Solid state battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018241089-A1
Application number	US-201715440098-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 23, 2017
Priority date	Feb 23, 2017
Publication date	Aug 23, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of producing a solid state battery includes pre-coating a solid electrolyte surface with a metal to form a sacrificial layer and contacting a metal alloy with the sacrificial layer such that the sacrificial layer and the metal alloy react to form a eutectic liquid metal interface layer, at room temperature and between the electrolyte and a lithium anode, configured to alloy with the liquid metal interface layer at operating potential.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of producing a solid state battery, the method comprising:
pre-coating a solid electrolyte surface with a metal to form a sacrificial layer; and contacting a metal alloy with the sacrificial layer such that the sacrificial layer and the metal alloy react to form a eutectic liquid metal interface layer, at room temperature and between the electrolyte and a lithium anode, configured to alloy with the liquid metal interface layer at operating potential.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the eutectic liquid metal interface layer is solid at operating potential.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the eutectic liquid metal interface layer is galinstan or an alloy comprising gallium, tin, and indium.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal to form the sacrificial layer is one of elements forming the liquid metal interface layer.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy is configured as a layer on a lithium metal anode.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte comprises lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial layer is about 0.01 μm to 5 μm thick.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the eutectic liquid metal interface layer is a liquid at or near room temperature when the sacrificial layer and the metal alloy are combined.

9 . A method of wetting an alloy on a solid electrolyte comprising:
depositing a first solid metal or metal alloy onto a solid electrolyte surface or a lithium metal anode; and contacting the first metal or metal alloy with a second solid metal or metal alloy such that the first solid metal or metal alloy and the second solid metal or metal alloy react to form a eutectic liquid metal interface layer, at room temperature and between the electrolyte and the lithium anode, configured to alloy with the eutectic liquid metal interface layer at operating potential.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first solid metal or metal alloy comprises at least one element of the eutectic liquid metal interface layer.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first metal alloy is configured as a top layer of the solid electrolyte surface.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the second metal alloy is configured as a top layer of the solid electrolyte surface.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second metal alloys are both deposited onto the solid electrolyte surface.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the solid electrolyte comprises lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide.

15 . A method of forming a solid state battery comprising:
pre-coating a surface on a solid electrolyte, attached to a lithium-containing cathode, with a first metal or metal alloy to form a sacrificial layer; depositing a second metal or metal alloy onto an anode or anode current collector; contacting the second metal or metal alloy with the sacrificial layer such that the sacrificial layer and the second metal or metal alloy react to form a eutectic liquid metal interface layer, at room temperature, arranged between the solid electrolyte and the anode or anode current collector; and de-lithiating the cathode by supplying operating potential to the battery such that lithium ions deposit on the eutectic liquid metal layer-anode interface or the eutectic liquid metal layer-anode current collector interface.

16 . The method of claim 15 further comprising forming a lithium metal layer between the eutectic liquid metal interface layer and the anode current collector.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the eutectic liquid metal interface layer alloys with lithium at operating potential.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the eutectic liquid metal interface layer is liquid at operating potential.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first and second metal or metal alloys have different chemical composition.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first and second metal or metal alloys are solid at room temperature and liquefy on contact with each other.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Anandan Venkataramani
• Drews Andrew Robert

Classifications

• H01M2300/0077

  based on zirconium oxide · CPC title

• H01M10/0562

  Solid materials · 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

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M10/4235

  Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte (H01M10/4242 takes precedence) · CPC title