DIELECTRIC COATED LITHIUM METAL ANODE

1 . A deposition apparatus operable to coat a flexible substrate, comprising:

a first spool chamber capable of housing a storage spool operable to provide the flexible substrate;

a first deposition chamber arranged downstream from the first spool chamber and comprising a first coating drum capable of guiding the flexible substrate past a first plurality of deposition units capable of depositing a lithium metal film on the flexible substrate;

a second deposition chamber arranged downstream from the first deposition chamber and comprising a second coating drum capable of guiding the flexible substrate past a second deposition unit comprising an evaporation crucible capable of depositing a ceramic protective film on the lithium metal film;

a second spool chamber arranged downstream from the second deposition chamber and capable of housing a wind-up spool operable to wind the flexible substrate thereon after deposition; and

a roller assembly capable of transporting the flexible substrate along a partially convex and partially concave substrate transportation path from the first spool chamber to the second spool chamber.

2 . The deposition apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a connection chamber arranged downstream from the first deposition chamber and upstream from the second deposition chamber.

3 . The deposition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of deposition units comprise an evaporation unit capable of depositing the lithium metal film on the flexible substrate.

4 . The deposition apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the evaporation unit is selected from a thermal evaporation unit, an electron beam evaporation unit, or a combination thereof.

5 . The deposition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of deposition units comprise sputter deposition units capable of depositing the lithium metal film on the flexible substrate.

6 . The deposition apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second deposition unit comprises a plurality of evaporation crucibles aligned in a first line perpendicular to a travel direction of the flexible substrate and capable of generating a cloud of evaporated material to be deposited on the flexible substrate.

7 . The deposition apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second deposition unit further comprises a gas supply pipe capable of supplying a gas supply directed into the cloud of evaporated material and positioned between the plurality of evaporation crucibles and the second coating drum.

8 . The deposition apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), stainless steel, or a combination thereof.

9 . A method, comprising:

transferring a flexible substrate from a storage spool in a first spool chamber to a first deposition chamber arranged downstream from the first spool chamber, the first deposition chamber comprising a first coating drum capable of guiding the flexible substrate past a first plurality of deposition units;

guiding the flexible substrate past the first plurality of deposition units while depositing a lithium metal film on the flexible substrate via the first plurality of deposition units;

transferring the flexible substrate from the first deposition chamber to a second deposition chamber, the second deposition chamber comprising a second coating drum capable of guiding the flexible substrate past a second deposition unit comprising an evaporation crucible capable of depositing a ceramic protective film on the lithium metal film; and

guiding the flexible substrate past the evaporation crucible while depositing a ceramic protective film on the lithium metal film via the evaporation crucible.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

transferring the flexible substrate from the second deposition chamber to a second spool chamber; and

winding the flexible substrate on a second spool positioned in the second deposition chamber.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising transferring the flexible substrate through a connection chamber arranged downstream from the first deposition chamber and upstream from the second deposition chamber.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of deposition units comprise evaporation units capable of depositing the lithium metal film on the flexible substrate.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the evaporation units are selected from a thermal evaporation unit, an electron-beam evaporation unit, or a combination thereof.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of deposition units comprise sputter deposition units capable of depositing the lithium metal film on the flexible substrate.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the second deposition unit comprises a plurality of evaporation crucibles aligned in a first line perpendicular to a travel direction of the flexible substrate and capable of generating a cloud of evaporated material to be deposited on the flexible substrate.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second deposition unit further comprises a gas supply pipe capable of supplying a gas supply directed into the cloud of evaporated material and positioned between the plurality of evaporation crucibles and the second coating drum.

17 . A method, comprising:

transferring a flexible substrate from a storage spool in a first spool chamber to a first deposition chamber arranged downstream from the first spool chamber, the first deposition chamber comprising a first coating drum capable of guiding the flexible substrate past a first plurality of deposition units, wherein the flexible substrate comprises an anode film;

guiding the flexible substrate past the first plurality of deposition units while depositing a lithium metal film on the anode film via the first plurality of deposition units;

transferring the flexible substrate from the first deposition chamber to a second deposition chamber through a connection chamber, the second deposition chamber comprising a second coating drum capable of guiding the flexible substrate past a second deposition unit comprising an evaporation crucible; and

guiding the flexible substrate past the evaporation crucible while depositing a ceramic protective film on the lithium metal film via the evaporation crucible.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the evaporation units are selected from a thermal evaporation unit, an electron-beam evaporation unit, or a combination thereof.

19 . The method of any of claim 18 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), stainless steel, or a combination thereof.

20 . The method of any of claim 19 , wherein the ceramic protective film is selected from porous aluminum oxide, porous-ZrO 2 , porous-HfO 2 , porous-SiO 2 , porous-MgO, porous-TiO 2 , porous-Ta 2 O 5 , porous-Nb 2 O 5 , porous-LiAlO 2 , porous-BaTiO 3 , ion-conducting garnet, anti-ion-conducting perovskites, porous glass dielectric, or a combination thereof.