Ceramic/polymer matrix for electrode protection in electrochemical cells, including rechargeable lithium batteries

1. An electrode for an electrochemical cell, comprising:

a base layer comprising an active electrode species; and

a protective structure positioned to protect the electrode from an electrolyte when the electrode is arranged in an electrochemical cell, the protective structure having a first side facing the active electrode species, and a second side arranged to face an electrolyte, wherein the protective structure comprises:

at least a first and second composite layer, each layer comprising:

a polymer matrix having a patterned array of cavities; and

a ceramic material filling at least two cavities of the patterned array;

wherein the cavities of the patterned array are distanced at predetermined intervals from one another, wherein each ceramic-filled cavity is in ionic communication with the base layer, wherein the protective structure has an average ionic conductivity of at least 10 −7 S/cm, wherein the protective structure is configured to inhibit passage of a component of the electrolyte that can adversely affect the electrode.

2. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the second composite layer is directly adjacent the first composite layer.

3. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the protective structure is impervious to an electrolyte to be used with the electrochemical cell.

4. An electrode for an electrochemical cell, comprising:

a base layer comprising an active electrode species; and

a protective structure including at least a first composite layer comprising a patterned array of cavities within a matrix, wherein a polymer or a ceramic material forms the matrix, and the other of the polymer or ceramic material fills at least a portion of the cavities,

wherein the cavities of the patterned array are distanced at predetermined intervals from one another, and wherein the protective structure has an average ionic conductivity of at least 10 −7 S/cm.

5. The electrode of claim 4 , comprising a second composite layer.

6. The electrode of claim 5 , wherein the second composite layer is directly adjacent the first composite layer.

7. The electrode of claim 5 , wherein a continuous ceramic material layer is positioned between the first and second composite layers.

8. The electrode of claim 5 , wherein the cavities in the second composite layer are aligned with the cavities in the first composite layer.

9. The electrode of claim 5 , wherein the electrode comprises at least a third composite layer comprising a polymer matrix having a third plurality of cavities and a ceramic material filling at least two cavities of the third plurality of cavities.

10. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein the protective structure is impervious to an electrolyte to be used with the electrochemical cell.

11. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein the patterned array comprises repeat units.

12. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein a gel layer is positioned adjacent the first composite layer on a side opposite the base layer.

13. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein the polymer content in the protective structure is at least 2% by weight.

14. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein a ratio of the sum of the surface areas of the ceramic-filled cavities to the surface area of the electrode is at least 0.3.

15. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein the electrode is an anode.

16. The electrode of claim 15 , wherein the anode comprises lithium.

17. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein the polymer is non-ionically conductive.

18. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein the ceramic material is conductive to lithium ions.

19. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein the ceramic material is selected from the group consisting of Li 2 O, Li 3 N, Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , SiO 2 , CeO 2 , Al 2 TiO 5 , oxy-sulfide glass, and combinations thereof.

20. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein the protective structure has a thickness of at least 500 nm.

21. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein an elastic modulus of the polymer is at least 2 times smaller than an elastic modulus of the ceramic material.

22. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein the polymer is substantially non-swellable in an electrolyte to be used with the electrochemical cell.

23. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein a volume fraction of the ceramic material in the first composite layer varies across the first composite layer.

24. The electrode of claim 23 , wherein the volume fraction of the ceramic material in the first composite layer is lower at an edge of the first composite layer than in a center of the first composite layer.

25. The electrode of claim 4 , wherein a size of the cavities of the patterned array varies across the first composite layer.

26. A method of fabricating a protected electrode, the method comprising:

forming a base layer comprising an active electrode species attached to a protective structure, wherein the protective structure is formed by:

positioning on a substrate at least one layer of a matrix comprising a polymer or a ceramic material, the matrix comprising a patterned array of cavities;

filling at least a portion of the cavities with the other of the polymer or the ceramic material to form a composite layer,

wherein the cavities of the patterned array are distanced at predetermined intervals from one another, and wherein the composite layer has an average ionic conductivity of at least 10 −7 S/cm.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising positioning on a substrate at least a second layer of a matrix comprising a polymer or a ceramic material, the matrix comprising a patterned array of cavities, and filling at least a portion of the cavities with the other of the polymer or the ceramic material to form a composite layer.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the second composite layer is directly adjacent the first composite layer.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the composite layer is impervious to an electrolyte to be used with the electrochemical cell.