Apparatus and method for fracture absorption layer

• US 6,770,176 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2002
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ITN Energy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ITN Energy Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Neudecker, Bernd J., Benson, Martin H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Versteeg, Steven
• Application Number:
  US10/210,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20040023106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.12, 204/192.15, 204/192.22, 427/115, 427/404, 427/419.1, 427/419.2, 427/419.7, 427/122, 427/126, 429/122, 429/126
• US Class Current: 204/192.22
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0562 Solid materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/058 Construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0068 inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0082 Organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0094 in the form of layered products, e.g. coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/187 Solid electrolyte characterised by the form
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/188 Processes of manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

Methods of manufacturing an electrochemical device, are taught. The methods may be of particular use in the manufacture of thin-film, lightweight, flexible or conformable, electrochemical devices such as batteries, and arrays of such devices. The methods may provide many advantages including stunting fractures in a first electrochemical layer from propagating in a second electrochemical layer.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an electrochemical device comprising the steps of

providing a first electrochemical layer having a first side,

forming a second electrochemical layer adapted to stunt fractures on at least a portion of said first side of said first electrochemical layer, and

forming a third electrochemical layer on at least a portion of said second electrochemical layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of forming a second electrochemical layer comprises the steps of

providing a gaseous environment,

providing a sputter target, and

sputter-depositing said second electrochemical layer with said sputter target.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said gaseous environment comprises one or more gases selected from the group consisting of Ar,N₂ and O₂.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said gaseous environment consists of one or more gases selected from the group consisting of Ar, N₂and O₂.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said sputter target comprises a single phase target.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said sputter target comprises a multi-phase target.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said sputter target comprises a target comprising a material selected from a group consisting of Li₃PO₄, Li₄P₂O₇, LiPO₃, Li₃PO₃, Li₂O, Li₂O₂, Li₃N, P, P₂O₅, P₃N₃, PN, PON, P₄ON₆, Sn, Sn₃N₄, SnO₂, Sn(NO₃)₄, Li_xSn (0<

x=4.4), Li_xP (0<

x=3), Li₅SnP₃, Li₈SnP₄, Li₇PN₄, Li₇PN₁₀, LiPN₂, LiN₂P, Li_2.88PO_3.73N_0.4, Li₂SnO₃, Li₈SnO₆, Sn₄P₃, SnP, SnP₃, SnP, SnP₃, Sn₂P₂O₇, Sn₃(PO₄)₂, and Li.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said sputter target comprises a target comprising a material selected from a group consisting of M, MN_x(0<

x<

⅓

valence of M), MO_x(0<

x<

½

valence of M), M(NO₃)x (x=valence of M), Li_xM (alloy or solid solution of Li and M), and Li_xP (0<

x=3);

wherein M is selected as at least one element from the group consisting of elements belonging to groups 2 through 15 of the periodic table excluding elements Li, P, and N.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said sputter target comprises a target comprising a material selected from a group consisting of S, sulfur nitride ((SN)x), Se, SeO_x, (x=2, 2.5, and 3), Te, TeO_x, (x−

2, 2.5, and

     3), LiF, LiCl, LiBr, LiI, MS_x(0<

x<

⅓

times valence of M), MS_x(0<

x<

½

times valence of M), Cl_x(x=valence of M), MeBr_x(x=valence of M), MeI_x(x=valence of M) and MeF_x(x=valence of M), M(SO₄)_x(x=½

valence of M), M(ClO₄)_x(x=valence of M), M(BrO₄)_x(x=valence of M), and M(IO₄), (x=valence of M);

wherein M is selected as at least one element from the group consisting of elements belonging to groups 2 through 15 of the periodic table excluding the elements Li, P, and N.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein said sputter target comprises a target comprising a material selected from a group consisting of Li₂Be₂O₃, Li₄BeO₃, Be, BeO, LiBO₂, B, B₂O₃, BN, Li₅AlO₄, LiAlO₂, LiAl₅O₈, Al, Al₂O₃, AlN, Li₂CO₃, Li₄SiO₄, Li₈SiO₆, Si, SiO₂, Si₃N₄, Li₄GeO₄, Ge, GeO₂, Ge₃N₄, Li₃AsO₄, As, As₂O₃, As₂O₅, Li₂SO₄, LiClO₄, LiScO₂, Sc, Sc₂O₃, LiYO₂, Y, Y₂O₃, YN, Li₈ZrO₆, Zr, ZrO₂, ZrN, LiCeO₂, Ce, CeO₂, LiAlSiO₄, Li₉SiAlO₈, Li_3.6Si_0.4P_0.4O₄, Li₃Sc₂(PO₄)₃, LiTi₂(PO₄)₃, Li_0.2BPO_4.1, Li₃BN₂, Li₃AlN₂, LiSi₃N₃, Li₂SiN₂, Li₅SiN₃, Li₁₈Si₃N₁₀, Li₂₁Si₃N₁₁, Li₈SiN₄, LiAlF₄, LiAlCl₄, LiPF₆, LiBF₄, and Li₃SiS_3.5.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of forming a second electrochemical layer further comprises forming a composite comprising a polymer matrix.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said polymer matrix comprises a material selected from a group consisting of polyethelyene oxide, polyimide, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyester, and polyvinylpyrrolidone.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing a first electrochemical layer comprises said first electrochemical layer supported by a substrate layer.

14. A method of stunting fractures in an electrolyte layer comprising the steps of

providing a first electrolyte layer having a first side,

providing an electrochemical chemical layer adapted to stunt fractures, and

providing a second electrolyte layer having a first side wherein said electrochemical layer is interposed between at least a portion of said first side of said first electrolyte layer, and at least a portion of said first side of said second electrolyte layer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said electrochemical layer comprises a material that is ionically conductive and electrically insulative.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said electrochemical layer comprises a material that is both ionically and electrically conductive.