Apparatus and methods for depositing molten metal onto a foil substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11597988-B2
Application number	US-202217832139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2022
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A web coating platform for depositing molten metal on flexible substrates is provided. The web coating platform can be used for manufacturing solid lithium anodes for use in energy storage devices, for example, rechargeable batteries. The coating platform can be designed for double-sided coating of a continuous flexible substrate (e.g., a copper foil) with molten lithium followed by double-sided lamination or passivation. The coating platform integrates novel coating elements unique to handling and processing molten metals. For example, some implementations of the present disclosure incorporate double-sided molten metal coating elements, which include at least one of a molten metal application assembly (e.g., kiss roller, slot-die, Meyer bar, and/or gravure roller), a primary melt pool assembly, a secondary melt pool assembly, and an engagement mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a chamber body defining an interior volume;
a first partition plate extending across the interior volume separating the interior volume into a processing volume and an unwinding volume;
a second partition plate extending across the interior volume separating the interior volume into the processing volume and a winding volume;
a reel-to-reel system operable to transport a continuous flexible substrate, comprising:
an unwinding roller positioned in the unwinding volume, on which the continuous flexible substrate is wound prior to processing, and operable to unwind and release the continuous flexible substrate for the processing; and
a winding roller positioned in the winding volume and operable to receive the continuous flexible substrate following the processing, and operable to wind the continuous flexible substrate thereon; and

a molten metal coating assembly positioned in the processing volume and comprising:
a first slot-die operable to deposit a wet film comprising molten metal on a first surface of the continuous flexible substrate;
a primary melt pool operable to supply the molten metal to the first slot-die;
a secondary melt pool operable to replenish the molten metal in the primary melt pool; and
an engagement mechanism coupled with the secondary melt pool and operable to move the secondary melt pool radially toward and radially away from the primary melt pool.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second slot-die operable to deposit the wet film comprising molten metal on a second surface of the continuous flexible substrate.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first slot-die comprises one or more internal heaters operable to control a temperature of the molten metal within the first slot-die.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more process rollers disposed along a travel path over which the continuous flexible substrate is conveyed between the unwinding roller, the first slot-die, and the winding roller.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the process rollers are positioned so that the first slot-die deposits molten metal on the continuous flexible substrate while the continuous flexible substrate travels over one of the process rollers.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the process rollers further comprises an internal heater.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a laminate film supply roller positioned in the winding volume and operable to supply a laminate film over the deposited molten metal.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more auxiliary tension reels disposed along a travel path where the continuous flexible substrate is conveyed between the unwinding roller, the first slot-die, and the winding roller.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the engagement mechanism is a pneumatic cylinder.

10. The system of claim 1 , where in the primary melt pool is positioned on a heater operable to maintain the molten metal in a molten state.

11. A system, comprising:
a chamber body defining an interior volume;
a first partition plate extending across the interior volume separating the interior volume into a processing volume and an unwinding volume;
a second partition plate extending across the interior volume separating the interior volume into the processing volume and a winding volume;
a reel-to-reel system operable to transport a continuous flexible substrate, comprising:
an unwinding roller positioned in the unwinding volume, on which the continuous flexible substrate is wound prior to processing, and operable to unwind and release the continuous flexible substrate for the processing; and
a winding roller positioned in the winding volume and operable to receive the continuous flexible substrate following the processing, and operable to wind the continuous flexible substrate thereon; and

a molten metal coating assembly positioned in the processing volume and comprising:
a first slot-die operable to deposit a wet film comprising molten metal on a first surface of the continuous flexible substrate;
a primary melt pool operable to supply the molten metal to the first slot-die;
a secondary melt pool operable to replenish the molten metal in the primary melt pool; and
an engagement mechanism is a pneumatic cylinder and coupled with the secondary melt pool and operable to move the secondary melt pool radially toward and radially away from the primary melt pool.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a second slot-die operable to deposit the wet film comprising molten metal on a second surface of the continuous flexible substrate.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first slot-die comprises one or more internal heaters operable to control a temperature of the molten metal within the first slot-die.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising one or more process rollers disposed along a travel path over which the continuous flexible substrate is conveyed between the unwinding roller, the first slot-die, and the winding roller.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the process rollers are positioned so that the first slot-die deposits molten metal on the continuous flexible substrate while the continuous flexible substrate travels over one of the process rollers.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the process rollers further comprises an internal heater.

17. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a laminate film supply roller positioned in the winding volume and operable to supply a laminate film over the deposited molten metal.

18. The system of claim 11 , further comprising one or more auxiliary tension reels disposed along a travel path where the continuous flexible substrate is conveyed between the unwinding roller, the first slot-die, and the winding roller.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the engagement mechanism is operable to move the secondary melt pool radially toward and radially away from the primary melt pool.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the primary melt pool is positioned on a heater operable to maintain the molten metal in a molten state.

Assignees

• Micromaterials Llc
• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Frey Bernard
• Herle Subramanya P

Classifications

• C23C2/40 Primary

  Plates; Strips · CPC title

• H01M4/382

  Lithium (H01M4/405 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/0404

  by coating on electrode collectors · CPC title

• C23C2/18

  Removing excess of molten coatings from elongated material · CPC title

• H01M4/1395

  of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title