Apparatus and method for fracture absorption layer

• US 8,455,137 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ITN Energy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ITN Energy Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Benson, Martin H., Neudecker, Bernd J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilliam, Barbara
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arciero, Adam A
• Application Number:
  US10/840,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20040219434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,316 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/188
• 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

An apparatus for use as a fracture absorption layer, and an apparatus for use as an electrochemical device are taught. The apparatuses of the present invention 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 present invention may provide many advantages including stunting fractures in a first electrochemical layer from propagating in a second electrochemical layer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use as a fracture absorption layer, comprising:

a first electrolyte layer formed of a first solid-state material and having a first side;

a second electrolyte layer formed of a second solid-state material and having a first side opposing said first side of said first electrolyte layer; and

a first interlayer formed of a third solid-state material and disposed 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;

wherein said third solid-state material is different from said first solid-state material and said second solid-state material;

wherein said first interlayer structurally inhibits a fracture through said first electrolyte layer from spreading to said second electrolyte layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first solid-state material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a glassy thin-film electrolyte, LiAlF₄, Lipon, and a crystalline thin-film electrolyte.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first electrolyte layer comprises a thickness of between approximately 0.05 to approximately 5 microns.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first electrolyte layer comprises a thickness of between approximately 0.01 to approximately 2 microns.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first electrolyte layer comprises a thickness of between approximately 0.5 to approximately 2 microns.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first interlayer is connected to at least a portion of said first side of said first electrolyte layer by a technique selected from a group consisting of sputter deposition, physical vapor deposition, electron beam evaporation, electron-beam directed vapor deposition, thermal evaporation, plasma assisted thermal evaporation, ion plasma plating, cathodic arc plasma deposition, ion beam deposition, plasma assisted ion beam deposition, pulsed laser deposition, chemical vapor deposition, thermal chemical vapor deposition, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, photo-chemical chemical vapor deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, sol-gel deposition, and spray pyrolysis deposition.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said third solid-state material comprises a material having the structural characteristic selected from a group consisting of glassy, amorphous, nano-crystalline, ceramic, metallic, and composite.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first interlayer comprises a thickness of between about 0.005 microns and about 5 microns.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first interlayer comprises a thickness of between about 0.01 microns and about 0.5 microns.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first interlayer comprises a thickness of between about 0.05 microns and about 0.1 microns.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said third solid-state material comprises a material selected from a group consisting of the following:

an ionic conductor;

an electric insulator;

a mixed conductor;

elemental lithium;

alloyed lithium;

elemental phosphorus;

alloyed phosphorous;

elemental tin;

alloyed tin;

a single phase compound of Li_aPSn_bO_cN_d wherein 0<

a<

100, 0<

b<

100, 0<

c<

a/2+5/2+2b−

3d/2, and 0<

d<

a/3+5/3+4b/3−

2c/3;

a multi-phase compound of Li_aPSn_bO_cN_d wherein 0<

a<

100, 0<

b<

100, 0<

c<

a/2+5/2+2b−

3d/2, and 0<

d<

a/3+5/3+4b/3−

2c/3;

a single phase compound of Li_aPM_bO_cN_d wherein 0<

a<

100, 0<

b<

100, 0<

c<

a/2+5/2+b(Valence of M)/2−

3d/2, 0<

d<

a/3+5/3+b(Valence of M)/3−

2c/3, and M is an element selected from group 2 through 15 of the periodic table excluding the elements Li, P, and N;

a multi-phase compound of Li_aPM_bO_cN_d wherein 0<

a<

100, 0<

b<

100, 0<

c<

a/2+5/2+b(Valence of M)/2−

3d/2, 0<

d<

a/3+5/3+b(Valence of M)/3−

2c/3, and M is an element selected from group 2 through 15 of the periodic table excluding the elements Li, P, and N;

elemental M wherein M is an element selected from group 2 through 15 of the periodic table excluding the elements Li, P, and N;

alloyed M wherein M is an element selected from group 2 through 15 of the periodic table excluding the elements Li, P, and N;

a single phase compound of Li_aPM_bO_cN_dX_e wherein 0<

a<

100, 0<

b<

100, 0<

c<

a/2+5/2+b(Valence of M)/2−

3d/2−

e(Valence of X)/2, 0<

d<

a/3+5/3+b(Valence of M)/3−

2c/3−

e/3(Valence of X), 0<

e<

a/(Valence of X)+5/(Valence of X)+b(Valence of M)/(Valence of X)−

2c/(Valence of X)−

3d/(Valence of X), M is an element selected from group 2 through 15 of the periodic table excluding the elements Li, P, and N, and X is an element selected from S, Se, Te, F, Cl, Br, and I;

a multi-phase compound of Li_aPM_bO_cN_dX_e wherein 0<

a<

100, 0<

b<

100, 0<

c<

a/2+5/2+b(Valence of M)/2−

3d/2−

e(Valence of X)/2, 0<

d<

a/3+5/3+b(Valence of M)/3−

2c/3−

e/3(Valence of X), 0<

e<

a/(Valence of X)+5/(Valence of X)+b(Valence of M)/(Valence of X)−

2c/(Valence of X)−

3d/(Valence of X), M is an element selected from group 2 through 15 of the periodic table excluding the elements Li, P, and N, and X is an element selected from S, Se, Te, F, Cl, Br, and I;

Li₃N;

Li₂O;

LiF;

LiCl;

LiBr;

LiI;

Li₂Be₂O₃;

Li₄BeO₃;

Be;

BeO;

LiBO₂;

B;

B₂O₃;

BN;

Li₅AlO₄;

LiAlO₂;

LiAl₅O₈;

Al;

Al₂O₃;

AlN;

Li₂CO₃;

Li₄SiO₄;

Li₈SiO₆;

Si;

SiO₂;

Si₃N₄;

Li₄GeO₄;

Ge;

GeO₂;

Ge₃N₄;

Li₃PO₄;

P;

P₂O₅;

P₂O₅;

P₅N₃PN;

PON;

P₄ON₆;

Li₃AsO₄;

As;

As₂O₃;

As₂O₅;

Li₂SO₄;

S;

LiClO₄;

LiScO₂;

Sc;

Sc₂O₃;

LiYO₂;

Y;

Y₂O₃;

YN;

Li₈ZrO₆;

Zr;

ZrO₂;

ZrN;

LiCeO₂;

Ce;

CeO₂;

LiAlSiO₄;

Li₉SiAlO₈;

Li_3.6Si_0.6P_0.4O₄;

Li₃Sc₂(PO₄)₃;

LiTi₂(PO₄)₃;

Li_0.2BPO_4.1;

Li₃BN₂;

Li₃AlN₂;

LiSi₂N₃;

Li₂SiN₂;

Li₅SiN₃;

Li₁₈Si₃N₁₀;

Li₂₁Si₃N₁₁;

Li₈SiN₄;

LiPN₂;

Li₇PN₄;

LiAlF₄;

LiAlCl₄;

LiPF₆;

LiBF₄;

Li₃SiS_3.5;

Li_xV₂O_y (0<

x≦

2;

0<

y≦

5);

Li_xMn₂O₄ (0<

x≦

2);

Li_xMn_2-yO₄ (0<

x<

3;

0.2<

y<

0.5);

Li_xMnO₂ (0<

x≦

2.0);

Li_xCoO₂ (0<

x≦

1);

Li_xNiO₂ (0<

x≦

2);

Li_xSn₃N_y (0<

x<

100;

0<

y≦

4.0);

Li_xInN_y (0<

x<

100;

0<

y≦

1.0);

Li_xZn₃N_y (0<

x<

100;

0<

y≦

2.0);

Li_xZnO_y (0<

x<

100;

0<

y≦

1.0);

Li_xCuN_y (0<

x<

100;

0<

y≦

0.33);

Li_xSiSn_0.9ON_1.9 (“

Siton”

;

0<

x<

100);

Li_xSnO_y (0<

x<

100;

0<

y≦

2.0);

Li_xAl (0<

x<

100);

Li_xIn (0<

x<

100);

Li_xC₆ (0<

x<

100);

Li_xSi (0<

x<

100);

Li_xSn (0<

x<

100);

Li_xP (0<

x<

100); and

Li_xZn (0<

x<

100).

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said third solid-state material comprises a polymer matrix.

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

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second interlayer formed of a fourth solid-state material having a first side and a second side, and

a third electrolyte layer formed of a fifth solid-state material and having a first side;

wherein said second electrolyte layer further comprises a second side;

wherein at least a portion of said first side of said second interlayer is connected to at least a portion of said second side of said second electrolyte layer;

wherein at least a portion of said first side of said third electrolyte layer is connected to at least a portion of said second side of said second interlayer; and

wherein said fourth solid-state material is different from said second solid-state material and said fifth solid-state material;

wherein said second interlayer structurally inhibits a fracture through said second electrolyte layer from spreading to said third electrolyte layer.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, said first solid-state material being the same as said second solid-state material.

15. An apparatus for use as an electrochemical device, comprising:

a first electrolyte layer formed of a first solid-state material and having a first side;

a second electrolyte layer formed of a second solid-state material and having a first side opposing said first side of said first electrolyte layer;

an interlayer formed of a third solid-state material and disposed 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, wherein said third solid-state material is different from said first solid-state material and said second solid-state material, wherein said interlayer inhibits a fracture through said first electrolyte layer from spreading to said second electrolyte layer;

an anode layer;

a cathode layer, wherein said first electrolyte layer, said second electrolyte layer, and said interlayer are disposed between said anode layer and said cathode layer; and

a substrate layer for supporting said apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said substrate layer comprises a geometry selected from a group consisting of planar, fibrous, ribbon-like, and cylindrical.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said substrate layer comprises a thickness of between approximately 1 micron and approximately 6.35 millimeters.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said substrate layer comprises a thickness of between approximately 25 microns and approximately 127 microns.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said substrate layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of ceramic, metal, metal-alloy, glass, silicon, semiconductor, shape memory alloy, carbon, and polymer.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said substrate layer comprises a cylindrical geometry and a diameter of between approximately 1 micron and approximately 6.35 millimeters.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said substrate layer comprises a cylindrical geometry and a diameter of between approximately 10 microns and approximately 381 microns.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said substrate layer comprises a flexible material.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said substrate layer comprises a conformable material.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said anode layer comprises an anode type selected from the group consisting of lithium-metal, lithium-free, and lithium-ion.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising one or more electrode layers.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein one or more of said electrode layers comprises a thickness of between approximately 0.05 microns and approximately 10 centimeters.

28. A solid-state lithium rechargeable battery, comprising:

an anode layer including lithium;

a first electrolyte layer formed on said anode layer, said first electrolyte layer formed of a first solid-state material;

an interlayer formed on said first electrolyte layer, said interlayer being formed of a second solid-state material;

a second electrolyte layer formed on said interlayer, said second electrolyte layer formed of a third solid-state material;

a cathode layer formed on said second electrolyte layer; and

a cathode current collector layer formed on said cathode layer;

wherein said second solid-state material is different from said first solid-state material and said third solid-state material;

wherein said interlayer structurally inhibits a fracture through said first electrolyte layer from spreading to said second electrolyte layer.

29. The battery of claim 28, each of said first and second solid-state materials comprising Lipon.