ELECTROLYTE FOR A SOLID-STATE BATTERY
Electrolyte for a solid-state battery includes a body having grains of inorganic material sintered to one another, where the grains include lithium. The body is thin, has little porosity by volume, and has high ionic conductivity.
1 . A sheet of material configured for a solid-state battery, comprising:
a body comprising ceramic grains sintered to one another, wherein the grains comprise lithium, lanthanum, zirconium, and oxygen, and wherein greater than 95% of the body by weight consists of cubic lithium garnet crystals;
wherein thickness of the body, between first and second major surfaces thereof, is in a range from 3 μm to 100 μm, and wherein the body has a width of 5 mm or greater;
wherein the body is flattenable without fracturing as determined by pressing the body between rigid parallel surfaces at 23° C. such that the body overlays or is within a distance of 0.05 mm of a flat plane; and
wherein the grains sintered to one another have an average grain size of 5 μm or less, and wherein the body has ionic conductivity greater than 1×10 −4 S/cm.
2 . The sheet of claim 1 , wherein the body has closed porosity.
3 . The sheet of claim 1 , wherein the body has less than 10% porosity by volume.
4 . The sheet of claim 1 , wherein the grains further comprise tantalum, and wherein the body has ionic conductivity greater than 2×10 −4 S/cm.
5 . The sheet of claim 4 , wherein the grains further comprise aluminum.
6 . The sheet of claim 1 , wherein the body has a length of at least 10 m.
7 . A roll of the sheet of claim 6 wound on a spool.
8 . A sheet of material configured for a solid-state battery, comprising:
a body comprising ceramic grains sintered to one another, wherein the grains comprise lithium, and wherein greater than 95% of the body by weight consists of cubic lithium garnet crystals;
wherein thickness of the body, between first and second major surfaces thereof, is in a range from 3 μm to 50 μm, and wherein the body has a width of 5 mm or greater;
wherein the body has a length of 1 m or greater;
wherein fewer than 10 pin holes of a cross-sectional area of at least a square micrometer pass through the body, per square millimeter of surface on average; and
wherein the grains sintered to one another have an average grain size of 5 μm or less, and wherein the body has ionic conductivity greater than 1×10 −4 S/cm.
9 . The sheet of claim 8 , wherein the body has a length of at least 10 m.
10 . A roll of the sheet of claim 9 wound on a spool.
11 . The sheet of claim 8 , wherein the body has closed porosity.
12 . The sheet of claim 11 , wherein the body has less than 10% porosity by volume.
13 . The sheet of claim 12 , wherein the grains further comprise lanthanum, zirconium, and oxygen.
14 . A sheet of material configured fora solid-state battery, comprising:
a body comprising ceramic grains sintered to one another, wherein the grains comprise lithium, lanthanum, zirconium, and oxygen, and wherein greater than 95% of the body by weight consists of cubic lithium garnet crystals;
wherein thickness of the body, between first and second major surfaces thereof, is in a range from 3 μm to 50 μm, and wherein the body has a width of 5 mm or greater;
wherein fewer than 10 pin holes of a cross-sectional area of at least a square micrometer pass through the body, per square millimeter of surface on average;
wherein the body is flattenable without fracturing as determined by pressing the body between rigid parallel surfaces at 23° C. such that the body overlays or is within a distance of 0.05 mm of a flat plane; and
wherein the grains sintered to one another have an average grain size of 5 μm or less, and wherein the body has ionic conductivity greater than 1×10 −4 S/cm.
15 . The sheet of claim 14 , wherein the body has closed porosity.
16 . The sheet of claim 14 , wherein the body has less than 10% porosity by volume.
17 . The sheet of claim 14 , wherein the grains further comprise tantalum, and wherein the body has ionic conductivity greater than 2×10 −4 S/cm.
18 . The sheet of claim 14 , wherein the grains further comprise aluminum.
19 . The sheet of claim 14 , wherein the body has a length of at least 10 m.
20 . A roll of the sheet of claim 19 wound on a spool.