Lithium titanate structures for lithium ion batteries formed using element selective sputtering

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017288209-A1
Application number	US-201615087435-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Oct 5, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method is provided in which a lithium titanate precursor structure is subjected to element selective sputtering to form a lithium titanate structure including a lithium titanate core and a conformal layer on the lithium titanate core, wherein the conformal layer includes titanium oxide. A method of preparing an electrode for a lithium ion battery, wherein the electrode includes lithium titanate structures, is also provided.

First claim

1 . A method, comprising:
subjecting a lithium titanate precursor structure to element selective sputtering to form a lithium titanate structure including a lithium titanate core and a conformal layer on the lithium titanate core, wherein the conformal layer includes titanium oxide.

2 . The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the element selective sputtering is performed by any of electron sputtering, plasma sputtering, laser sputtering, and X-ray sputtering.

3 . The method as defined in claim 2 wherein the element selective sputtering is performed by a plasma in a rotary plasma system.

4 . The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the lithium titanate has a surface, following the element selective sputtering, that is essentially devoid of lithium.

5 . The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the conformal layer has substantially no lithium.

6 . The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising heat-treating the lithium titanate structure.

7 . The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the lithium titanate structure is heat-treated at a temperature ranging from about 400° C. to about 800° C. for a period of time ranging from about 1 hour to about 24 hours.

8 . The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising reducing gas production in a lithium ion battery by:
incorporating a plurality of the lithium titanate structures into a negative electrode; incorporating the negative electrode into a lithium ion battery; and cycling the lithium ion battery.

9 . A method, comprising:
subjecting a lithium titanate precursor structure to element selective sputtering to form a lithium titanate structure including a lithium titanate core and a conformal layer on the lithium titanate core, wherein the conformal layer includes titanium oxide; incorporating a plurality of the lithium titanate structures into a negative electrode; incorporating the negative electrode into a lithium ion battery; and cycling the lithium ion battery.

10 . The method as defined in claim 9 wherein the element selective sputtering is performed by any of electron sputtering, plasma sputtering, laser sputtering, and X-ray sputtering.

11 . The method as defined in claim 10 wherein the element selective sputtering is performed by a plasma in a rotary plasma system.

12 . The method as defined in claim 9 wherein the lithium titanate has a surface, following the element selective sputtering, that is essentially devoid of lithium.

13 . The method as defined in claim 9 wherein the conformal layer has substantially no lithium.

14 . The method as defined in claim 9 , further comprising heat-treating the lithium titanate structure.

15 . The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the lithium titanate structure is heat-treated at a temperature ranging from about 400° C. to about 800° C. for a period of time ranging from about 1 hour to about 24 hours.

16 . The method as defined in claim 9 wherein:
the lithium titanate structures are recovered from the element selective sputtering as lithium titanate powder;
the powder is mixed with conductive carbon and polymer binder in a solvent to form a slurry; and
the slurry is coated onto a current collector material and dried to form the negative electrode.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Liu Zhongyi

Classifications

• H01M4/1391 Primary

  of electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx · CPC title

• H01M4/0471

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

• C23C14/083

  of refractory metals or yttrium · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/485

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiTi2O4 or LiTi2OxFy (H01M4/505, H01M4/525 take precedence) · CPC title