Granted Patent B2

US 12,270,101 · App. 17/207,445 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Inventors: Donghyeon Kang (Willowbrook, IL); Jeffrey W. Elam (Elmhurst, IL); Joseph A. Libera (Clarendon Hills, IL); Yujia Liang (Lisle, IL); HackSung Kim (Naperville, IL); Anil U. Mane (Naperville, IL)

Assignees: UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLC; NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

C23C16/18C23C16/455H01M10/0562H01M2300/0068

Abstract

Claims (24)

1. A method, comprising:

placing a lithium metal structure in a reactor;

flowing a metal-ligand precursor vapor in a carrier gas, the metal-ligand precursor vapor comprising a metal selected from Al, In, Ga, and Zn and a ligand selected from the group consisting of an alkyl, through the reactor at a temperature of 250-350° C. for a continuous flow time of 30-600 seconds; and

reacting the metal-ligand precursor vapor with lithium metal of the lithium metal structure, forming a lithium-metal-oxygen film on the lithium metal structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is 280-320° C.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the carrier gas has a flow velocity of 0.1-20 m/s.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein reacting the metal-ligand precursor vapor with lithium metal is under a high vacuum condition of 10 −6 -10 −10 Torr.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal is aluminum.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the lithium-metal-oxygen film is a lithium-aluminum-oxygen film.

7. A method, comprising:

placing a lithium SSE in a reactor, the lithium SSE having an exposed coating of lithium carbonate;

flowing a metal-ligand complex precursor vapor in a carrier gas, the precursor comprising a metal selected from Al, In, Ga, and Zn and an alkyl ligand, through the reactor at a temperature of 250-350° C. for a continuous flow time of 30-600 seconds; and

reacting the metal-ligand complex with the lithium carbonate of the lithium SSE, removing a portion of the lithium carbonate from the lithium SSE.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising forming a lithium-metal-oxygen film on the lithium SSE.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein all of the lithium carbonate is removed from the lithium SSE.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the temperature is 280-320° C.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the lithium-metal-oxygen film comprises a lithium-aluminum-oxygen film.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal-ligand complex is trimethylaluminum.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the carrier gas has a flow velocity of 0.1-20 m/s.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein reacting the metal-ligand complex with lithium metal is under a high vacuum condition of 10 −6 -10 −10 Torr.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the metal is aluminum.

16. The method of claim 7 , wherein the metal-ligand complex is a methyl, ethyl, or propyl ligand.

17. The method of claim 7 , wherein the metal-ligand vapor has a partial pressure of 0.001-10 Torr.

18. The method of claim 7 , wherein the continuous flow time is 60 seconds to 600 seconds.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (72)