector opposite the first conductive pathway in the first via hole, the cathode active material having an outer peripheral edge, wherein the cathode active material is either LiCoO 2 or LiNi a Mn b Co 1-a-b O 2 ;
iii) a solid electrolyte that curves over and around the cathode active material including its outer peripheral edge so that the solid electrolyte contacts the inner surface of the ceramic plate, wherein the solid electrolyte is Li x PO y N z with x ranging from 3 to 4, y ranging from 3 to 4, and z ranging from 0.1 to 1;
iv) an anode current collector contacted to the ceramic plate inner surface at the second conductive pathway, the anode current collector spaced from the cathode current collector; and
v) an anode a cathode active material contacting the solid electrolyte opposite the cathode active material, the anode active material conductively contacted to the anode current collector opposite the second conductive pathway in the second via hole extending through the ceramic plate of the header,

c) wherein the outer surfaces of the first and second conductive pathways are configured for electrical connection to a load.

12. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 , wherein the ceramic plate is selected from alumina and 3% YSZ.

13. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 , wherein the first and second electrically conductive pathways each comprise substantially pure platinum disposed in a sealed relationship in the respective first and second via holes in the ceramic plate.

14. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 , wherein the first and second electrically conductive pathways each comprise a platinum-containing fill material disposed in a sealed relationship in the respective first and second via holes in the ceramic plate, the platinum-containing fill material comprised of, by weight %, from 10:90 ceramic:platinum to 90:10 ceramic:platinum.

15. The electrochemical cell of claim 14 , wherein the ceramic in the platinum-containing fill material is either 3% YSZ or alumina, and mixtures thereof.

16. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 , wherein the anode and cathode current collectors each have a thickness that ranges from about 0.1 microns to about 50 microns, and wherein the anode and cathode current collectors are selected from the group of nickel, titanium, copper, and a Ti/NiV composite.

17. A method for providing an electrochemical cell

Assignees

• Greatbatch Ltd

Inventors

• Rubino Robert S
• Seitz Keith W
• Hohl Brian P

Classifications

• H01M4/525 Primary

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy · CPC title

• H01M50/109

  of button or coin shape · CPC title

• H01M50/103

  prismatic or rectangular (H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/119

  Metals · CPC title

• H01M50/174

  adapted for the shape of the cells · CPC title