Encapsulated sulfide glass solid electrolytes and solid-state laminate electrode assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11239495-B2
Application number	US-202016781713-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2020
Priority date	Jul 7, 2017
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

Nanofilm-encapsulated sulfide glass solid electrolyte structures and methods for making the encapsulated glass structures involve a lithium ion conducting sulfide glass sheet encapsulated on its opposing major surfaces by a continuous and conformal nanofilm made by atomic layer deposition (ALD). During manufacture, the reactive surfaces of the sulfide glass sheet are protected from deleterious reaction with ambient moisture, and the nanofilm can be configured to provide additional performance advantages, including enhanced mechanical strength and improved chemical resistance.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of making a solid-state laminate electrode assembly,
the method comprising the steps of:
(i) providing a nanofilm-encapsulated sulfide glass solid electrolyte structure, the structure comprising:
a dense, moisture sensitive lithium ion conducting sulfide glass solid electrolyte sheet having substantially uniform thickness in the range of 5-50 μm and Li ion conductivity of at least 10 −5 S/cm, the sulfide glass sheet having first and second major opposing surfaces and a peripheral edge surface; and
a continuous inorganic nanofilm that conforms to the sulfide glass surfaces and encapsulates, in direct contact, the first and second major opposing surfaces of the glass sheet and the peripheral edge surface of the glass sheet;
wherein the nanofilm is pinhole free and protects the encapsulated glass surfaces against chemical degradation by ambient moisture during storage or battery cell manufacture; and
(ii) depositing a lithium metal layer directly onto the nanofilm to form a negative electrode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material composition of the nanofilm is an insulator in bulk form, but is transparent or permeable to lithium ions as a nanofilm.

3. A battery cell, comprising:
a solid-state laminate electrode assembly, comprising,
(i) a nanofilm-encapsulated sulfide glass solid electrolyte structure, the structure comprising:

a dense, moisture sensitive lithium ion conducting sulfide glass solid electrolyte sheet having substantially uniform thickness in the range of 5-50 μm and Li ion conductivity of at least 10 −5 S/cm, the sulfide glass sheet having first and second major opposing surfaces and a peripheral edge surface; and
a continuous inorganic nanofilm that conforms to the sulfide glass surfaces and encapsulates, in direct contact, the first and second major opposing surfaces of the glass sheet and the peripheral edge surface of the glass sheet;
wherein the nanofilm is pinhole free and protects the encapsulated glass surfaces against chemical degradation by ambient moisture during storage or battery cell manufacture; and
(ii) a lithium metal layer directly deposited on the nanofilm forming a negative electrode; and
a positive electrode.

4. The battery cell of claim 3 , wherein the material composition of the nanofilm is an insulator in bulk form but is transparent or permeable to lithium ions as a nanofilm.

Assignees

• Polyplus Battery Co Inc

Inventors

• Visco Steven J
• Nimon Vitaliy
• Nimon Yevgeniy S
• Katz Bruce D

Classifications

• C23C16/45536

  Use of plasma, radiation or electromagnetic fields · CPC title

• H01M2300/0068

  inorganic · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• H01M4/382

  Lithium (H01M4/405 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title