Cathode including sintered polycrystalline material, secondary battery including the cathode, and method of manufacturing the cathode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022013776-A1
Application number	US-202117485984-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 27, 2021
Priority date	Aug 4, 2015
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cathode includes a cathode collector layer, and a cathode active material layer on a surface of the cathode collector layer. The cathode active material layer includes a sintered polycrystalline material having a plurality of crystal grains of a lithium-based oxide, and each of the plurality of crystal grains includes a seed template, and a matrix crystal around the seed template, where the seed template is a single crystal and having a shape of a plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cathode comprising:
a cathode collector layer; and a cathode active material layer on a surface of the cathode collector layer, wherein the cathode active material layer comprises a polycrystalline material having a plurality of crystal grains of a lithium-based oxide, and wherein the plurality of crystal grains are substantially oriented such that an angle between a direction perpendicular to a surface of the cathode collector layer and a direction of a lithium plane defined by lithium elements arranged in layers in the plurality of crystal grains is within about ±45°.

2 . The cathode of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of crystal grains are oriented such that the lithium plane is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the cathode collector layer.

3 . The cathode of claim 1 , wherein
a crystal direction of the plurality of crystal grains substantially perpendicular to a surface of the cathode collector layer comprises at least one of directions <h00>, <0k0>, <hk0>, <101>, <012>, <104>, <113>, <021>, and <024>, wherein “h” and “k” are integers equal to or greater than 1.

4 . The cathode of claim 1 , wherein
the lithium-based oxide comprises Li x MO 2 , wherein “M” is at least one of cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), and “x” is in a range of 0.2<x<1.2.

5 . The cathode of claim 1 , wherein the cathode active material layer directly contacts the cathode collector layer.

6 . The cathode of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of crystal grains comprises:
a seed template; and a matrix crystal around the seed template, wherein the seed template is a single crystal and having a shape of a plate.

7 . The cathode of claim 6 , wherein a surface of the seed template having the shape of the plate, which faces a surface of the cathode collector layer, is substantially parallel to the surface of the cathode collector layer.

8 . The cathode of claim 7 , wherein an angle between a surface of the seed template having the shape of the plate, which faces a surface of the cathode collector layer, and a surface of the cathode collector layer is in a range of about ±45°.

9 . The cathode of claim 6 , wherein the seed template and the matrix crystal have different compositions from each other.

10 . A secondary battery comprising:
an anode collector layer; an anode active material layer on a surface of the anode collector layer; a cathode collector layer; and a cathode active material layer on a surface of the cathode collector layer, wherein the cathode active material layer comprises a polycrystalline material having a plurality of crystal grains of a lithium-based oxide, and wherein the plurality of crystal grains are substantially oriented such that an angle between a direction perpendicular to a surface of the cathode collector layer and a direction of a lithium plane defined by lithium elements arranged in layers in the plurality of crystal grains is within about ±45°.

11 . The secondary battery of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of crystal grains are oriented such that the lithium plane is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the cathode collector layer.

12 . The secondary battery of claim 10 , wherein
a crystal direction of the plurality of crystal grains substantially perpendicular to a surface of the cathode collector layer comprises at least one of directions <h00>, <0k0>, <hk0>, <101>, <012>, <104>, <113>, <021>, and <024>, wherein “h” and “k” are integers equal to or greater than 1.

13 . The secondary battery of claim 10 , wherein
the lithium-based oxide comprises Li x MO 2 , wherein “M” is at least one of cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), and “x” is in a range of 0.2<x<1.2.

14 . The secondary battery of claim 10 , wherein the cathode active material layer directly contacts the cathode collector layer.

15 . The secondary battery of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of crystal grains comprises:
a seed template; and a matrix crystal around the seed template, wherein the seed template is a single crystal and having a shape of a plate.

16 . The secondary battery of claim 15 , wherein a surface of the seed template having the shape of the plate, which faces a surface of the cathode collector layer, is substantially parallel to the surface of the cathode collector layer.

17 . The secondary battery of claim 16 , wherein an angle between a surface of the seed template having the shape of the plate, which faces a surface of the cathode collector layer, and a surface of the cathode collector layer is in a range of about ±45°.

18 . The secondary battery of claim 15 , wherein the seed template and the matrix crystal have different compositions from each other.

19 . The secondary battery of claim 10 further comprising an electrolyte layer between the cathode active material layer and the anode active material layer.

20 . The secondary battery of claim 1 further comprising a separation film between the cathode active material layer and the anode active material layer.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Kyunghoon
• Nam Seunghoon
• Park Hwiyeol
• Yang Hojung
• Jeong Huisu
• Heo Jin S

Classifications

• H01M2004/028

  Positive electrodes · CPC title

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M4/667

  in the form of layers, e.g. coatings · 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

• H01M4/1391

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