A device and method of manufacturing high aspect ratio structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018205089-A1
Application number	US-201615744628-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 15, 2016
Priority date	Jul 15, 2015
Publication date	Jul 19, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a Lithium battery ( 100 ) with a current collector formed of pillars ( 11 ) on a substrate face ( 10 ), wherein the method comprises: forming elongate and aligned structures forming electrically conductive pillars ( 11 ) on the substrate face ( 10 ) with upstanding pillar walls extending from a pillar base to a pillar top; wherein the pillars are covered with a laminate comprising a first electrode ( 12 ), a solid state electrolyte layer ( 13 ); a second electrode layer ( 14 ), and a topstrate ( 20 ) forming an electrode part; and wherein at least one of the first electrode layer, second electrode layer and topstrate layer is non-conformally coated to prevent Lithium intercalation into the first or second electrode near the pillar base by limiting cracking at the pillar base when volume expansion/contraction of the electrode layers happens during the battery charge/discharge cycles.

First claim

1 . A method of manufacturing a lithium battery with a current collector formed of pillars on a substrate face, wherein the method comprises:
forming elongate and aligned structures forming electrically conductive pillars on the substrate face, each of the pillars having an upstanding pillar wall that extends from a pillar base to a pillar top, wherein individual ones of the pillars are each covered with a laminate comprising:
a first electrode,
a solid state electrolyte layer;
a second electrode layer; and
a topstrate forming an electrode part; and
wherein at least one of the first electrode layer, second electrode layer and topstrate layer is non-conformally coated to thereby prevent lithium intercalation into the first electrode and/or the second electrode at a location near the pillar base.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode does not extend to the pillar base.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second electrode layer does not extend to the pillar base.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the group consisting of the first electrode, the electrolyte layer and the second electrode layer does not extend to the pillar top, such that a substantially cylindrical laminate structure is provided that is severed near axial ends of the pillars.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a metal substrate stacked on an organic foil.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a minimum interdistance between pillar walls, of neighboring ones of the pillars, ranges between 1-10 micrometers; and
wherein the first electrode has an average thickness ranging between 400 and 1500 nanometers.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the current collector is manufactured in a roll-to-roll process.

8 . A lithium battery comprising a current collector, wherein the current collector is formed of pillars on a substrate face, and wherein the pillars are each elongate and aligned structures forming electrically conductive pillars on the substrate face, each of the pillars having an upstanding pillar wall that extends from a pillar base to a pillar top;
wherein individual ones of the pillars are each covered with a laminate comprising:
a first electrode;
a solid state electrolyte layer;
a second electrode layer; and
a topstrate forming an electrode part; and
wherein at least one of the first electrode layer, second electrode layer and topstrate layer is non-conformally coated to prevent lithium intercalation into the first electrode and/or the second electrode at a location near the pillar base.

9 . The lithium battery according to claim 8 wherein the high-aspect ratio structure comprises pillars having a radius of curvature larger than 50 nanometers.

10 . The lithium battery according to claim 8 , wherein the pillars are higher than 10 micrometers.

11 . The lithium battery according to claim 8 , wherein the substrate is a metal foil having both faces forming a high-aspect ratio structure.

12 . The lithium battery according to claim 8 , having a plurality of current collectors, and wherein ones of the plurality of current collectors are alternatingly stacked with respect to neighboring ones of the current collectors.

13 . The lithium battery according to claim 11 , wherein the metal substrate is stacked on an organic foil.

14 . The lithium battery according to claim 8 , wherein the first electrode does not extend to the pillar base.

15 . The lithium battery according to claim 8 , wherein the second electrode layer does not extend to the pillar base.

16 . The lithium battery according to claim 8 , wherein at least one of the group consisting of the first electrode, the electrolyte layer and the second electrode layer does not extend to the pillar top, such that a substantially cylindrical laminate structure is provided that is severed near axial ends of the pillars.

17 . The lithium battery according to claim 8 , wherein the substrate comprises a metal substrate stacked on an organic foil.

18 . The lithium battery according to claim 8 , wherein a minimum interdistance between pillar walls, of neighboring ones of the pillars, ranges between 1-10 micrometers; and
wherein the first electrode has an average thickness ranging between 400 and 1500 nanometers.

19 . The lithium battery of claim 8 , wherein the current collector is manufactured in a roll-to-roll process.

Assignees

• TNO

Inventors

• Unnikrishnan Sandeep
• Haverkate Lucas A

Classifications

• H01M10/058

  Construction or manufacture · CPC title

• H01M4/70 Primary

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title

• H01M2004/025

  with shapes other than plane or cylindrical · CPC title

• H01M4/0404

  by coating on electrode collectors · CPC title

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title