Granted Patent B2

US 10,862,105 · App. 14/209,396 · Granted Dec 8, 2020

Inventors: Oliver Gronwald (Heusenstamm, DE); Ruediger Schmidt (Paderborn, DE); Martin Weber (Maikammer, DE); Ingrid Haupt (Frankenthal, DE); Ursula Huber-Moulliet (Frankenthal, DE); Nicole Janssen (Bermesheim, DE); Yuriy V. Mikhaylik (Tucson, AZ); Bala Sankaran (Shelby Township, MI); David L. Coleman (Corona De Tucson, AZ)

Assignee: Sion Power Corporation

H01M4/139H01M2/145H01M2/168H01M2/1653H01M2/1673H01M4/0402H01M4/13H01M4/131H01M4/134H01M4/136H01M4/1391H01M4/1395H01M4/1397H01M4/38H01M4/382H01M4/48H01M4/66H01M10/052H01M10/058H01M10/0525H01M10/0585

Abstract

Claims (34)

1. A method of forming an electrochemical cell, comprising:

providing a first carrier substrate;

depositing a first release layer on the first carrier substrate, wherein the first release layer comprises one or more of the following materials: a polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylsulfone, a polyethersulfone-polyalkyleneoxide copolymer, a polyphenylsulfone-polyalkyleneoxide copolymer, polyisobutylene, polyisobutylene succinic anhydride, a polyisobutylene-polyalkyleneoxide copolymer, polyamide 6, polyvinylpyrrolidone, a polyvinylpyrrolidone-polyvinylimidazole copolymer, a polyvinylpyrrolidone-polyvinylactetate copolymer, a maleinimide-vinylether copolymer, a polyacrylamide, a fluorinated polyacrylate, a polyethylene-polyvinylalcohol copolymer, a polyethylene-polyvinylacetate copolymer, a polyvinylalcohol and polyvinylacetate copolymer, polyoxymethylene, polyvinylbutyral, a polyurea, a polymer based on photodepolymerization of an acrolein derivative (CH 2 ═CR—C(O)R), a polysulfone-polyalkylene oxide copolymer, polyvinylidene difluoride, and combinations thereof;

depositing a first protective layer on the surface of the first release layer, wherein a mean peak to valley roughness of the first protective layer is between about 0.1 μm and about 1 μm;

depositing a first electroactive material layer comprising lithium in metallic form on the first protective layer;

removing the first carrier substrate from the first release layer, wherein at least a portion of the first release layer remains on the first protective layer;

assembling the first electroactive material layer, the first protective layer, and the portion of the first release layer remaining on the first protective layer with an electrolyte and a second electrode to form an electrochemical cell; and

dissolving the portion of the first release layer remaining on the first protective layer in the electrolyte present in the electrochemical cell, thereby removing the portion of the first release layer from the first protective layer,

wherein the first electroactive material layer and the first protective layer form an anode in the assembled electrochemical cell, and wherein the first release layer is a polymeric release layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disposing a current collector on the first electroactive material layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first protective layer is substantially continuous.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a mean peak to valley roughness of the first release layer is between about 0.1 μm and about 1 μm.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a mean peak to valley roughness of an interface between the first protective layer and the first electroactive material layer is between about 0.1 μm and about 1 μm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first protective layer is greater than the mean peak to valley roughness of the first release layer.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the thickness of the first protective layer is at least two times greater than the mean peak to valley roughness of the first release layer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first protective layer is between about 0.1 μm and about 5 μm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first release layer comprises a material that is substantially amorphous.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein an adhesive strength between the first release layer and the first protective layer is greater than an adhesive strength between the first release layer and the first carrier substrate.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising combining the first release layer, first protective layer, and first electroactive material layer with a second carrier substrate disposed on a second release layer, wherein the second release layer is disposed on a second protective layer, and wherein the second protective layer is disposed on a second electroactive material layer.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising disposing a current collector between the first electroactive material layer and the second electroactive material layer.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disposing an intermediate layer between at least one of the first carrier substrate and the first release layer, the first release layer and the first protective layer, and the first protective layer and the first electroactive material layer.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first release layer is conductive to lithium ions.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first release layer comprises a lithium salt.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is a cathode comprising sulfur.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is a cathode comprising a metal oxide.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein a mean peak to valley roughness of the first release layer is less than a mean peak to valley roughness of the first carrier substrate.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is a cathode for an alkali metal ion battery.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first protective layer is a ceramic, a glassy-ceramic, or a glass layer.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first protective layer comprises at least one of lithium nitride, lithium silicate, lithium borate, lithium aluminate, lithium phosphate, lithium phosphorus oxynitride, lithium silicosulfide, lithium germanosulfide, a lithium oxide, a lithium lanthanum oxide, a lithium titanium oxide, lithium borosulfide, lithium aluminosulfide, and lithium phosphosulfide.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first protective layer is a multilayer protective layer.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the multilayer protective layer comprises a polymer layer adjacent a single-ion conductive layer.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first release layer comprises a polyethylene-polyvinylalcohol copolymer.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first release layer is formed of one or more of the following materials: a polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylsulfone, a polyethersulfone-polyalkylene oxide copolymer, a polyphenylsulfone-polyalkyleneoxide copolymer, polyisobutylene, polyisobutylene succinic anhydride, a polyisobutylene-polyalkyleneoxide copolymer, polyamide 6, polyvinylpyrrolidone, a polyvinylpyrrolidone-polyvinylimidazole copolymer, a polyvinylpyrrolidone-polyvinylactetate copolymer, a maleinimide-vinylether copolymer, a polyacrylamide, a fluorinated polyacrylate, a polyethylene-polyvinylalcohol copolymer, a polyethylene-polyvinylacetate copolymer, a polyvinylalcohol and polyvinylacetate copolymer, polyoxymethylene, polyvinylbutyral, polyurea, a polymer based on photodepolymerization of an acrolein derivative (CH 2 ═CR—C(O)R), a polysulfone-polyalkylene oxide copolymer, polyvinylidene difluoride, and combinations thereof.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first release layer comprises a filler that makes up less than 10 wt % of the first release layer.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (2)

Cited By (9)

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