Electrode structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019386291-A1
Application number	US-201916554687-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 29, 2019
Priority date	Jan 24, 2012
Publication date	Dec 19, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A structure for use in an energy storage device, the structure comprising a backbone system extending generally perpendicularly from a reference plane, and a population of microstructured anodically active material layers supported by the lateral surfaces of the backbones, each of the microstructured anodically active material layers having a void volume fraction of at least 0.1 and a thickness of at least 1 micrometer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A structure for use in an energy storage device, the structure comprising a population of microstructured anodically active material layers, wherein (a) members of the population comprise a fibrous or porous anodically active material and have (i) a surface that is substantially perpendicular to a reference plane, (ii) a thickness, T, of at least 1 micrometer measured in a direction parallel to the reference plane, (iii) a height, H A , of at least 50 micrometers measured in a direction orthogonal to the reference plane, and (iv) a void volume fraction of at least 0.1, and (b) the lineal distance, D L , between at least two members of the population, measured in a direction parallel to the reference plane, is greater than the maximum value of H A for the population.

2 . The structure of claim 1 wherein each member of the population comprises aluminum, tin, silicon or an alloy thereof.

3 . The structure of claim 1 wherein each member of the population comprises nanowires of silicon or an alloy thereof, or porous silicon or an alloy thereof.

4 . The structure of claim 1 wherein each member of the population comprises silicon or an alloy thereof and has a thickness of about 1 to about 100 micrometers.

5 . The structure of claim 1 wherein for each member of the population H A is greater than T.

6 . The structure of claim 1 wherein each member of the population comprises porous silicon or an alloy thereof, has a void volume fraction of at least 0.1 but less than 0.8, and a thickness of about 1 to about 200 micrometers.

7 . The structure of claim 1 wherein the each member of the population is supported by a backbone having an electrical conductivity of less than 10 Siemens/cm.

8 . The structure of claim 1 wherein the maximum value of H A for the population is less than 5,000 micrometers.

9 . The structure of claim 1 wherein each member of the population comprises nanowires of silicon or an alloy thereof, or porous silicon or an alloy thereof, has a void volume fraction of at least 0.1 but less than 0.8, a thickness of about 1 to about 200 micrometers, and is supported by a backbone having an electrical conductivity of less than 10 Siemens/cm, and the maximum value of H A for the population is less than 5,000 micrometers.

10 . The structure of claim 1 wherein each member of the population comprises nanowires of silicon or an alloy thereof, or porous silicon or an alloy thereof, has a void volume fraction of at least 0.1 but less than 0.8, a thickness of about 1 to about 200 micrometers, and is supported by a backbone having an electrical conductivity of less than 1 Siemens/cm, and the maximum value of H A for the population is less than 1,000 micrometers.

11 . The structure of claim 1 wherein the population comprises at least 20 members.

12 . An electrochemical stack for use in an energy storage device, the electrochemical stack comprising, in a stacked arrangement, cathode structures, separator layers and anode structures, the separator layers being disposed between the anode structures and the cathode structures, the direction of stacking of the cathode structures, the separator layers, and the anode structures being parallel to a reference plane, the anode structures comprising a population of microstructured anodically active material layers wherein (a) members of the population comprise a fibrous or porous anodically active material and have (i) a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the reference plane, (ii) a thickness, T, of at least 1 micrometer measured in a direction parallel to the reference plane, (iii) a height, H A , of at least 50 micrometers measured in a direction orthogonal to the reference plane, and (iv) a void volume fraction of at least 0.1, and (b) the lineal distance, D L , between at least two members of the population, measured in a direction parallel to the reference plane, is greater than the maximum value of H A for the population.

13 . The electrochemical stack of claim 12 wherein the population comprises at least 20 members.

14 . The electrochemical stack of claim 12 wherein each member of the population comprises nanowires of silicon or an alloy thereof, or porous silicon or an alloy thereof.

15 . The electrochemical stack of claim 12 wherein each member of the population comprises silicon or an alloy thereof and has a thickness of about 1 to about 100 micrometers.

16 . The electrochemical stack of claim 12 wherein for each member of the population H A is greater than T.

17 . The electrochemical stack of claim 12 wherein each member of the population comprises porous silicon or an alloy thereof, has a void volume fraction of at least 0.1 but less than 0.8, and a thickness of about 1 to about 200 micrometers.

18 . The electrochemical stack of claim 12 wherein each member of the population comprises nanowires of silicon or an alloy thereof, or porous silicon or an alloy thereof, has a void volume fraction of at least 0.1 but less than 0.8, a thickness of about 1 to about 200 micrometers, and is supported by a backbone and the maximum value of H A for the population is less than 5,000 micrometers.

19 . The electrochemical stack of claim 12 wherein each member of the population comprises nanowires of silicon or an alloy thereof, or porous silicon or an alloy thereof, has a void volume fraction of at least 0.1 but less than 0.8, a thickness of about 1 to about 200 micrometers, and is supported by a backbone having an electrical conductivity of less than 10 Siemens/cm, and the maximum value of H A for the population is less than 1,000 micrometers.

20 . The electrochemical stack of claim 12 wherein the anode structures comprise an anode current collector, the cathode structures comprise a cathode current collector, and the anode current collector or the cathode current collector comprises an ionically permeable conductor layer.

21 . The electrochemical stack of claim 12 wherein the anode structures comprise an anode current collector layer and the anode current collector layer is disposed between the anodically active material layer and a separator layer.

22 . The electrochemical stack of claim 21 wherein each member of the population comprises nanowires of silicon or an alloy thereof, or porous silicon or an alloy thereof, has a void volume fraction of at least 0.1 but less than 0.8, a thickness of about 1 to about 200 micrometers, and is supported by a backbone and the maximum value of H A for the population is less than 5,000 micrometers.

23 . The electrochemical stack of claim 12 wherein the cathode structures comprise a cathode current collector layer and the cathode current collector layer is disposed between the cathodically active material layer and a separator layer.

24 . An energy storage device comprising carrier ions, a non-aqueous electrolyte and an electrochemical stack, the carrier ions being lithium, sodium or potassium ions, the electrochemical stack comprising, in a stacked arrangement, cathode structures, separator layers and anode structures, the separator layers being disposed between the anode structures and the cathode structures, the direction of stacking of the cathode structures, the separator layers, and the anode structures being parallel to a reference plane, the anode structures comprising a population of microstructured anodically active material layers wherein (a) members of the population comprise a f

Assignees

• Enovix Corp

Inventors

• Lahiri Ashok
• Spotnitz Robert M
• Shah Nirav S
• Ramasubramanian Murali
• Rust Iii Harrold J
• Wilcox James D
• Armstrong Michael J
• Brusca Brian E
• Castledine Christopher G
• Lauchlan Laurie J

Classifications

• H01M2004/021

  Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area · CPC title

• H01M4/70

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M10/0436

  Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment · CPC title

• H01G4/012

  Form of non-self-supporting electrodes · CPC title