Hybrid nanostructured materials and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016301066-A1
Application number	US-201415034393-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 14, 2014
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hybrid nanostructured surface and methods are shown. In one example the hybrid nanostructured surface is used to form one or more electrodes of a battery. Devices such as lithium ion batteries are shown incorporating hybrid nanostructured surfaces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A surface structure, comprising:
a number of carbon nanotubes protruding from a graphene substrate, wherein the carbon nanotubes form a number of substantially cone shaped structures; and a silicon based coating formed over the number of substantially cone shaped structures.

2 . The surface structure of claim 1 , wherein the silicon based coating is substantially pure silicon.

3 . The surface structure of claim 1 , further including a metallic conductor layer coupled beneath the graphene substrate.

4 . The surface structure of claim 1 , wherein the metallic conductor layer includes copper.

5 . A battery, comprising:
a pair of electrodes, including an anode and a cathode, wherein at least one of the pair of electrodes includes:
a number of carbon nanotubes protruding from a graphene substrate, wherein the carbon nanotubes form a number of substantially cone shaped structures;
a silicon based coating formed over the number of substantially cone shaped structures; and
an electrolyte between the anode and the cathode.

6 . The battery of claim 5 , wherein one of the pair of electrodes includes a lithium compound to form a lithium ion battery.

7 . The battery of claim 5 , further including a copper conductor layer coupled beneath the graphene substrate.

8 . A method, comprising:
forming an array of carbon nanotubes on a graphene substrate; bombarding the array of carbon nanotubes with inert atoms to form a number of substantially cone shaped structures; and coating the number of substantially cone shaped structures with a silicon based coating.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein bombarding the array of carbon nanotubes with inert atoms includes inductively coupled plasma argon milling the array of carbon nanotubes.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein coating the number of substantially cone shaped structures includes sputter depositing an amorphous silicon layer on the number of substantially cone shaped structures.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising forming a first electrode from the coated substantially cone shaped structures.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising coupling a second electrode adjacent to the first electrode with an electrolyte separating the first and second electrodes to form a battery.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Ozkan Cengiz S
• Ozkan Mihrimah
• Wang Wei

Classifications

• H01M10/0525

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

• H01M4/661

  Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings (H01M4/669 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2004/025

  with shapes other than plane or cylindrical · CPC title

• H01M4/587

  for inserting or intercalating light metals · CPC title

• H01M4/134

  Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title