Flash-sintering method for forming interface layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11254615-B2
Application number	US-201816136063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2018
Priority date	Sep 19, 2018
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

Methods of forming structures including a substrate (e.g., ceramic) and an interface layer comprising a metal are disclosed. Structures and electrochemical cells and batteries are also disclosed. Exemplary methods include flash sintering of metal and ceramic materials. Various structures may be suitable for use as solid electrolytes in solid-state electrochemical cells, as well as for many other applications.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of forming a structure comprising a metal layer, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a ceramic material;
depositing a layer of metal on a top surface of the ceramic material to form a coated ceramic material; and
exposing the coated ceramic material to a flash sintering process to reduce a contact angle between metal of the layer of metal on the top surface of the ceramic material to thereby cause the metal to spread on the ceramic material between electrodes used during the flash sintering and form the structure comprising the metal layer on the top surface,
wherein the flash sintering process comprises applying a voltage across the ceramic material to form an electric field, and
wherein a thickness of the layer of metal is about one monolayer to about 5 micrometers.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic material comprises lithium.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic material comprises lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic material comprises Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 .

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises one or more of silver and tin.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal layer is continuous.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of depositing a layer of metal comprises application of metal beads or sputtering.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electric field applied during the step of exposing is between about 10 V/cm and about 1000 V/cm.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of supplying controlled current.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flash sintering process includes increasing a temperature during the step of exposing at a rate of between about 1° C./minute and about 100° C./minute.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flash sintering occurs at a temperature of about 300° C. and about 1000° C.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of forming an electrochemical cell using the metal layer.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of forming a battery using the metal layer.

Assignees

• Univ Colorado Regents

Inventors

• Raj Rishi
• Andriamady Niriaina
• Clemenceau Thomas
• Jha Shikhar

Classifications

• C04B41/5116

  Ag or Au · CPC title

• C04B2235/666

  Applying a current during sintering, e.g. plasma sintering [SPS], electrical resistance heating or pulse electric current sintering [PECS] · CPC title

• C04B2111/00853

  in electrochemical cells or batteries, e.g. fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

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

• C04B2235/77

  Density · CPC title