Integrated lithium deposition with protective layer tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024030417-A1
Application number	US-202318376885-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 5, 2023
Priority date	Jan 28, 2016
Publication date	Jan 25, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one implementation, an integrated processing tool for the deposition and processing of lithium metal in energy storage devices. The integrated processing tool may be a web tool. The integrated processing tool may comprises a reel-to-reel system for transporting a continuous sheet of material through the following chambers: a chamber for depositing a thin film of lithium metal on the continuous sheet of material and a chamber for depositing a protective film on the surface of the thin film of lithium metal. The chamber for depositing a thin film of lithium metal may include a PVD system, such as an electron-beam evaporator, a thin film transfer system, or a slot-die deposition system. The chamber for depositing a protective film on the lithium metal film may include a chamber for depositing an interleaf film or a chamber for depositing a lithium-ion conducting polymer on the lithium metal film.

First claim

1 . A method of forming a negative electrode, comprising:
forming a lithium metal film on a negative electrode; forming an interface film on the lithium metal film; and forming a protective film on the interface film, wherein the interface film is either a release film, a metal fluoride film, or a metal oxide film.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface film is the release film and the release film is selected from the group consisting of polyolefin, polyfluorocarbon, polyimide, polyester, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polystyrene, polycaprolactone, and mixtures and copolymers thereof.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface film is selected from LiF, Al 2 O 3 , LiAlO 2 , LiAl 5 O 8 , ZrO 2 , Li 2 ZrO 3 , Li 2 O, and mixtures thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the interface film and the protective film from the lithium metal film.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium metal film is laminated on the negative electrode.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the negative electrode comprises graphite or silicon-containing graphite.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the film of lithium metal has a thickness from about 1 to about 20 microns thick.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective film is a lithium-ion conducting material and the lithium-ion conducting material is selected from LiPON, crystalline or amorphous phases of garnet-type Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 , Li 2+2x Zn 1-x GeO 4 wherein 0<x<1, Na 1+x Zr 2 Si x P 3-x O 12 wherein 0<x<3, lithium borohydride (LiBH 4 ), doped anti-perovskite compositions, and LiPS 5 X wherein x is CI, Br or I.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the negative electrode is formed on a flexible conductive substrate.

10 . A method of forming a negative electrode, comprising:
transferring a flexible conductive substrate having a negative electrode formed thereon through a processing region; forming a lithium metal film on the negative electrode via a physical vapor deposition process in the processing region; forming an interface film on the lithium metal film; and forming a protective film on the interface film, wherein the interface film is either a release film, a metal fluoride film, or a metal oxide film.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the physical vapor deposition process is selected from a thermal evaporation process and an electron-beam evaporation process.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the negative electrode comprises graphite or silicon-containing graphite.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the interface film is the metal oxide film and is selected from the group of Al 2 O 3 , LiAlO 2 , LiAl 5 O 8 , ZrO 2 , Li 2 ZrO 3 , Li 2 O, and mixtures thereof.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the interface film is selected from ZrO 2 , Li 2 ZrO 3 , or a combination thereof and at least one of LiF, Al 2 O 3 , LiAlO 2 , LiAl 5 O 8 , Li 2 O.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the protective film is a lithium-ion conducting material and the lithium-ion conducting material is selected from LiPON, crystalline or amorphous phases of garnet-type Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 , Li 2+2z Zn 1-x GeO 4 wherein 0<x<1, Na 1+x Zr 2 Si x P 3-x O 12 wherein 0<x<3, lithium borohydride (LiBH 4 ), doped anti-perovskite compositions, and LiPS 5 X wherein x is CI, Br or I.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the protective film is the protective film is selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(butylene terephthalate), polyester, polyamide, polyaramid, polyacrylate, polycarbonate, poly(ester carbonate), polybenzimidazole, a polyimide, a polyether imide, a polyamide imide, or a combination thereof.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the film of lithium metal has a thickness from about 1 to about 20 microns thick.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the flexible conductive substrate is a copper current collector.

19 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
removing the protective film; and combining the negative electrode with a positive electrode.

20 . A method of forming a negative electrode, comprising:
forming a lithium metal film on a negative electrode, the negative electrode comprising a silicon graphite anode; forming an interface film on the lithium metal film, the interface film selected from the group consisting of ZrO 2 , Li 2 ZrO 3 , and combinations thereof; and forming a protective film on the interface film, the protective film comprising a lithium-ion conducting material or an interleaf film.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Herle Subramanya P
• Haas Dieter

Classifications

• H01M4/366 Primary

  as layered products · CPC title

• H01M4/386

  Silicon or alloys based on silicon · CPC title

• H01M4/587

  for inserting or intercalating light metals · CPC title

• H01M4/628

  Inhibitors, e.g. gassing inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors · CPC title

• B32B27/08

  of synthetic resin · CPC title