Laser processing of lithium battery web

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023113276-A1
Application number	US-202217946716-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 16, 2022
Priority date	Oct 13, 2021
Publication date	Apr 13, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for processing lithium batteries with a laser source having a wide process window, high efficiency, and low cost are provided. The laser source is adapted to achieve high average power and a high frequency of picosecond pulses. The laser source can produce a line-shaped beam either in a fixed position or in scanning mode. The system can be operated in a dry room or vacuum environment. The system can include a debris removal mechanism, for example, inert gas flow, to the processing site to remove debris produced during the patterning process.

First claim

1 . A method of producing an energy storage device, comprising:
transferring a flexible conductive substrate having a lithium metal film formed thereover; and patterning the lithium metal film with a picosecond-pulsed laser scribing process to remove portions of the lithium metal film exposing the underlying flexible conductive substrate without etching the flexible conductive substrate while transferring the flexible conductive substrate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein patterning the lithium metal film with a picosecond-pulsed laser scribing process to remove portions of the lithium metal film exposing the underlying flexible conductive substrate comprises forming trenches parallel to and perpendicular to a width of the flexible conductive substrate to form patterned cells.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein patterning the lithium metal film with a picosecond-pulsed laser scribing process to remove portions of the lithium metal film exposing the underlying flexible conductive substrate comprises removing lithium from a transition region adjacent to an edge of the flexible conductive substrate.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein patterning the lithium metal film with a picosecond-pulsed laser scribing process comprises using a pulsed infrared laser having a wavelength of about 1 micrometer with a laser pulse width of about 15 nanoseconds or less and a pulse rep rate frequency of about 100 kHz or greater.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the laser pulse width is from about 1 picosecond to about 15 picoseconds and the pulse rep rate frequency is 50 MHz or greater.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring the flexible conductive substrate comprises moving the flexible conductive substrate at a speed from about 0.1 meters/minute to about 50 meters/minute.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein patterning the lithium metal film with the picosecond-pulsed laser scribing process comprises a single-pass laser ablation process.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the picosecond-pulsed laser produces a line-shaped laser beam.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the line-shaped laser beam is produced by single axis galvo scanning or polygon scanning.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the picosecond-pulsed laser produces a circular Gaussian laser spot produced by 2-axis galvo scanning or polygon scanning.

11 . A laser patterning system for patterning an energy storage device, comprising:
a laser patterning chamber defining a processing volume and for processing a flexible conductive substrate having a film stack formed thereon; a plurality of transfer rollers positioned in the processing volume and for transferring the flexible conductive substrate; and a laser source arrangement comprising one or more picosecond-pulsed lasers positioned to expose the film stack to a laser as the flexible conductive substrate is in contact with at least one of the transfer rollers.

12 . The laser patterning system of claim 11 , wherein the laser source arrangement comprises a first laser source positioned above the plurality of transfer rollers to process a first side of the flexible conductive substrate and a second laser source positioned below the plurality of transfer rollers to process a second side of the flexible conductive substrate.

13 . The laser patterning system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first laser source and the second laser source is positioned to emit a laser beam that is perpendicular to a travel direction of the flexible conductive substrate.

14 . The laser patterning system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first laser source and the second laser source is positioned to emit a laser beam that is parallel to a travel direction of the flexible conductive substrate.

15 . The laser patterning system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of transfer rollers comprises a first transfer roller positioned above a second transfer roller and the laser source arrangement comprises a first laser source positioned to process a first side of the flexible conductive substrate and a second laser source positioned process a second side of the flexible conductive substrate.

16 . The laser patterning system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more picosecond-pulsed lasers are positioned to remove lithium from a transition region adjacent to an edge of the flexible conductive substrate.

17 . The laser patterning system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more picosecond-pulsed lasers are positioned to form trenches parallel to and perpendicular to a width of the flexible conductive substrate to form patterned cells.

18 . The laser patterning system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more picosecond-pulsed lasers produce a pulsed infrared laser having a wavelength of about 1 micrometer with a laser pulse width of about 15 nanoseconds or less and a pulse rep rate frequency of about 100 kHz or greater.

19 . The laser patterning system of claim 11 , wherein the picosecond-pulsed laser produces a line-shaped laser beam, and wherein the line-shaped laser beam is produced by single axis galvo scanning or polygon scanning.

20 . A laser patterning system for patterning an energy storage device, comprising:
a laser patterning chamber defining a processing volume and for processing a flexible conductive substrate having a film stack formed thereon; a plurality of transfer rollers positioned in the processing volume and for transferring the flexible conductive substrate; and a laser source arrangement comprising:
one or more picosecond-pulsed lasers positioned to expose the film stack to a laser as the flexible conductive substrate is in contact with at least one of the transfer rollers; and
a first laser source positioned above the plurality of transfer rollers to process a first side of the flexible conductive substrate and a second laser source positioned below the plurality of transfer rollers to process a second side of the flexible conductive substrate, wherein at least one of the first laser source and the second laser source is positioned to emit a laser beam that is perpendicular or parallel to a travel direction of the flexible conductive substrate, and wherein the one or more picosecond-pulsed lasers produce a pulsed infrared laser having a wavelength of about 1 micrometer with a laser pulse width of about 15 nanoseconds or less and a pulse rep rate frequency of about 100 kHz or greater.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Lei Wei-Sheng
• Gopalakrishnan Nair Girish Kumar
• Zhao Kent Qiujing
• Stock Daniel
• Stolley Tobias
• Deppisch Thomas
• Delmas Jean
• Ledford Kenneth S
• Herle Subramanya P
• Vachhani Kiran
• Chidambaram Mahendran
• Trassl Roland
• Morrison Neil
• Schnappenberger Frank
• Cunningham Kevin Laughton
• Bangert Stefan
• Cushing James
• Sivaramakrishnan Visweswaren

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/052 Primary

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M10/058

  Construction or manufacture · CPC title

• H01M4/1395

  of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title

• B23K26/082

  Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head · CPC title