Electrode assembly manufacture and device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022123370-A1
Application number	US-202117562228-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 27, 2021
Priority date	Aug 6, 2018
Publication date	Apr 21, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of a method for the preparation of an electrode assembly, include removing a population of negative electrode subunits from a negative electrode sheet, the negative electrode sheet comprising a negative electrode sheet edge margin and at least one negative electrode sheet weakened region that is internal to the negative electrode sheet edge margin, removing a population of separator layer subunits from a separator sheet, and removing a population of positive electrode subunits from a positive electrode sheet, the positive electrode sheet comprising a positive electrode edge margin and at least one positive electrode sheet weakened region that is internal to the positive electrode sheet edge margin, and stacking members of the negative electrode subunit population, the separator layer subunit population and the positive electrode subunit population in a stacking direction to form a stacked population of unit cells.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for the preparation of an electrode assembly, the method comprising
removing a population of negative electrode subunits from a negative electrode sheet, the negative electrode sheet comprising a negative electrode sheet edge margin and at least one negative electrode sheet weakened region that is internal to the negative electrode sheet edge margin, the at least one negative electrode sheet weakened region at least partially defining a boundary of the negative electrode subunit population within the negative electrode sheet, the negative electrode subunit of each member of the negative electrode subunit population having a negative electrode subunit centroid, removing a population of separator layer subunits from a separator sheet, the separator sheet comprising a separator sheet edge margin and at least one separator sheet weakened region that is internal to the separator sheet edge margin, the at least one separator sheet weakened region at least partially defining a boundary of the separator layer subunit population, each member of the separator layer subunit population having opposing surfaces, removing a population of positive electrode subunits from a positive electrode sheet, the positive electrode sheet comprising a positive electrode edge margin and at least one positive electrode sheet weakened region that is internal to the positive electrode sheet edge margin, the at last one positive electrode sheet weakened region at least partially defining a boundary of the positive electrode subunit population within the positive electrode sheet, the positive electrode subunit of each member of the positive electrode subunit population having a positive electrode subunit centroid, stacking members of the negative electrode subunit population, the separator layer subunit population and the positive electrode subunit population in a stacking direction to form a stacked population of unit cells, each unit cell in the stacked population comprising at least a unit cell portion of the negative electrode subunit, the separator layer of a stacked member of the separator layer subunit population, and a unit cell portion of the positive electrode subunit, wherein (i) the negative electrode subunit and positive electrode subunit face opposing surfaces of the separator layer comprised by such stacked unit cell population member, and (ii) the separator layer comprised by such stacked unit cell population member is adapted to electrically isolate the portion of the negative electrode subunit and the portion of the positive electrode subunit comprised by such stacked unit cell while permitting an exchange of carrier ions between the negative electrode subunit and the positive electrode subunit comprised by such stacked unit cell.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein members of the negative electrode subunit population each comprise a multi-layer negative electrode subunit having a negative electrode active material layer on at least one side of a negative electrode current collector layer.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the negative electrode active material layer comprises a negative electrode active material layer centroid.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein members of the positive electrode subunit population each comprise a multi-layer positive electrode subunit comprising a positive electrode active material layer on at least one side of a positive-electrode current collector layer.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the positive electrode active material layer comprises a positive electrode active material layer centroid.

6 . The method of any preceding claim, wherein members of the negative electrode subunit population each comprise a multi-layer negative electrode subunit having an electrode active material layer on at least one side of a negative electrode current collector layer, and members of the positive electrode subunit population each comprise a multi-layer positive electrode subunit comprising a positive electrode active material layer on at least one side of a positive electrode current collector layer, and wherein each unit cell in the stacked population comprising at least a unit cell portion of the negative electrode current collector layer and the negative electrode active material layer of a stacked member of the negative electrode multilayer subunit population, the separator layer of a stacked member of the separator layer subunit population, and the positive electrode active material layer and a unit cell portion of the positive electrode current collector layer of a stacked member of the positive electrode multilayer subunits, wherein (i) the negative electrode active material and positive electrode active material layers comprised by a member of the stacked unit cell population face opposing surfaces of the separator layer comprised by such stacked unit cell population member, and (ii) the separator layer comprised by such stacked unit cell population member is adapted to electrically isolate the negative electrode active material and positive electrode active material layers comprised by such stacked unit cell while permitting an exchange of carrier ions between the negative electrode active material and positive electrode active material layers comprised by such stacked unit cell.

7 . The method of any preceding claim wherein each member of the stacked population of unit cells has a centroid separation distance wherein the centroid separation distance for an individual member of the population is the distance between the centroid of the unit cell portion of the negative electrode subunit and the centroid of the unit cell portion of the positive electrode subunit comprised by such individual member projected onto an imaginary plane that is orthogonal to the stacking direction, and the centroid distance is within a predetermined limit.

8 . The method of any preceding claim, wherein members of the stacked population of unit cells have a centroid separation distance between first and second members, and wherein the centroid separation distance between first and second members of the population is the absolute value of the distance between the centroid of the unit cell portion of the negative electrode subunit of the first member and the centroid of the unit cell portion of the negative electrode subunit of the second member, and/or the absolute value of the distance between the centroid of the unit cell portion of the positive electrode subunit of the first member and the centroid of the unit cell portion of the positive electrode subunit of the second member, and the centroid distance is within a predetermined limit.

9 . The method of any preceding claim, wherein the centroid separation distance for an individual member of the population is the distance between a centroid of the negative electrode active material layer and a centroid of the positive electrode active material layer comprised by such individual member projected onto an imaginary plane that is orthogonal to the stacking direction, and the centroid distance is within a predetermined limit.

10 . The method of any preceding claim, wherein members of the stacked population of unit cells have a centroid separation distance between either or both of negative electrode active material layers and/or positive electrode active material layers of first and second members, and wherein the centroid separation distance between first and second members of the population is the absolute value of the distance between the centroid of the unit cell portion of the negative electrode active material layer of the first member and the centroid of the unit cell portion of the negative electrode active material layer of the second membe

Assignees

• Enovix Corp

Inventors

• Busacca Robert S
• Lahiri Ashok
• Ramasubramanian Murali
• Valdes Bruno A
• Dales Gardner Cameron
• Rust Iii Harrold J
• Varni John F
• Lee Kim Han
• Shah Nirav S
• Contreras Richard J
• Dalton Jeremie J
• Doan Jonathan C
• Armstrong Michael J
• Calcaterra Anthony
• Cardozo Benjamin J
• Winans Joshua David
• Singh Neelam
• Buck Jeffrey Glenn
• Schuerlein Thomas John
• Fortunati Kim Lester
• Sarswat Neal

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/0404

  Machines for assembling batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · 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