Micromachined electrolyte sheet
Lithium-containing polycrystalline ceramic sheets include grains having an average grain size of less than 5 μm, a relative density greater than 90%, and a thickness of up to 200 μm. In aspects, the lithium-containing polycrystalline ceramic sheets include an outer edge of the sheet that has no height variations greater than 1 mm from baseline in a perimeter trace. In aspects, the lithium-containing polycrystalline ceramic sheets include microstructural features of an outer edge of the sheet are no greater than about ⅓ the thickness of the sheet. In aspects, the lithium-containing polycrystalline ceramic sheets include an outer edge of the sheet that is enriched in lithium relative to a bulk of the sheet.
1. A sheet comprising:
grains having an average grain size of less than 5 μm;
a relative density greater than 90%; and
a thickness of up to 200 μm,
wherein the sheet is a lithium-containing polycrystalline ceramic sheet, and an outer edge of the sheet has no height variations greater than 1 mm from baseline in a perimeter trace.
2. The sheet of claim 1 , wherein the thickness is less than about 100 μm.
3. The sheet of claim 2 , wherein the thickness is at least about 40 μm.
4. The sheet of claim 1 , wherein within the sheet there is substantially no interconnected porosity such that the sheet is hermetic.
5. The sheet of claim 1 , wherein the sheet is unsupported mechanically, not integrated into a multi-layer structure.
6. The sheet of claim 1 , wherein the relative density is greater than 95%.
7. The sheet of claim 1 , wherein the average grain size is less than 3 μm.
8. A sheet comprising:
grains having an average grain size of less than 5 μm;
a relative density greater than 90%; and
a thickness of up to 200 μm,
wherein the sheet is a lithium-containing polycrystalline ceramic sheet, and microstructural features of an outer edge of the sheet are no greater than about ⅓ the thickness of the sheet.
9. The sheet of claim 8 , wherein the thickness is less than about 100 μm.
10. The sheet of claim 9 , wherein the thickness is at least about 40 μm.
11. The sheet of claim 8 , wherein within the sheet there is substantially no interconnected porosity such that the sheet is hermetic.
12. The sheet of claim 8 , wherein the sheet is unsupported mechanically, not integrated into a multi-layer structure.
13. The sheet of claim 8 , wherein the relative density is greater than 95%.
14. The sheet of claim 8 , wherein the average grain size is less than 3 μm.
15. A sheet comprising:
grains having an average grain size of less than about 5 μm;
a relative density greater than about 90%; and
a thickness of up to about 200 μm;
wherein the sheet is a lithium-containing polycrystalline ceramic sheet, and an outer edge of the sheet is enriched in lithium relative to a bulk of the sheet.
16. The sheet of claim 15 , wherein the thickness is less than about 100 μm.
17. The sheet of claim 16 , wherein the thickness is at least about 40 μm.
18. The sheet of claim 17 , wherein within the sheet there is substantially no interconnected porosity such that the sheet is hermetic.
19. The sheet of claim 18 , wherein the sheet is unsupported mechanically, not integrated into a multi-layer structure.
20. The sheet of claim 19 , wherein the relative density is greater than 95%.