Textured metal substrates for negative electrodes of lithium metal batteries and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022416220-A1
Application number	US-202117359817-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2021
Priority date	Jun 28, 2021
Publication date	Dec 29, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lithium metal negative electrode for an electrochemical cell for a secondary lithium metal battery includes a polycrystalline metal substrate having a major facing surface with a defined crystallographic texture. An epitaxial lithium metal layer is formed on the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate. The epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibits a predominant crystal orientation. The predominant crystal orientation of the epitaxial lithium metal layer is derived from the defined crystallographic texture of the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrochemical cell for a secondary lithium metal battery, the electrochemical cell comprising:
a positive electrode including a positive electrode material layer disposed on a major surface of a positive electrode current collector; a negative electrode spaced apart from the positive electrode; and a nonaqueous electrolyte in ionic contact with the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the negative electrode includes:
a polycrystalline metal substrate having a major facing surface with a defined crystallographic texture, and
an epitaxial lithium metal layer formed on the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate,
wherein the epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibits a predominant crystal orientation, and
wherein the predominant crystal orientation of the epitaxial lithium metal layer is derived from the defined crystallographic texture of the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate.

2 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein a major volume fraction of crystal grains in the epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibit a fiber texture and have an {h, k, } lattice plane oriented substantially parallel to the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate, wherein h, k, and are each, individually, 0, 1, 2, or 3.

3 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein a major volume fraction of crystal grains in the epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibit a fiber texture of <110>, <100>, <111>, <102>, or <122>.

4 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the polycrystalline metal substrate is made of a metal-based material, a primary constituent of the metal-based material is copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), or magnesium (Mg), and wherein the epitaxial lithium metal layer is formed directly on the polycrystalline metal substrate via heteroepitaxy.

5 . The electrochemical cell of claim 4 wherein the polycrystalline metal substrate exhibits a body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure, a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure, a hexagonal close-packed (hcp) crystal structure, or a body-centered tetragonal (bct) crystal structure, and wherein the epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibits a body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure.

6 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the polycrystalline metal substrate includes a lithium metal template layer, wherein the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate is defined by the lithium metal template layer, and wherein the epitaxial lithium metal layer is formed directly on the lithium metal template layer via homoepitaxy.

7 . The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the lithium metal template layer exhibits a body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure, and wherein the epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibits a body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure.

8 . The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the lithium metal template layer is nonporous and includes an alloy of lithium and at least one alloying element of indium (In), tin (Sn), gallium (Ga), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), calcium (Ca), or sodium (Na).

9 . The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the epitaxial lithium metal layer is formed directly on the lithium metal template layer by an electrochemical deposition process during charging of the electrochemical cell.

10 . The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the lithium metal template layer is applied to a major surface of a negative electrode current collector prior to initial charging of the electrochemical cell, and wherein the lithium metal template layer has a thickness in a range of from 1 μm to 100 μm.

11 . The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the positive electrode material layer includes a source of active lithium, and wherein the lithium metal template layer provides the electrochemical cell with a stoichiometric surplus of lithium prior to initial charging of the electrochemical cell.

12 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the positive electrode material layer includes an electrochemically active material configured to undergo a reversible redox reaction with lithium.

13 . A method of making a lithium metal negative electrode for an electrochemical cell of a secondary lithium metal battery, the method comprising:
positioning a major facing surface of a polycrystalline metal substrate in spaced-apart relationship with an electrochemically active material layer including lithium, the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate exhibiting a defined crystallographic texture; establishing an ionically conductive pathway between the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate and the electrochemically active material layer; and establishing an electrical potential between the polycrystalline metal substrate and the electrochemically active material layer such that lithium ions are released from the electrochemically active material layer and lithium metal is deposited on the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate to form an epitaxial lithium metal layer thereon, wherein the epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibits a predominant crystal orientation, and wherein the predominant crystal orientation of the epitaxial lithium metal layer is derived from the defined crystallographic texture of the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein a major volume fraction of crystal grains in the epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibit a fiber texture and have an {h, k, } lattice plane oriented substantially parallel to the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate, wherein h, k, and are each, individually, 0, 1, 2, or 3.

15 . The method of claim 13 wherein a major volume fraction of crystal grains in the epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibit a fiber texture of <110>, <100>, <111>, <102>, or <122>.

16 . The method of claim 13 wherein the polycrystalline metal substrate is made of a metal-based material, a primary constituent of the metal-based material is copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), or magnesium (Mg), and wherein the epitaxial lithium metal layer is formed directly on the polycrystalline metal substrate via heteroepitaxy.

17 . The method of claim 13 wherein the polycrystalline metal substrate includes a lithium metal template layer, the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate is defined by the lithium metal template layer, and wherein the epitaxial lithium metal layer is formed directly on the lithium metal template layer by homoepitaxy.

18 . The method of claim 13 wherein the ionically conductive pathway is established between the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate and the electrochemically active material layer by placing the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate and the electrochemically active material layer in direct physical contact with a nonaqueous electrolyte.

19 . A method of making a lithium metal negative electrode for an electrochemical cell of a secondary lithium metal battery, the method comprising:
imparting a defined crystallographic texture to a lithium metal foil such that a major volume fraction of crystal grains in the lithium metal foil exhibit a fiber texture of <110>, <100>, <111>, <102>, or <122>; applying the lithium metal foil to a major surface of a negative electrode current collector; posi

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Bobel Andrew C
• Hector Jr Louis G
• Sachdev Anil K
• Cain Jeffrey D

Classifications

• C30B29/02

  Elements · CPC title

• C30B19/103

  Current controlled or induced growth · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/0404

  by coating on electrode collectors · CPC title

• C30B28/04

  from liquids · CPC title