LITHIUM-ION BATTERY

• US 20090286158A1
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Howard, William G., Scott, Erik R., Schmidt, Craig L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,858,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/220
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply
• 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 10/4235 Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte H01M10/4242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/131 Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/362 Composites
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/382 Lithium H01M4/405 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/483 for non-aqueous cells H01M4/485 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/485 of mixed oxides or hydroxides for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiTi2O4 or LiTi2OxFy H01M4/505, H01M4/525 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/505 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/525 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/5815 Sulfides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/587 for inserting or intercalating light metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/661 Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings H01M4/669 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode that includes a positive current collector, a first active material, and a second active material. The lithium-ion battery also includes a negative electrode comprising a negative current collector, a third active material, and a quantity of lithium in electrical contact with the negative current collector. The first active material, second active material, and third active materials are configured to allow doping and undoping of lithium ions, and the second active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the negative current collector and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.

Claims

1. A lithium-ion battery comprising:

a positive electrode comprising

a positive current collector having

a primary active material and

a secondary active material provided on at least one side thereof;

a negative electrode comprising

a negative current collector and

an active material provided on the negative current collector;

wherein the secondary active material does not include lithium, and

wherein the secondary active material provides for a charging and discharging capacity of the positive electrode that is below a corrosion potential of the negative current collector and above a decomposition potential of the primary active material.

2. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode have a zero voltage crossing potential below the corrosion potential of the negative current collector and above the decomposition potential of the primary active material.

3. The lithium-ion battery of claim 2, wherein the corrosion potential of the negative current collector is approximately 3.5 volts.

4. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, further comprising a mass of lithium provided in electrical contact with the negative current collector.

5. The lithium-ion battery of claim 4, wherein the mass of lithium is configured to provide a lithium capacity for the negative electrode sufficient to at least compensate for irreversible loss of capacity of the negative electrode.

6. The lithium-ion battery of claim 5, wherein the mass of lithium is configured to provide a lithium capacity equal to the sum of the irreversible loss of capacity of the negative electrode and the capacity of the secondary active material.

7. The lithium-ion battery of claim 4, wherein the mass of lithium is provided as powdered lithium.

8. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the negative current collector comprises copper.

9. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the negative current collector comprises titanium.

10. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the negative current collector comprises at least one of nickel and aluminum.

11. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the primary active material is selected from the group consisting of LiCoO₂, LiCo_1/3Mn_1/3Ni_1/3O₂, LiCo_0.2Mn_0.4Ni_0.4O₂, LiCo_0.8Mn_0.1Ni_0.1O₂, LiNi_0.8Co_0.15Al_0.05O₂, LiNi_(1-X-y)Co_yAl_xO₂, where x is between approximately 0.05 and 0.3 and y is between approximately 0.1 and 0.3;

LiCo_1/3Mn_1/3Ni_1/3O₂, LiCo_0.2Mn_0.4Ni_0.4O₂, LiCo_0.8Mn_0.1Ni_0.1O₂, and combinations thereof.

12. The lithium-ion battery of claim 11, wherein the secondary active material comprises V₆O₁₃.

13. The lithium-ion battery of claim 11, wherein the secondary active material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of V₂O₅, LiMn₂O₄, V₃O₈, MoO₃, TiS₂, WO₂, MoO₂, RuO₂, and combinations thereof.

14. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the active material provided on the negative current collector is a carbonaceous material.

15. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the active material provided on the negative current collector is a lithium titanate material.

16. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, further comprising a polymeric separator provided intermediate the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

17. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the battery has a capacity between approximately 10 mAh and 1000 mAh.

18. A lithium-ion battery comprising:

a positive electrode comprising

a positive current collector having

a primary active material and

a secondary active material provided on at least one side thereof;

a negative electrode comprising

a negative current collector and

an active material provided on the negative current collector; and

a quantity of lithium in electrical contact with the negative current collector;

wherein the secondary active material does not include lithium and

wherein the quantity of lithium provides a sufficient amount of electrochemically cyclable lithium for the secondary active material of the positive electrode to exhibit charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the negative current collector and above a decomposition potential of the primary active material.

19. The lithium-ion battery of claim 18, wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode have a zero voltage crossing potential below the corrosion potential of the negative current collector and above the decomposition potential of the primary active material.

20. The lithium-ion battery of claim 18, wherein the quantity of lithium in electrical contact with the negative current collector is configured to provide a lithium capacity sufficient to at least compensate for irreversible loss of capacity of the active material provided on the negative current collector.

21. The lithium-ion battery of claim 20, wherein the quantity of lithium in electrical contact with the negative current collector is configured to provide a lithium capacity equal to the sum of the irreversible loss of capacity of the negative electrode and the capacity of the secondary active material.

22. The lithium-ion battery of claim 18, wherein the negative current collector comprises copper.

23. The lithium-ion battery of claim 18, wherein the negative current collector comprises at least one of titanium, aluminum, and nickel.

24. The lithium-ion battery of claim 18, wherein the primary active material comprises lithium.

25. The lithium-ion battery of claim 24, wherein the primary active material is selected from the group consisting of LiCoO₂, LiCo_1/3Mn_1/3Ni_1/3O₂, LiCo_0.2Mn_0.4Ni_0.4O₂, LiCo_0.8Mn_0.1Ni_0.1O₂, LiNi_0.8Co_0.15Al_0.05O₂, LiNi_(1-x-y)Co_yAl_xO₂, where x is between approximately 0.05 and 0.3 and y is between approximately 0.1 and 0.3, and LiCo_zNi_(1-z)O₂, where z is between approximately 0.05 and 0.8, and combinations thereof.

26. The lithium-ion battery of claim 18, wherein the secondary active material comprises at least one of V₆O₁₃ and LiMn₂O₄.

27. The lithium-ion battery of claim 18, wherein the secondary active material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of V₂O₅, V₃O₈, MoO₃, TiS₂, WO₂, MoO₂, RuO₂, and combinations thereof.

28. The lithium-ion battery of claim 18, wherein the active material provided on the negative current collector is a carbonaceous material.

29. The lithium-ion battery of claim 18, wherein the active material provided on the negative current collector is Li₄Ti₅O₁₂.

30. The lithium-ion battery of claim 18, further comprising a polymeric separator provided intermediate the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

31. The lithium-ion battery of claim 18, wherein the battery has a capacity between approximately 10 mAh and 1000 mAh.