Electrode structures for three-dimensional batteries

1. An electrode structure comprising a population of electrodes, a population of counter-electrodes and a microporous separator separating members of the electrode population from members of the counter-electrode population, the populations of electrodes and counter-electrodes being arranged in an alternating sequence in which members of the electrode population are separated from each other by members of the counter-electrode population with the alternating sequence proceeding in a first direction, each member of the electrode population comprising an electrode active material layer and an electrode current conductor layer, each member of the electrode population having a bottom, a top, a length L E , a width W E and a height H E , the length L E being measured from the bottom to the top of each such electrode, the width W E and the height H E being measured in directions that are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of measurement of the length L E , the ratio of L E to each of W E and H E being at least 5:1, respectively, the ratio of H E to W E being between 0.4:1 and 1000:1, respectively, the electrode current collector layer of each member of the electrode population having a length L EC that is measured in the same direction as and is at least 50% of length L E .

2. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein the electrode population has N members, the counter-electrode population has N+1 members, and N is at least 5.

3. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein the electrode structure further comprises an electrode substrate and the bottom of each member of the population of electrodes is directly attached to the electrode substrate.

4. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein L E has a value in the range of about 10 mm and about 250 mm.

5. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein W E and H E each have a value in the range of about 0.01 mm and 5 mm.

6. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein the ratio of L E to each of W E and H E for each member of the electrode population is at least 10:1, respectively.

7. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein L E-C is at least 80% of L E .

8. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein the electrode structure further comprises an electrode substrate, the bottom of each member of the population of electrodes being directly attached to the electrode substrate and the electrode substrate comprises an electrode bus for pooling current from each member of the population of electrodes wherein the electrode bus has a length L E-B a width W E-B and a height H E-B the length L E-B being measured in the first direction and the width W E-B and the height H E-B being measured in directions that are mutually perpendicular and to the first direction with the ratio of L E-B to each of W E-B and H E-B being at least 5:1.

9. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein each member of the counter-electrode population comprises a counter-electrode active material layer and a counter-electrode current conductor layer, each member of the counter-electrode population having a bottom, a top, a length L CE , a width W CE and a height H CE the length L CE being measured from the bottom to the top of each such counter-electrode, the width W CE and the height H CE being measured in directions that are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of measurement of the length L CE , the ratio of L CE to each of W CE and H CE being at least 5:1, respectively, the ratio of H CE to W CE being between 0.4:1 and 1000:1, respectively, the counter-electrode current collector layer of each member of the counter-electrode population having a length L CE-C that is measured in the same direction as and is at least 50% of length L CE .

10. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein each member of the population of electrodes further comprises an electrode backbone.

11. The electrode structure of claim 10 wherein the electrode backbones of each member of the population of electrodes has an electrical conductivity of less than 10 Siemens/cm.

12. The electrode structure of claim 10 wherein for each member of the population of electrodes, the electrode current collector layer is between the electrode active material and the electrode backbone and the electrode active material is between the microporous separator and the electrode current collector layer.

13. The electrode structure of claim 10 wherein for each member of the population of electrodes, the electrode current collector layer comprises an ionically permeable conductor material and is located between the electrode active material and the microporous separator and the electrode active material is between the electrode current collector layer and the electrode backbone.

14. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein the electrode current collector layer and the electrode active material layer have an electrical conductance and the ratio of the electrical conductance of the electrode current collector layer to the electrical conductance of the electrode active material layer is at least 100:1, respectively, for each member of the population of electrodes.

15. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein the population of electrodes is a population of negative electrodes, the population of counter-electrodes is a population of positive electrodes, the electrode active material layer is a negative electrode active material layer and the electrode current conductor layer is a negative electrode current conductor layer wherein the negative electrode active material layer comprises carbon, aluminum, tin, silicon or an alloy thereof.

16. The electrode structure of claim 15 wherein the negative electrode active material layer comprises nanowires of silicon or an alloy thereof, or porous silicon or an alloy thereof.

17. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein the population of electrodes is a population of negative electrodes, the population of counter-electrodes is a population of positive electrodes, each member of the population of negative electrodes comprises a negative electrode active material layer and a negative electrode current conductor layer, each member of the population of negative electrodes has a bottom, a top, a length L NE , a width W NE and a height H NE , the length L NE being measured from the bottom to the top of each such negative electrode, the width W NE and the height H NE being measured in directions that are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of measurement of the length L NE , the ratio of L NE to each of W NE and H NE being at least 5:1, respectively, the ratio of H NE to W NE being between 0.4:1 and 1000:1, the negative electrode current collector layer of each member of the population having a length L NC that is measured in the same direction as and is at least 50% of L NE .

18. The electrode structure of claim 1 wherein the population of electrodes is a population of positive electrodes, the population of counter-electrodes is a population of negative electrodes,

(i) each member of the population of positive electrodes comprises a positive electrode active material layer and a positive electrode current conductor layer, each member of the population of positive electrodes has a bottom, a top, a length L PE , a width W PE and a height H PE , the length L PE being measured from the bottom to the top of each such positive electrode, the width W PE and the height H PE being measured in directions that are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of measurement of the length L PE , the ratio of L PE to each of W PE and H PE being at least 5:1, respectively, the ratio of H PE to W PE being between 0.4:1 and 1000:1, respectively, the positive electrode current collector layer of each member of the positive population having a length L PC that is measured in the same direction as and is at least 50% of L PE , and

(ii) each member of the population of negative electrodes comprises a negative electrode active material layer and a negative electrode current conductor layer, each member of the population of negative electrodes has a bottom, a top, a length L NE , a width W NE and a height H NE , the length L NE being measured from the bottom to the top of each such negative electrode, the width W NE and the height H NE being measured in directions that are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of measurement of the length L NE , the ratio of L NE to each of W NE and H NE being at least 5:1, respectively, the ratio of H NE to W NE being between 0.4:1 and 1000:1, respectively, the negative electrode current collector layer of each member of the negative population having a length L NC that is measured in the same direction as and is at least 50% of L NE .

19. An electrode stack, the stack comprising at least two electrode structures, each of the electrode structures comprising an electrode structure of claim 1 .

20. The electrode stack of claim 19 wherein the electrode structures are stacked vertically whereby the populations of positive and negative electrodes comprised by a first electrode structure in the electrode stack lie in a different plane than the populations of positive and negative electrodes comprised by a second electrode structure in the electrode stack.

21. The electrode stack of claim 19 wherein the electrode structures are arranged horizontally whereby the populations of positive and negative electrodes comprised by a first electrode structure in the electrode stack lie in substantially the same plane as the populations of positive and negative electrodes comprised by a second electrode structure in the electrode stack.

22. A secondary battery comprising a battery enclosure, a non-aqueous electrolyte and an electrode structure claim 1 .

23. A secondary battery comprising a battery enclosure, a non-aqueous electrolyte and an electrode stack of any one of claim 19 .