IP Library Granted Patent US 11,508,988
Granted Patent B2
US 11,508,988 · App. 16/129,002 · Granted Nov 22, 2022

Lithium anode device stack manufacturing

Inventor: Subramanya P. Herle (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
H01M10/0525H01M4/134H01M4/661H01M4/662H01M4/667H01M10/052H01M10/0562H01M10/0431
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,508,988
App. No.
16/129,002
Granted
Nov 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Metal electrodes, more specifically lithium-containing anodes, high performance electrochemical devices, such as secondary batteries, including the aforementioned lithium-containing electrodes, and methods for fabricating the same are provided. In one implementation, an anode electrode structure is provided. The anode electrode structure comprises a current collector comprising copper, a lithium metal film formed on the current collector, a copper film formed on the lithium metal film, and a protective film formed on the copper film. The protective film is a lithium-ion conducting film selected from the group comprising lithium-ion conducting ceramic, a lithium-ion conducting glass, or ion conducting liquid crystal.

Claims (44)

1. A method, comprising:

forming a lithium metal film on a current collector, wherein the current collector comprises a first copper film;

forming a metal film on the lithium metal film, wherein the metal film is selected from a second copper film, a bismuth film, a tin film, or any combination thereof, wherein the metal film coats a top surface and sidewalls of the lithium metal film and extends to directly contact the current collector;

forming a protective film on the metal film, wherein the protective film is a lithium-ion conducting film comprising lithium-ion conducting ceramic, lithium-ion conducting glass, or ion conducting liquid crystal; and

forming a ceramic film on the protective film, wherein the ceramic film comprises aluminum oxide aluminum oxynitride, aluminum oxyhydroxide, or aluminum nitride.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal film is the second copper film and the second copper film has a thickness within a range from about 5 nanometers to about 40 nanometers.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second copper film has a thickness within a range from about 10 nanometers to about 20 nanometers.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current collector has a thickness within a range from about 2 micrometers to about 8 micrometers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current collector comprises:

a first nickel or a first chromium containing film;

the first copper film formed on the first nickel or the first chromium containing film and having a thickness within a range from about 50 nanometers to about 500 nanometers; and

a second nickel or a second chromium containing film formed on the first copper film and having a thickness within a range from about 20 nanometers to about 50 nanometers.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current collector comprises:

a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer substrate; and

the first copper film formed on the PET polymer substrate, wherein the first copper film is deposited via a physical vapor deposition process.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective film coats a top surface and sidewalls of the metal film.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic coating is a binder-free film.

9. A method, comprising:

forming a lithium metal film on an anode film formed on a current collector, wherein the current collector comprises a first copper film and the anode film is selected from graphite and silicon-containing graphite;

forming a metal film on the lithium metal film, wherein the metal film is selected from a second copper film, a bismuth film, a tin film, or any combination thereof, wherein the metal film coats a top surface and sidewalls of the lithium metal film and extends to directly contact the current collector;

forming a protective film formed on the metal film, wherein the protective film is a lithium-ion conducting film comprising lithium-ion conducting ceramic, lithium-ion conducting glass, or ion conducting liquid crystal; and

forming a ceramic coating on the protective film, wherein the ceramic coating comprises aluminum oxide aluminum oxynitride, aluminum oxyhydroxide, or aluminum nitride.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the metal film is the second copper film and the second copper film has a thickness within a range from about 10 nanometers to about 20 nanometers.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the current collector has a thickness within a range from about 2 micrometers to about 8 micrometers.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the current collector comprises:

a first nickel or a first chromium containing film;

the first copper film formed on the first nickel or the first chromium containing film and having a thickness within a range from about 50 nanometers to about 500 nanometers; and

a second nickel or a second chromium containing film formed on the first copper film and having a thickness within a range from about 20 nanometers to about 50 nanometers.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the current collector comprises:

a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer substrate; and

the first copper film formed on the PET polymer substrate, wherein the first copper film is deposited via a physical vapor deposition process.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the protective film coats a top surface and sidewalls of the metal film.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the ceramic coating is a binder-free film.

16. A method, comprising:

forming an anode film on a current collector, wherein the current collector comprises a first copper film;

forming a lithium metal film on the anode film, wherein the anode film comprises graphite or silicon-containing graphite; and

forming a protective film stack on the lithium metal film, wherein the protective film stack coats a top surface and sidewalls of the lithium metal film and extends to directly contact the current collector, wherein the protective film stack comprises:

a protective film disposed on the lithium metal film, wherein the protective film coats a top surface and sidewalls of the lithium metal film and extends to directly contact the current collector;

a first polymer film disposed on the protective film, wherein the first polymer film coats a top surface and sidewalls of the protective film,

a ceramic film disposed on the first polymer film, wherein the ceramic film coats a top surface and sidewalls of the first polymer film; and

a second polymer film disposed on the ceramic film, wherein the second polymer film coats a top surface and sidewalls of the ceramic film.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the protective film comprises lithium fluoride, aluminum oxide, aluminum oxyhydroxide, a copper chalcogenide, bismuth chalcogenide, lithium carbonate, or any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein each of the first polymer film and the second polymer film independently comprises polyvinylidene difluoride, polyethylene oxide, ethylene oxide, poly-acrylonitrile, succinonitrile, 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone, polyphenylene sulphide, polyether ether ketone, carboxymethyl cellulose, styrene butadiene rubber, or any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the ceramic film comprises aluminum oxide, aluminum oxynitride, aluminum oxyhydroxide, and aluminum nitride.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2025
From: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
To: ELEVATED MATERIALS US LLC
Reel/Frame 071036/0188 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2018
From: HERLE, SUBRAMANYA P.
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 047752/0594 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62561442 · Sep 21, 2017
Related Publication 20190088987A1 · Mar 21, 2019