A method of manufacturing a lithium battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019245239-A1
Application number	US-201716312106-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2017
Priority date	Jun 23, 2016
Publication date	Aug 8, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a battery with a substrate current collector, wherein the method comprises: forming elongate and aligned electrically conductive structures on the substrate face with upstanding walls; wherein the walls are formed with a first electrode layer covering said walls, and a solid state electrolyte layer provided on the first electrode layer; and wherein a second electrode layer is formed by covering the electrolyte layer with an electrode layer; and forming a top current collector layer in electrical contact with the second electrode layer, wherein the second electrode layer is shielded from the conductive structure by an insulator covering a part of said conductive structure adjacent an end side thereof.

First claim

1 . A method of manufacturing a battery with a substrate current collector, wherein the method comprises:
forming an elongate and aligned electrically conductive structures on a substrate face with the electrically conductive structures having upstanding walls in relation to the substrate face; wherein the upstanding walls are formed with a first electrode layer covering said upstanding walls, a solid state electrolyte layer is provided on the first electrode layer; and wherein a second electrode is formed by covering the solid electrolyte layer; and forming a top current collector layer in electrical contact with the second electrode, wherein the second electrode is shielded from the electrically conductive structures by an insulator covering a part of the electrically conductive structures adjacent an end side of the electrically conductive structures to prevent an ion transport path between the first electrode layer and the second electrode, thereby mitigating stress build up near the end side of the electrically conductive structures.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the top current collector layer is formed on top of the electrically conductive structures on the substrate face.

3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the top current collector layer is provided at the base of the electrically conductive structures with the insulator shielding the top current collector from the substrate current collector.

4 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the insulator partly covers the first electrode layer.

5 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is a Lithium metal layer.

6 . A method according to claim 5 wherein the Lithium metal layer is provided by depositing a seed layer on the solid state electrolyte layer, and plating the seed layer in a metal plating process with a Lithium metal.

7 . A method according to claim 6 , wherein the plating comprises extracting the Lithium metal from the first electrode layer by providing an electrical voltage difference between the electrically conductive structures, which form metal pillars, and the seed layer.

8 . A method according to claim 6 , wherein the plating comprises providing an electrical voltage difference between the seed layer and a counter electrode that is separated from the seed layer; wherein the counter electrode and/or an electrolyte in contact with the seed layer comprise a Lithium source,

9 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the top current collector layer extends along the upstanding walls.

10 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein an interspace structure is provided separating adjacent ones of the electrically conductive structures so that the second electrode extends into the interspace structure, wherein said interspace structure comprises an electroconductive scaffold.

11 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the electroconductive scaffold is formed by a hollow or porous metal structure.

12 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the electroconductive scaffold is formed of conductive nanoparticles.

13 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein an interspace structure is provided separating adjacent ones of the electrically conductive structures so that the second electrode extends into the interspace structure, wherein said interspace structure comprises a compression layer, that conforms to the second electrode, said compression layer being provided when the second electrode is Lithium that is depleted.

14 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein an interspace structure between ones of the electrically conductive structures comprises a compression layer, that conforms to the second electrode, said compression layer comprising a Lithium ion conductive material to provide the second electrode.

15 . A battery with a substrate current collector, wherein the substrate current collector comprises elongate and aligned electrically conductive structures, on a substrate face of a substrate, with upstanding walls; wherein the upstanding walls are formed with a first electrode layer covering said upstanding walls, a solid state electrolyte layer is provided on the first electrode layer; and wherein a second electrode is formed by covering the solid state electrolyte layer; and
wherein a top current collector layer is in electrical contact with the second electrode, wherein the second electrode is shielded from the electrically conductive structures by an insulator covering a part of the electrically conductive structures adjacent an end side of the electrically conductive structures to prevent an ion transport path between the first electrode layer and the second electrode, thereby mitigating stress build up near the end side of the electrically conductive structures.

16 . The battery according to claim 15 wherein the electrically conductive structures comprise high-aspect ratio electrically conductive pillar structures having a radius of curvature larger than 50 nanometer.

17 . The battery according to claim 16 , wherein the pillar structures are higher than 10 micrometer.

18 . The battery according to claim 15 , wherein the substrate is a metal foil having both faces forming a high-aspect ratio structure.

19 . The battery according to claim 15 , having a plurality of current collectors, that are stacked in parallel or stacked in series.

20 . The battery according to claim 15 , wherein the substrate is a metal layer stacked on an organic foil.

Assignees

• TNO

Inventors

• Haverkate Lucas Augustinus
• Unnikrishnan Sandeep
• Hermes Dorothee Christine

Classifications

• H01M10/058 Primary

  Construction or manufacture · CPC title

• H01M4/045

  Electrochemical coating; Electrochemical impregnation · CPC title

• H01M10/0562

  Solid materials · CPC title

• H01M4/661

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

• H01M4/75

  Wires, rods or strips · CPC title