Porous three dimensional copper, tin, copper-tin, copper-tin-cobalt, and copper-tin-cobalt-titanium electrodes for batteries and ultra capacitors

• US 9,567,683 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2012
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Lopatin, Sergey D., Brevnov, Dmitri A., Bachrach, Robert Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jelsma, Jonathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam, Rashid
• Application Number:
  US13/486,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20120237823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 429/211
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/00 Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells for electrolytic coating
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 3/38 of copper
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/10 Electroplating with more than one layer of the same or of different metals for bearings C25D7/10
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/18 Electroplating using modulated, pulsed or reversing current
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/48 After-treatment of electroplated surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/605 Surface topography of the layers, e.g. rough, dendritic or nodular layers
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/623 Porosity of the layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0438 by electrochemical processing electroless electrochemical plating C23C18/54
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/366 as layered products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/38 of elements or alloys
• 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 method and apparatus for forming a reliable and cost efficient battery or electrochemical capacitor electrode structure that has an improved lifetime, lower production costs, and improved process performance are provided. In one embodiment a method for forming a three dimensional porous electrode for a battery or an electrochemical cell is provided. The method comprises depositing a columnar metal layer over a substrate at a first current density by a diffusion limited deposition process and depositing three dimensional metal porous dendritic structures over the columnar metal layer at a second current density greater than the first current density.

Claims

1. A battery, comprising:

a flexible conductive current collector having a smooth surface;

a porous electrode comprising;

a columnar metal layer formed on the smooth surface of the flexible conductive current collector;

a three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure formed over the columnar metal layer, wherein the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure has pores of about 100 microns or less; and

a tin layer formed on the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure; and

a separator formed over the tin layer formed on the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure, wherein the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure comprises copper.

2. The battery of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure has pores between about 2 nanometers and about 50 nanometers.

3. The battery of claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure further comprises a tin.

4. The battery of claim 1, wherein the columnar metal layer comprises copper and the columnar metal layer and the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure further comprise one or more metals selected from a group consisting of:

cobalt, tin, titanium, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof.

5. The battery of claim 1, wherein the flexible conductive current collector comprises a material selected from the group consisting of:

copper, aluminum, nickel, zinc, tin, stainless steel, and combinations thereof.

6. The battery of claim 1, wherein the columns of the columnar metal layer comprise dendritic material.

7. The battery of claim 1, wherein the separator is a porous separator.

8. The battery of claim 7, wherein the separator comprises a material selected from the group consisting of:

polyolefin, polypropylene, polyethylene, and combinations thereof.

9. The battery of claim 8, wherein the separator further comprises inorganic particles selected from the group consisting of:

aluminum oxide, silica, ceramic particles, and combinations thereof embedded in the separator.

10. A battery, comprising:

a flexible conductive current collector having a smooth surface;

a porous anode structure comprising;

a columnar metal layer formed on the smooth surface of the flexible conductive current collector;

a three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure formed over the columnar metal layer, wherein the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure has pores of about 100 microns or less; and

a tin layer formed on the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure;

a separator formed over the tin layer formed on the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure; and

a cathode structure, wherein the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure comprises copper.

11. The battery of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure has pores between about 2 nanometers and about 50 nanometers.

12. The battery of claim 11, wherein the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure further comprises a tin.

13. The battery of claim 10, wherein the columnar metal layer comprises copper and the columnar metal layer and the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure further comprise one or more metals selected from a group consisting of:

cobalt, tin, titanium, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof.

14. The battery of claim 10, wherein the flexible conductive current collector comprises a material selected from the group consisting of:

copper, aluminum, nickel, zinc, tin, stainless steel, and combinations thereof.

15. The battery of claim 10, wherein the columns of the columnar metal layer comprise dendritic material.

16. A battery, comprising:

a flexible conductive current collector having a smooth surface;

a barrier layer formed on the conductive current collector;

a porous electrode comprising;

a columnar metal layer formed on the barrier layer;

a three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure formed over the columnar metal layer, wherein the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure has pores of about 100 microns or less; and

a tin layer formed on the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure; and

a separator formed over the tin layer formed on the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure, wherein the columnar metal layer and the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure comprise copper.

17. The battery of claim 16, wherein the columnar metal layer and the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure further comprise a metal selected from a group consisting of cobalt, tin, titanium and combinations thereof.

18. The battery of claim 16, wherein the three-dimensional metal macro-porous dendritic structure has pores between about 2 nanometers and about 50 nanometers.

19. The battery of claim 16, wherein the columns of the columnar metal layer comprise dendritic material.

20. The battery of claim 16, wherein the barrier layer is selected from the group consisting of chromium, tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN), titanium (Ti), titanium nitride (TiN), tungsten (W), tungsten nitride (WN), and combinations thereof.