Battery, examination method and manufacturing method for negative electrode thereof, and examination apparatus and manufacturing apparatus for negative electrode thereof

1. A method for examining a negative electrode of a battery, the method comprising:

measuring a total thickness of a current collector and an active material layer including a material provided on the current collector; and

measuring total resistance of the current collector and the active material layer in order to estimate a composition of the active material layer,

wherein the active material layer is composed of an oxide of an element selected from a group consisting of silicon, tin, and germanium, and

measuring total resistance of the current collector and the active material layer is performed for estimating an oxidation number of the element in the oxide, and

the method further comprises:

calculating volume resistivity of the active material layer from the measured thickness and the measured total resistance, and

estimating the oxidation number of the element in the oxide.

2. The method for examining a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:

calculating volume resistivity of the active material layer from the measured thickness and the measured total resistance; and

estimating the composition of the material of the active material layer.

3. A method for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery, the method comprising:

forming an active material layer on a current collector;

measuring total resistance of the current collector and the active material layer in order to estimate a composition of the active material layer; and

adjusting a condition for forming the active material layer so as to match a composition of a material of the active material layer to a predetermined composition based on the measured total resistance,

wherein the active material layer is composed of an oxide of an element selected from a group consisting of silicon, tin, and germanium, and

measuring total resistance of the current collector and the active material layer is performed for estimating an oxidation number of the element in the oxide, and

the method further comprises:

calculating volume resistivity of the active material layer from the measured thickness and the measured total resistance, and

estimating the oxidation number of the element in the oxide.

4. The method for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 3 , wherein the active material layer including a material capable of electrochemically absorbing and releasing lithium ions is formed on a surface of the current collector by a gas phase method.

5. The method for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 4 , wherein by controlling a generation rate of vapor of a material forming the active material layer, the composition of the material of the active material layer is matched to the predetermined value.

6. The method for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 3 ,

wherein when the active material layer is formed, the active material layer is formed in a film form or in a plurality of independent columnar forms so that a porosity of the active material layer is constant; and

based on the measured total thickness of the current collector and the active material layer, the condition for forming the active material layer is adjusted so as to match a deposit amount of a material of the active material layer to a predetermined value.

7. The method for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 3 ,

wherein the current collector is sent, the formed active material layer is made of a material having a characteristic absorption in an infrared region, and

in the forming of the active material layer, an active material layer for measuring having the same composition as that of the active material layer is formed on a surface of a measuring current collector that is being sent faster than the current collector, and

the active material layer for measuring is irradiated with an infrared ray, and an intensity of a wave number specific to a material of the active material layer in a reflected infrared ray is measured in order to estimate a deposit amount of the material of the active material layer per unit area of the current collector; and

a condition for forming the active material layer is adjusted so as to match the deposit amount of the material of the active material layer to a predetermined value based on the intensity of the wave number of the measured active material layer.

8. An apparatus for examining a negative electrode of a battery, comprising:

a first measurement section for measuring a total thickness of a current collector and an active material layer including a material provided on the current collector; and

a second measurement section for measuring total resistance of the current collector and the active material layer in order to estimate a composition of the active material layer,

wherein the active material layer is composed of an oxide of an element selected from a group consisting of silicon, tin, and germanium, and

the first measurement section further is for measuring total resistance of the current collector and the active material layer is for estimating an oxidation number of the element in the oxide, and

the control section further is for calculating volume resistivity of the active material layer from the measured thickness and the measured total resistance, and for estimating the oxidation number of the element in the oxide.

9. The apparatus for examining a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 8 , further comprising a first calculation section for calculating volume resistivity of the active material layer from the thickness measured in the first measurement section and the total resistance measured in the second measurement section, and estimating a composition of the material of the active material layer.

10. An apparatus for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery, comprising:

a formation section for forming an active material layer on a current collector;

a first measurement section for measuring a total thickness of the current collector and the active material layer including a material provided on the current collector;

a second measurement section for measuring total resistance of the current collector and the active material layer in order to estimate a composition of the active material layer, and

a control section for adjusting the formation section so as to match the composition of the material of the active material layer to a predetermined composition based on the measured total resistance,

wherein the active material layer is composed of an oxide of an element selected from a group consisting of silicon, tin, and germanium, and

the first measurement section further is for measuring total resistance of the current collector and the active material layer is for estimating an oxidation number of the element in the oxide, and

the control section further is for calculating volume resistivity of the active material layer from the measured thickness and the measured total resistance, and for estimating the oxidation number of the element in the oxide.

11. The apparatus for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 10 , wherein the formation section forms the active material layer including a material capable of electrochemically absorbing and releasing lithium ions on a surface of the current collector by a gas phase method.

12. The apparatus for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 11 , wherein the control section controls a generation rate of vapor of a material of the active material layer in the formation section, thereby matching the composition of the material of the active material layer to the predetermined composition.

13. The apparatus for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 10 ,

wherein the formation section forms a material of the active material layer in a film form or in a plurality of independent columnar forms so that a porosity of the active material layer is constant; and

the control section adjusts the formation section so as to match the deposit amount of the material of the active material layer to a predetermined value based on the measured total thickness of the current collector and the active material layer.

14. The apparatus for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 10 ,

wherein the active material layer includes a material having a characteristic absorption in an infrared region, the formation section forms an active material layer for measuring having the same composition as that of the active material layer on a surface of a measuring current collector that is being sent faster than the current collector,

the apparatus further comprises a fourth measurement section for irradiating the measuring active material layer with an infrared ray and for measuring an intensity of a wave number specific to a material of the active material layer in a reflected infrared ray in order to estimate a deposit amount of the material of the active material layer per unit area of the current collector, and

the control section adjusts the formation section so as to match the deposit amount of the material of the active material layer to a predetermined value based on the intensity of the wave number measured by the fourth measurement section.

15. The method for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 1 , wherein the active material layer is formed of a plurality of individual active material lumps so as to have an even porosity, and

the volume resistivity of the active material layer is corrected using an obliquely rising angle of the active material lumps determined by microscopic observation, a measurement area, and the porosity with a formula:

ρ ν =R×S cos θ/ t ×(1−ν)

where ρ ν is the volume resistivity, t is thickness of the active material layer, θ is the obliquely rising angle of the active material lumps, R is a resistance value of the active material layer, S is the measurement area, and ν is porosity.

16. The method for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 3 , wherein the active material layer is formed of a plurality of individual active material lumps so as to have an even porosity, and

the volume resistivity of the active material layer is corrected using an obliquely rising angle of the active material lumps determined by microscopic observation, a measurement area, and the porosity with a formula:

ρ ν =R×S cos θ/ t ×(1−ν)

where ρ ν is the volume resistivity, t is thickness of the active material layer, θ is the obliquely rising angle of the active material lumps, R is a resistance value of the active material layer, S is the measurement area, and ν is porosity.

17. The apparatus for examining a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 8 , wherein the forming section is for forming the active material layer by forming a plurality of individual active material lumps so as to have an even porosity, and

the control section is for correcting the volume resistivity of the active material layer by using an obliquely rising angle of the active material lumps determined by microscopic observation, a measurement area, and the porosity with a formula:

ρ ν =R×S cos θ/ t ×(1−ν)

where ρ ν is the volume resistivity, t is thickness of the active material layer, θ is the obliquely rising angle of the active material lumps, R is a resistance value of the active material layer, S is the measurement area, and ν is porosity.

18. The apparatus for manufacturing a negative electrode of a battery according to claim 10 , wherein the forming section is for forming the active material layer by forming a plurality of individual active material lumps so as to have an even porosity, and

the control section is for correcting the volume resistivity of the active material layer by using an obliquely rising angle of the active material lumps determined by microscopic observation, a measurement area, and the porosity with a formula:

ρ ν =R×S cos θ/ t ×(1−ν)

where ρ ν is the volume resistivity, t is thickness of the active material layer, θ is the obliquely rising angle of the active material lumps, R is a resistance value of the active material layer, S is the measurement area, and ν is porosity.