Three-dimensional (3d) electrode architecture for a microbattery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016126558-A1
Application number	US-201414890072-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 1, 2014
Priority date	May 10, 2013
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) electrode architecture for a microbattery includes an anode structure comprising one or more anode digits and a cathode structure comprising one or more cathode digits, the anode digits being positioned alternately with the cathode digits in an interdigitated configuration on a substrate, where each of the anode digits has a width w a and each of the cathode digits has a width w c . Each of the anode digits comprises an anode material deposited on a first current collector and extending to a height h above the first current collector, and each of the cathode digits comprises a cathode material deposited on a second current collector and extending to a height h, above the second current collector. A height-to-width aspect ratio h a /w a of the anode structure and a height-to-width aspect ratio h c /w c of the cathode structure are at least about 2.

First claim

1 . A three-dimensional (3D) electrode architecture for a microbattery, the electrode architecture comprising:
an anode structure comprising one or more anode digits and a cathode structure comprising one or more cathode digits, the anode digits being positioned alternately with the cathode digits in an interdigitated configuration on a substrate, each of the anode digits having a width w a and each of the cathode digits having a width w c , wherein each of the anode digits comprises an anode material deposited on a first current collector, the anode material extending to a height h a above the first current collector, and wherein each of the cathode digits comprises a cathode material deposited on a second current collector, the cathode material extending to a height h c above the second current collector, and wherein a height-to-width aspect ratio h a /w a of the anode structure and a height-to-width aspect ratio h c /w c of the cathode structure are at least about 2.

2 . The 3D electrode architecture of claim 1 , wherein the height-to-width aspect ratio h a /w a and the height-to-width aspect ratio h c /w c are at least about 10.

3 . The 3D electrode architecture of claim 1 , wherein each of the anode digits comprises a plurality of anode layers stacked on the first current collector, the plurality of anode layers comprising the anode material and being stacked to the height h a , and
wherein each of the cathode digits comprises a plurality of cathode layers stacked on the first current collector, the plurality of cathode layers comprising the cathode material and being stacked to the height h c .

4 - 5 . (canceled)

6 . The 3D electrode architecture of claim 1 , wherein the height h c and the height h a are from about 100 microns to about 1 mm.

7 . The 3D electrode architecture of claim 1 , wherein the width w a and the width w c are from about 10 microns to about 100 microns.

8 . The 3D electrode architecture of claim 1 , wherein each of the anode material and the cathode material comprises a porosity of from about 15 vol. % to about 40 vol. %

9 . (canceled)

10 . The 3D electrode architecture of claim 1 , wherein the anode material is selected from the group consisting of: Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 , TiO 2 , SnO 2 , Sn, Si, C, LiM y N 2 , MnO, CoO, Fe 2 O 3 , Fe 3 O 4 , CuO, NiO, ZnO, where y is an integer.

11 . The 3D electrode architecture of claim 1 , wherein the cathode material is selected from the group consisting of: Li x Mn 1-y M y O 2 , Li 1-x Mn 2-y M y O 4 , Li 1-x Co 1-y M y O 2 , Li 1-x Ni 1-y-z Co y M z O 4 , Li 1-x MPO 4 , Li 1-x MSiO 4 , Li 1-x MBO 3 , Li x Mn 1-y M y O 2 , and V 2 O 5 , where M is a transition metal and x, y and z have values from 0 to 1.

12 . The 3D electrode architecture of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the anode material and the cathode material further comprise a plurality of conductive particles distributed therein.

13 . The 3D electrode architecture of claim 12 , wherein the conductive particles comprise an element selected from the group consisting of: C, Ag, Cu, Au, Ni, and other transition metals.

14 . The 3D electrode architecture of claim 1 , comprising at least five anode digits and at least five cathode digits.

15 . The 3D electrode architecture of claim 1 , wherein the anode digits comprise a spacing from the cathode digits of about 50 microns or less.

16 - 17 . (canceled)

18 . A method of making a 3D electrode architecture, the method comprising:
providing a first nozzle positioned above a substrate having a first conductive pattern deposited thereon; while moving the first nozzle along a first predetermined pathway, extruding a first electrode filament comprising a first electrochemically active material out of the first nozzle and depositing the first electrode filament on the first conductive pattern, the first electrode filament being deposited in a digitated configuration; and repeating the extrusion and deposition of the first electrode filament at increasing distances above the substrate to form a first multilayered electrode structure comprising one or more first electrode digits.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising, while moving a second nozzle along a second predetermined pathway, extruding a second electrode filament comprising a second electrochemically active material out of the second nozzle and depositing the second electrode filament on a second conductive pattern on the substrate, the second electrode filament being deposited in a digitated configuration; and
repeating the extrusion and deposition of the second electrode filament at increasing distances above the substrate to form a second multilayered electrode structure comprising one or more second electrode digits, wherein the one or more first electrode digits are interdigitated with the one or more second electrode digits, and wherein a height-to-width aspect ratio of each of the first and second multilayered electrode structures is at least about 2.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising heating the first and second multilayered electrode structures at a temperature sufficient to induce sintering of the first and second electrochemically active materials.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein each of the first and second electrode filaments further comprise a polymeric binder.

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the first nozzle and the second nozzle are moved in series, the deposition of the first electrode filament and the deposition of the second electrode filament occurring serially.

23 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the first nozzle and the second nozzle are moved in parallel, the deposition of the first electrode filament and the deposition of the second electrode filament occurring simultaneously.

24 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the first electrochemically active material is selected from the group consisting of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 , TiO 2 , SnO 2 , Sn, Si, C, LiM y N 2 , MnO, CoO, Fe 2 O 3 , Fe 3 O 4 , CuO, NiO, ZnO, where y is an integer.

25 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the second electrochemically active material is selected from the group consisting of: Li x Mn 1-y M y O 2 , Li 1-x Mn 2-y M y O 4 , Li 1-x Co 1-y M y O 2 , Li 1-x Ni 1-y-z Co y M z O 4 , Li 1-x MPO 4 , Li 1-x MBO 3 , Li x Mn 1-y M y O 2 , and V 2 O 5 , where M is a transition metal and x, y and z have values from 0 to 1.

Assignees

• Univ Illinois

Inventors

• Lewis Jennifer
• Dillon Shen
• Sun Ke
• Ahn Bok Yeop
• Wei Teng-Sing

Classifications

• B33Y40/20

  Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing · CPC title

• H01M2004/021

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

• H01M4/70 Primary

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title

• H01M4/0471

  involving thermal treatment, e.g. firing, sintering, backing particulate active material, thermal decomposition, pyrolysis · CPC title

• H01M4/0411

  by extrusion · CPC title