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Method for high volume manufacture of electrochemical cells using physical vapor deposition

  • US 9,249,502 B2
  • Filed: 06/15/2009
  • Issued: 02/02/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for deposition of electrochemical cells for battery devices, the apparatus comprising:

  • a single deposition chamber comprising a first material source configured to deposit a first material, the first material source being configured to deposit an anode material or a cathode material, the first material source being at least one of a metal oxide source, a metal phosphate source, a lithium metal source, or a lithium metal alloy source, and with a second material source configured to deposit a second material, the second material source being configured to deposit an electrolyte, the second material source being a lithium phosphorous compound source or a polymeric material source;

    a first gate comprising a first evacuation chamber in fluid communication with the single deposition chamber and configured to be maintained under gas and pressure conditions similar to conditions within the single deposition chamber;

    a second gate comprising a second evacuation chamber in fluid communication with the single deposition chamber and configured to be maintained under gas and pressure conditions similar to the conditions within the single deposition chamber;

    a substrate positioned between two reels and extending through the first gate, the single deposition chamber, and the second gate; and

    a controller, in electronic communication with a non-transitory computer readable medium, programmed to move the substrate in alternating directions through the single deposition chamber and to instruct the single deposition chamber to deposit on the substrate an electrode from the first material derived from the first material source when the substrate is moved in a first direction, and then to deposit on the electrode an electrolyte from the second material derived from the second material source when the substrate is moved in a second direction to form a single, discrete electrochemical cell;

    the controller is programmed to continue to move the substrate in alternating directions and to instruct the single deposition chamber to form other electrochemical cells overlying the single, discrete electrochemical cell to form a stacked configuration comprising the single, discrete electrochemical cell and the other, overlying electrochemical cells,wherein the controller is programmed to form at least two other electrochemical cells in addition to the single, discrete electrochemical cell, each discrete electrochemical cell being spaced apart from the other discrete electrochemical cells along a length of the substrate, andwherein the controller is programmed to increase the spacing between each successive pair of electrochemical cells along the length of the substrate.

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