Complex showerhead coating apparatus with electrospray for lithium ion battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9685655-B2
Application number	US-201414773146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for forming battery active material on a substrate are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for depositing a battery active material on a surface of a substrate includes a substrate conveyor system for transporting the substrate within the apparatus, a material spray assembly disposed above the substrate conveyor system, and a first heating element disposed adjacent to the material spray assembly above the substrate conveyor system configured to heat the substrate. The material spray assembly has a 2-D array of nozzles configured to electrospray an electrode forming solution on the surface of the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for depositing a battery active material on a surface of a substrate comprising:
a substrate conveyor for transporting the within the apparatus;
a material spray assembly disposed above the substrate conveyor, the material spray assembly having a 2-D array of nozzles configured to electrospray an electrode forming solution on the surface of the substrate, wherein the 2-D array of nozzles of the material spray assembly further comprises a first nozzle disposed at an edge of the material spray assembly and a second nozzle disposed inward of the first nozzle, the first nozzle being longer relative to the second nozzle; and
a first heater disposed adjacent to the material spray assembly above the substrate conveyor configured to heat the substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle is disposed at an edge of the material spray assembly and the 2-D array of nozzles further comprises:
a second nozzle disposed inward of the first nozzle from the edge, the first nozzle having an inward inclination relative to the second nozzle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material spray assembly further comprises:
an edge zone and a center zone, the edge zone having a density of nozzles different than that of the center zone.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material spray assembly further comprises:
an edge zone and a center zone, the edge zone having nozzles about 5 mm to about 10 mm closer to the substrate than nozzles disposed in the center zone.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material spray assembly further comprises:
a manifold having the plurality of nozzles extending therefrom; and
an extractor plate positioned between the nozzles and the substrate conveyor, wherein the extractor plate further comprises a plurality of apertures formed in the extractor plate aligning with the nozzles formed in the manifold.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material spray assembly further comprises:
an air curtain generator configured to direct a trajectory of spray exiting adjacent nozzles inward.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material spray assembly further comprises at least one dummy nozzle including the first nozzle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the 2-D array of nozzles further comprises:
a column of edge nozzles located along an edge of the material spray assembly, the edge nozzles having a spray trajectory angled inward towards a center of the material spray assembly.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the 2-D array of nozzles further comprises:
a plurality of zones configured to provide independent control of deposition attributes.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the 2-D array of nozzles further comprises:
a row of nozzles having nozzle to nozzle spacing of between about 9 mm to about 30 mm.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the 2-D array of nozzles further comprises:
a plurality of columns, each column comprising multiple nozzles.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of columns comprises:
a first column offset from a second column.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of columns comprises:
a first column offset from a second column by a distance of up to about 15 mm.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the 2-D array of nozzles are spaced from the substrate conveyor by a distance between about 10 mm to about 60 mm.

15. An apparatus for depositing a battery active material on a surface of a substrate comprising:
a substrate conveyor for transporting the substrate within the apparatus;
a plurality of material spray assemblies disposed above the substrate conveyor, the material spray assemblies each having a 2-D array of nozzles configured to electrospray an electrode forming solution on the surface of the substrate while disposed on the substrate conveyer, at least one of the 2-D array of nozzles having a row of nozzles having nozzle to nozzle spacing of between about 9 mm to about 30 mm; and
a plurality of heaters disposed between the material spray assemblies above the substrate conveyor configured to heat the substrate, wherein the 2-D array of nozzles on at least one of the material spray assemblies further comprises:
a first nozzle disposed at an edge of the at least one material spray assembly and a second nozzle disposed inward of the first nozzle, the first nozzle being longer relative to the second nozzle.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the material spray assemblies further comprises:
a plurality of dummy nozzles disposed on the material spray assembly outward of the 2-D array of nozzles.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the 2-D array of nozzles on at least one of the material spray assemblies further comprises:
a first column offset from a second column.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the material spray assemblies further comprises:
air curtain generator configured to direct or deflect a trajectory of spray exiting adjacent nozzles inward.

19. An apparatus for depositing a battery active material on a surface of a substrate comprising:
a substrate conveyor for transporting the substrate within the apparatus;
a material spray assembly disposed above the substrate conveyor, the material spray assembly having a 2-D array of nozzles configured to electrospray an electrode forming solution on the surface of the substrate; and
a first heater disposed adjacent to the material spray assembly above the substrate conveyor configured to heat the substrate, wherein the material spray assembly further comprises:
an edge zone and a center zone, the edge zone having nozzles about 5 mm to about 10 mm closer to the substrate than nozzles disposed in the center zone.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Wang Fei C
• Bolandi Hooman
• Wang Connie P
• Pebenito Victor
• Lu Siqing
• Kutney Michael C
• Gordon Joseph G
• Bachrach Robert Z

Classifications

• H01M4/1391

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

• H01M4/0404

  by coating on electrode collectors · CPC title

• H01M4/139

  Processes of manufacture · CPC title

• B05B13/0221

  characterised by the means for moving or conveying the objects or other work, e.g. conveyor belts (B05B13/0207 takes precedence; conveyors in general B65G) · CPC title

• H01M4/1395

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