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

• US 9,303,315 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sakti3, Inc
• Original Assignee: Sakti3, Inc
• Inventors: Albano, Fabio, Wang, Chia-Wei, Sastry, Ann Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Hassanzadeh, Parviz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ford, Nathan K
• Application Number:
  US13/103,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20110212268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 429/188
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/562 for coating elongated substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/545 for coating elongated substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0562 Solid materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0565 Polymeric materials, e.g. gel-type or solid-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0587 of accumulators having only wound construction elements, i.e. wound positive electrodes, wound negative electrodes and wound separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0421 involving vapour deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/139 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

Embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatuses and methods for fabricating electrochemical cells. One embodiment of the present invention comprises a single chamber configurable to deposit different materials on a substrate spooled between two reels. In one embodiment, the substrate is moved in the same direction around the reels, with conditions within the chamber periodically changed to result in the continuous build-up of deposited material over time. Another embodiment employs alternating a direction of movement of the substrate around the reels, with conditions in the chamber differing with each change in direction to result in the sequential build-up of deposited material over time. The chamber is equipped with different sources of energy and materials to allow the deposition of the different layers of the electrochemical cell.

Claims

1. A process comprising:

forming a plurality of discrete electrochemical cells on a substrate such that a space between successive pairs of electrochemical cells increases along the length of the substrate in order to reduce physical stress on the substrate when the substrate is wound;

wherein each of the plurality of electrochemical cells on the substrate is formed by;

moving a substrate spooled between two reels in a first direction through a single deposition chamber;

depositing one of an anode layer and a cathode layer over the substrate in the single deposition chamber under a first set of deposition conditions;

moving the anode or cathode layer back into the single deposition chamber;

depositing an electrolyte layer over the anode or cathode layer within the single deposition chamber under a second set of deposition conditions;

moving the electrolyte layer back into the single deposition chamber; and

depositing the other of the anode layer and the cathode layer over the electrolyte layer within the single deposition chamber under a third set of deposition conditions, to form the electrochemical cell; and

wherein the cathode or anode layer is moved into the chamber in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the electrolyte layer is moved into the chamber in the first direction.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein depositing one of the anode layer and the cathode layer, the electrolyte layer, or the other of the anode layer and the cathode layer, is performed utilizing one or a combination of methods selected from the group consisting of evaporation, physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition, sputtering, radio frequency magnetron sputtering, microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MPECVD), pulsed laser deposition (PLD), laser ablation, spray deposition, spray pyrolysis, spray coating, and plasma spraying.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the cathode or anode layer and the electrolyte layer are moved into the chamber in the first direction by rotation of the substrate around the reels.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the electrolyte layer is deposited over the anode layer, and the cathode layer is deposited over the electrolyte layer.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein depositing the anode or cathode layer comprises depositing nanowire structures, nanotube structures, or nanobelt structures, or a combination of those structures.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein depositing the anode layer, the cathode layer, or the electrolyte layer comprises depositing Group III-IV semiconductor nanowires, zinc (Zn) or zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires, nanobelts of semiconducting oxides (oxides of zinc, tin, indium, cadmium, and gallium), carbon nanotubes, or carbon meso-structures.

7. A process for forming solid state battery cells using a reel to reel process apparatus, the process comprising:

forming a plurality of discrete solid state battery cells on a substrate such that a space between successive pairs of battery cells increases along the length of the substrate, in order to reduce physical stress on the substrate when the substrate is wound;

wherein each of the plurality of battery cells on the substrate is formed by;

moving a substrate in a first direction through a deposition chamber, the substrate being spooled between at least a pair of reels, the reels being configured to rotate and move the substrate in the first direction through the deposition chamber and under a control of a computing system;

performing a plurality of processes to sequentially deposit a plurality of different materials derived from a respective plurality of material sources in the deposition chamber to form a resulting electrochemical cell overlying the substrate, the plurality of processes comprising at least;

depositing a first current collector overlying the substrate;

depositing a first electrode layer that is capable of an electrochemical reaction with ions overlying the first current collector in the deposition chamber;

depositing an electrolyte material overlying the first electrode layer that is capable of ionic diffusion, the electrolyte material having an electrical conductivity and being a solid state material;

depositing a second electrode layer overlying the electrolyte material;

depositing a second current collector overlying the second electrode layer;

moving the resulting electrochemical cell from the deposition chamber; and

collecting the resulting electrochemical cell as a roll,

wherein the deposition chamber is a single chamber, and the processes for forming the resulting electrochemical cell are performed in the single chamber.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein the resulting electrochemical cell is configured as the roll and collected, wherein the first electrode layer is a cathode, and wherein the second electrode layer is an anode.

9. The process of claim 7 wherein the substrate is configured between the pair of reels to move in a second direction.

10. A process comprising:

forming a plurality of discrete solid state battery cells on a substrate such that a space between successive pairs of battery cells increases along the length of the substrate, in order to reduce physical stress on the substrate when the substrate is wound;

wherein each of the plurality of battery cells on the substrate is formed by;

moving a substrate spooled between two reels in a first direction through a deposition chamber, the deposition chamber being configured to perform a first set of deposition conditions, a second set of deposition conditions, and a third set of deposition conditions;

depositing a first electrode layer overlying the substrate in the deposition chamber using at least one of the first set of deposition conditions, the second set of deposition conditions, or the third set of deposition conditions;

depositing a first current collector within a vicinity of the first electrode layer in the deposition chamber using at least one of the first set of deposition conditions, the second set of deposition conditions, or the third set of deposition conditions;

depositing an electrolyte material in the deposition chamber using at least one of the first set of deposition conditions, the second set of deposition conditions, or the third set of deposition conditions, the electrolyte material overlying the first electrode layer that is capable of ionic diffusion, the electrolyte material being configured as a solid state material;

depositing a second electrode layer overlying the electrolyte material in the deposition chamber to form a resulting electrochemical cell;

moving the resulting electrochemical cell from the deposition chamber; and

collecting a roll from the deposition chamber,

wherein the deposition chamber is a single chamber, and the processes for forming the resulting electrochemical cell are performed in the single chamber.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein the resulting electrochemical cell is configured as the roll and collected;

wherein the plurality of discrete battery cells are in horizontal configuration.

12. The process of claim 10 wherein the substrate is configured between the two reels to move in a second direction, the deposition chamber being in fluid communication with a plurality of sources.

13. The process of claim 10 wherein the depositing of the first or second electrode layer comprises a sputtering process, and wherein the deposition chamber comprises a first material source and a second material source.

14. The process of claim 13 wherein the first electrode layer is a cathode structure and the second electrode layer is an anode structure.