Template electrode structures for depositing active materials

• US 10,230,101 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2015
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amprius Technologies Incorporated (Amprius, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amprius, Inc.
• Inventors: Loveness, Ghyrn E., Delhagen, William S., Fasching, Rainer, Han, Song, Liu, Zuqin
• Primary Examiner(s): Douyette, Kenneth J
• Application Number:
  US14/859,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20160013483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0428 Chemical vapour deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/134 Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/136 Electrodes based on inorganic compounds other than oxides or hydroxides, e.g. sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halogenides or LiCoFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/1395 of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/366 as layered products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/38 of elements or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/386 Silicon or alloys based on silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/58 of inorganic compounds other than oxides or hydroxides, e.g. sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halogenides or LiCoFy; of polyanionic structures, e.g. phosphates, silicates or borates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/587 for inserting or intercalating light metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/66 Selection of materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/661 Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings H01M4/669 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/667 in the form of layers, e.g. coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/75 Wires, rods or strips
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 including coating or impregnating

Abstract

Provided are examples of electrochemically active electrode materials, electrodes using such materials, and methods of manufacturing such electrodes. Electrochemically active electrode materials may include a high surface area template containing a metal silicide and a layer of high capacity active material deposited over the template. The template may serve as a mechanical support for the active material and/or an electrical conductor between the active material and, for example, a substrate. Due to the high surface area of the template, even a thin layer of the active material can provide sufficient active material loading and corresponding battery capacity. As such, a thickness of the layer may be maintained below the fracture threshold of the active material used and preserve its structural integrity during battery cycling.

Claims

1. An electrochemically active electrode material for use in a lithium ion cell, the electrochemically active electrode material comprising:

a nanostructured template comprising a metal silicide, the nanostructured template comprising nanowires rooted to a substrate, the nanowires comprising substrate-rooted ends and free ends;

a layer of a non-silicide electrochemically active material coating the nanowires, the non-silicide electrochemically active material having a theoretical lithiation capacity of at least about 500 mAh/g, wherein the layer of the non-silicide electrochemically active material is at least twice as thick at the free ends than at the substrate-rooted ends of the nanowires.

2. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1, wherein the metal silicide is selected from a group consisting of nickel silicide, cobalt silicide, copper silicide, silver silicide, chromium silicide, titanium silicide, aluminum silicide, zinc silicide, and iron silicide.

3. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1, wherein the non-silicide electrochemically active material is selected from the group consisting of crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, silicon oxides, silicon oxy-nitrides, tin-containing material, and germanium-containing material.

4. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1, further comprising a shell formed over the layer of the non-silicide electrochemically active material.

5. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 4, wherein the shell comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of carbon, copper, a polymer, a sulfide, lithium phosphorous oxynitride (LIPON), a metal oxide, and a fluorine containing compound.

6. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a base, the base being substantially free of the metal of the metal silicide.

7. The electrochemically active material of claim 6, wherein the substrate further comprises a layer of the metal of the metal silicide.

8. An electrochemically active electrode material for use in a lithium ion cell, the electrochemically active electrode material comprising:

a nanostructured template comprising a metal silicide; and

a non-silicide electrochemically active material shell coating the nanostructured template, the electrochemically active material having a theoretical lithiation capacity of at least about 500 mAh/g,

wherein the nanostructured template comprises nanowires rooted to a substrate, the nanowires having substrate-rooted ends and free-ends, wherein the metal silicide of the nanowires have a higher concentration of metal at the substrate-rooted ends than at the free-ends of the nanowires.

9. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 8, wherein the metal silicide is selected from a group consisting of nickel silicide, cobalt silicide, copper silicide, silver silicide, chromium silicide, titanium silicide, aluminum silicide, zinc silicide, and iron silicide.

10. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 8, wherein the electrochemically active material is selected from the group consisting of crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, silicon oxides, silicon oxy-nitrides, tin-containing material, and germanium-containing material.

11. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 8, wherein the non-silicide electrochemically active material shell is disjoined at the substrate to form a plurality of disjoined electrochemically active material shells.

12. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 8, further comprising a second shell formed over the non-silicide electrochemically active material shell.

13. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 12, wherein the second shell comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of carbon, copper, a polymer, a sulfide, lithium phosphorous oxynitride (LIPON), a metal oxide, and a fluorine containing compound.