Patterned electrodes
In one aspect of the disclosure, a method is presented. The method involves coating a conductive substrate with an electrode slurry of solvent, active material, binder, and additives to form a wet electrode. The wet electrode is injected with a column of miscible non-solvent fluid into a surface of the wet electrode to displace the electrode slurry around the column and initiate non-solvent-induced phase inversion of the binder in contact with the miscible non-solvent fluid such that the binder in contact with the miscible non-solvent fluid solidifies around the column into a solid-free channel at the surface of and into the wet electrode.
1 . A method comprising:
coating a conductive substrate with an electrode slurry of solvent, active material, binder, and additives to form a wet electrode; and
injecting a column of miscible non-solvent fluid into a surface of the wet electrode to displace the electrode slurry around the column and initiate non-solvent-induced phase inversion of the binder in contact with the miscible non-solvent fluid such that the binder in contact with the miscible non-solvent fluid solidifies around the column into a solid-free channel at the surface of and into the wet electrode.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the column is injected into the surface of the wet electrode by ink-jet deposition.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the active material is lithium-based.
4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the solvent is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.
5 . The method of claim 3 wherein the binder is polyvinylidene fluoride.
6 . The method of claim 3 wherein the miscible non-solvent fluid is water-based.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the active material is graphite-based.
8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the solvent is water-based.
9 . The method of claim 7 wherein the binder is carboxymethyl cellulose.
10 . The method of claim 7 wherein the miscible non-solvent fluid is acetone-based.
11 . A method of forming a solid-state battery cell comprising:
injecting a slurry of solid electrolyte and non-solvent into a wet electrode coating including active material and binder to displace the wet electrode coating around the slurry and initiate non-solvent-induced phase inversion of the binder in contact with the slurry such that the binder in contact with the slurry solidifies around the slurry into a pit in the wet electrode coating.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the slurry is injected into the wet electrode coating by ink-jet deposition.
13 . A method comprising:
mixing active material, solvent, and polymer binder to form an electrode slurry mixture;
coating the electrode slurry mixture onto a current collector to form a wet electrode; and
injecting a column of miscible non-solvent fluid into the wet electrode to form a channel at a surface of and into the wet electrode after evaporation of the miscible non-solvent fluid and the solvent.
14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the column is injected into the wet electrode by ink-jet deposition.
15 . The method of claim 13 wherein the active material is lithium-based.
16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the solvent is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and the polymer binder is polyvinylidene fluoride.
17 . The method of claim 15 wherein the miscible non-solvent fluid is water-based.
18 . The method of claim 13 wherein the active material is graphite-based.
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the solvent is water-based and the polymer binder is carboxymethyl cellulose.
20 . The method of claim 18 wherein the miscible non-solvent fluid is acetone-based.