THIN-FILM BATTERIES WITH POLYMER AND LIPON ELECTROLYTE LAYERS AND METHOD
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for making thin-film batteries having composite multi-layered electrolytes with soft electrolyte between hard electrolyte covering the negative and/or positive electrode, and the resulting batteries. In some embodiments, foil-core cathode sheets each having a cathode material (e.g., LiCoO2) covered by a hard electrolyte on both sides, and foil-core anode sheets having an anode material (e.g., lithium metal) covered by a hard electrolyte on both sides, are laminated using a soft (e.g., polymer gel) electrolyte sandwiched between alternating cathode and anode sheets. A hard glass-like electrolyte layer obtains a smooth hard positive-electrode lithium-metal layer upon charging, but when very thin, have randomly spaced pinholes/defects. When the hard layers are formed on both the positive and negative electrodes, one electrode'"'"'s dendrite-short-causing defects on are not aligned With the other electrode'"'"'s defects. The soft electrolyte layer both conducts ions across the gap between hard electrolyte layers and fills pinholes.
14 Citations
42 Claims
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1-31. -31. (canceled)
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32. A battery cell having a negative electrode, a positive electrode, and an electrolyte structure, wherein
a) the negative electrode includes a first electrolyte layer covering at least a portion of the negative electrode and having randomly spaced defects; -
b) the positive electrode includes a cathode material and a second electrolyte layer covering at least a portion of the positive electrode and having randomly spaced defects; and c) the electrolyte structure includes a third electrolyte material that comprises a polymer or a gel that is soft compared to the first and second electrolyte layers sandwiched between the first electrolyte of the negative electrode and the second electrolyte layer of the positive electrode as a structural connection; wherein the randomly spaced defects in the first and second electrolyte layers are at least partially filled by the third soft electrolyte material and wherein the third soft electrolyte layer fixes defects in at least one of the first and second electrolyte layers. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification