SPECIAL LiPON MASK TO INCREASE LiPON IONIC CONDUCTIVITY AND TFB FABRICATION YIELD

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017279115-A1
Application number	US-201515505864-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 28, 2015
Priority date	Aug 28, 2014
Publication date	Sep 28, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to general aspects, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a special mask design that not only increases the ionic conductivity of a deposited LiPON layer but also increases device yield by reducing damage to the deposited layer from RF plasma. In embodiments, the mask includes a conductive bottom surface facing the substrate during deposition and a non-conductive opposite top side. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the conductive portion of the mask at the bottom side allows the formation of a weak secondary local plasma (or greater plasma immersion) to enhance nitrogen incorporation into the LiPON film. The non-conductive top side suppresses local micro-arcing, which will limit the plasma induced damage to the growing film.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of manufacturing electrochemical devices comprising:
providing a mask having top and bottom sides, said bottom side being electrically conductive and said top side being electrically non-conductive; forming a stack of device layers on a substrate, said stack of device layers comprising:
a current collector layer on said substrate; and
an electrode layer on said current collector layer;
arranging said mask with said bottom side adjacent to a top surface of said stack; and depositing an electrolyte layer on said stack using a PVD process with said mask arranged having said bottom side adjacent to said film stack.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said PVD process comprises RF sputtering.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said electrolyte layer comprises LiPON.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said electrode layer is a cathode layer.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said cathode layer comprises LiCoO 2 .

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said electrochemical devices are thin film batteries.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said mask is a metal body with a layer of dielectric material on said top side.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said metal body comprises invar.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said dielectric material comprises one or more of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said bottom side has an electrical conductivity in the range of 10 5 to 10 7 S/m.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said top side has an electrical conductivity less than 10 −7 S/m.

12 . A system for manufacturing electrochemical devices comprising:
a shadow mask for patterning an electrolyte layer of an electrochemical device, said shadow mask comprising:
a planar body with top and bottom sides, said bottom side having an electrical conductivity in the range of 10 5 to 10 7 S/m and said top side having an electrical conductivity less than 10 −7 S/m; and
a first system for depositing a device stack on a substrate comprising a current collector, an electrode layer, and said electrolyte layer, said first system comprising a PVD deposition tool configured for depositing said electrolyte with said shadow mask with said bottom side of said shadow mask facing said substrate during said depositing.

13 . A shadow mask for patterning an electrolyte layer of an electrochemical device, said mask comprising:
a planar body with a top side and a bottom side, said bottom side having an electrical conductivity in the range of 10 5 to 10 7 S/m and said top side having a electrical conductivity less than 10 −7 S/m.

14 . The shadow mask of claim 13 , wherein said planar body is a metal body with a layer of dielectric material on said top side.

15 . The shadow mask of claim 14 , wherein said dielectric material comprises one or more of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Song Daoying
• Jiang Chong
• Sun Lizhong
• Kwak Byung Sung Leo

Classifications

• H01M10/0562

  Solid materials · CPC title

• H01M4/525

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy · CPC title

• H01M4/0426

  Sputtering · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

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

• H01M10/0585 Primary

  of accumulators having only flat construction elements, i.e. flat positive electrodes, flat negative electrodes and flat separators · CPC title