U.S. patent application number 15/694470 was filed with the patent office on 2018-03-29 for high capacity battery electrode structures.
The applicant listed for this patent is Amprius, Inc.. Invention is credited to Song Han, Zuqin Liu, Ghyrn E. Loveness.
Application Number | 20180090755 15/694470 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45818042 |
Filed Date | 2018-03-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180090755 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Liu; Zuqin ; et al. |
March 29, 2018 |
HIGH CAPACITY BATTERY ELECTRODE STRUCTURES
Abstract
Provided are battery electrode structures that maintain high
mass loadings (i.e., large amounts per unit area) of high capacity
active materials in the electrodes without deteriorating their
cycling performance. These mass loading levels correspond to
capacities per electrode unit area that are suitable for commercial
electrodes even though the active materials are kept thin and
generally below their fracture limits. A battery electrode
structure may include multiple template layers. An initial template
layer may include nanostructures attached to a substrate and have a
controlled density. This initial layer may be formed using a
controlled thickness source material layer provided, for example,
on a substantially inert substrate. Additional one or more template
layers are then formed over the initial layer resulting in a
multilayer template structure with specific characteristics, such
as a surface area, thickness, and porosity. The multilayer template
structure is then coated with a high capacity active material.
Inventors: |
Liu; Zuqin; (Sunnyvale,
CA) ; Han; Song; (Foster City, CA) ; Loveness;
Ghyrn E.; (Mountain View, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Amprius, Inc. |
Sunnyvale |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
45818042 |
Appl. No.: |
15/694470 |
Filed: |
September 1, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13277821 |
Oct 20, 2011 |
9780365 |
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15694470 |
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13039031 |
Mar 2, 2011 |
8257866 |
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13277821 |
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13069212 |
Mar 22, 2011 |
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13277821 |
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13114413 |
May 24, 2011 |
9172088 |
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13277821 |
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61406047 |
Oct 22, 2010 |
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61310183 |
Mar 3, 2010 |
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61316104 |
Mar 22, 2010 |
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61347614 |
May 24, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01M 4/38 20130101; B82Y
30/00 20130101; H01M 4/1395 20130101; H01M 4/667 20130101; H01M
4/387 20130101; H01M 4/75 20130101; H01M 4/0428 20130101; H01M
4/386 20130101; H01M 4/366 20130101; Y02E 60/10 20130101; H01M
10/0525 20130101; H01M 4/587 20130101; H01M 4/134 20130101; H01M
4/662 20130101; H01M 4/66 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01M 4/38 20060101
H01M004/38; H01M 4/04 20060101 H01M004/04; H01M 4/134 20100101
H01M004/134; H01M 4/66 20060101 H01M004/66; H01M 4/1395 20100101
H01M004/1395; H01M 4/75 20060101 H01M004/75; B82Y 30/00 20110101
B82Y030/00; H01M 4/36 20060101 H01M004/36 |
Claims
1. (canceled)
2. An electrode, comprising: a substrate; a first layer of
nanostructures rooted to the substrate; an electrochemically active
inner layer coating the first layer, the electrochemically active
inner layer having a first porosity; and an electrochemically
active outer layer coating the electrochemically active inner
layer, the electrochemically active outer layer having a second
porosity different from the first porosity.
3. The electrode of claim 2, wherein the first layer of
nanostructures comprises one or more metal silicides.
4. The electrode of claim 3, wherein the one or more metal
silicides are selected from the group consisting of nickel
silicides, cobalt silicides, copper silicides, silver silicides,
chromium silicides, titanium silicides, aluminum silicides, zinc
silicides, and iron silicides.
5. The electrode of claim 4, wherein the nickel silicides are
selected from the group consisting of Ni.sub.2Si, NiSi, and
NiSi.sub.2, and combinations thereof.
6. The electrode of claim 2, wherein the electrochemically active
inner layer and the electrochemically active inner layer each
comprise one or more materials selected from the group consisting
of silicon, silicon oxides, silicon oxy-nitrides, tin-containing
materials, germanium-containing materials, and carbon-containing
materials.
7. The electrode of claim 2, wherein the electrochemically active
inner layer comprises amorphous silicon and the electrochemically
active outer layer comprises amorphous silicon.
8. The electrode of claim 7, wherein the electrochemically active
inner layer and the electrochemically active outer layer have
different hydrogen concentrations.
9. The electrode of claim 2, wherein the electrochemically active
inner layer and the electrochemically active outer layer have
different compositions.
10. The electrode of claim 2, wherein the electrochemically active
inner layer and the electrochemically active outer layer have
different morphologies.
11. The electrode of claim 2, wherein the inner layer has a lower
porosity than the outer layer.
12. An electrode assembly comprising: a conductive substrate for
conducting electrical current between an electrode active material
and battery terminal; and an electrode material comprising: a layer
of first nanostructures attached to the conductive substrate, the
first nanostructures comprising one or more metal silicides; a
coating of the electrode active material that covers at least a
portion of the first nanostructures, the coating comprising an
inner layer having a first porosity and an outer layer having a
second porosity different from the first porosity, wherein the
first nanostructures provide electronic communication between the
electrode active material and conductive substrate.
13. A method of making an electrode for a battery, comprising the
steps of: providing nanostructures; depositing a first silicon
layer over the nanostructures using a plasma-enhanced chemical
vapor deposition (PECVD) method; and depositing a second silicon
layer over the first silicon layer using a thermal chemical vapor
deposition (thermal CVD) method.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first silicon layer has a
first porosity and the second silicon layer has a second porosity,
different from the first porosity.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the nanostructures comprise one
or more metal silicides.
16. The electrode of claim 15, wherein the one or more metal
silicides are selected from the group consisting of nickel
silicides, cobalt silicides, copper silicides, silver silicides,
chromium silicides, titanium silicides, aluminum silicides, zinc
silicides, and iron silicides.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of and claims priority to
U.S. application Ser. No. 13/277,821, entitled "HIGH CAPACITY
ELECTRODES WITH ACTIVE MATERIAL COATINGS ON MULTILAYERED
NANOSTRUCTURED TEMPLATES, filed on Oct. 20, 2011," which claims the
benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) of US Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/406,047, entitled "BATTERY ELECTRODE STRUCTURES
FOR HIGH MASS LOADINGS OF HIGH CAPACITY ACTIVE MATERIALS" filed on
Oct. 22, 2010, each of which is incorporated herein by this
reference in its entirety.
[0002] U.S. application Ser. No. 13/277,821 is also a
continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/039,031
(issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,257,866), entitled "TEMPLATE ELECTRODE
STRUCTURES FOR DEPOSITING ACTIVE MATERIALS," filed on Mar. 2, 2011,
which of which is a non-provisional of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/310,183, entitled "ELECTROCHEMICALLY ACTIVE
STRUCTURES CONTAINING SILICIDES," filed on Mar. 3, 2010, each of
which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all
purposes.
[0003] U.S. application Ser. No. 13/277,821 is also a
continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
13/069,212, entitled "INTERCONNECTING ELECTROCHEMICALLY ACTIVE
MATERIAL NANOSTRUCTURES," filed on Mar. 22, 2011, which is a
non-provisional of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
61/316,104, entitled "INTERCONNECTING ACTIVE MATERIAL
NANOSTRUCTURES," filed on Mar. 22, 2010, each of which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all
purposes.
[0004] U.S. application Ser. No. 13/277,821 is also a
continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/114,413
(issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,172,088), entitled "MULTIDIMENSIONAL
ELECTROCHEMICALLY ACTIVE STRUCTURES FOR BATTERY ELECTRODES," filed
on May 24, 2011, which is a non-provisional of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/347,614, entitled "MULTIDIMENSIONAL
ELECTROCHEMICALLY ACTIVE STRUCTURES FOR BATTERY ELECTRODES," filed
on May 24, 2010, each of which is incorporated herein by reference
in its entirety for all purposes.
[0005] Each of the patent applications listed above is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.
BACKGROUND
[0006] High capacity electrochemically active materials are very
desirable for battery applications. However, these materials
exhibit substantial volume changes during battery cycling, e.g.,
swelling during lithiation and contracting during delithiation. For
example, silicon swells as much as 400% during lithiation to its
theoretical capacity of about 4200 mAh/g or Li.sub.4.4Si structure.
Volume changes of this magnitude cause pulverization of active
materials structures, losses of electrical connections, and
capacity fading.
[0007] Providing high capacity materials as nanostructures can
address some of these issues. Nanostructures have at least one
nanoscale dimension, and swelling-contracting along this dimension
tends to be less destructive than along larger sides and
dimensions. As such, nanostructures can remain substantially intact
during battery cycling. However, integrating multiple
nanostructures into battery electrode layers that have adequate
active material loadings is difficult. Such integration involves
establishing and maintaining electrical interconnections between
such nanostructures and current collectors and providing mechanical
support to these nanostructures on the current collectors or some
other substrates over many cycles. Further, smaller nanostructures
often do not provide adequate amounts of high capacity active
materials in certain electrode designs. For example, depositing a
nanofilm onto a conventional flat substrate does not provide
adequate active material loading if the nanofilm is kept thinner
than typical fracture limits of high capacity active materials.
Furthermore, many processes proposed for fabricating nanostructures
are slow and often involve expensive materials. For example,
etching silicon nanowires from bulk particles uses silver catalysts
and expensive etching solution. Growing long crystalline silicon
structures can also be a relative slow process and may involve
expensive catalysts, such as gold.
SUMMARY
[0008] Provided are battery electrode structures that maintain high
mass loadings (i.e., large amounts per unit area) of high capacity
active materials in the electrodes without deteriorating their
cycling performance. These mass loading levels correspond to
capacities per electrode unit area that are suitable for commercial
electrodes even though the active materials are kept thin and
generally below their fracture limits. A battery electrode
structure may include multiple template layers. An initial template
layer may include nanostructures attached to a substrate and have a
controlled density. This initial layer may be formed using a
controlled thickness source material layer provided, for example,
on a substantially inert substrate. Additional one or more template
layers are then formed over the initial layer resulting in a
multilayer template structure with specific characteristics, such
as a surface area, thickness, and porosity. The multilayer template
structure is then coated with a high capacity active material.
[0009] In certain embodiments, an electrode material includes an
electronically conductive layer, a layer of first nanostructures
positioned on the electronically conductive layer, and a layer of
second nanostructures positioned on the layer of the first
nanostructures. The first nanostructures include one or more metal
silicides. The electrode material also includes a coating of
electrode active material that covers at least a portion of the
first nanostructures and the second nanostructures. Examples of
metal silicides that could be included in the first nanostructures
include nickel silicides, cobalt silicides, copper silicides,
silver silicides, chromium silicides, titanium silicides, aluminum
silicides, zinc silicides, and iron silicides. More specific
examples of metal silicides include Ni.sub.2Si, NiSi, NiSi.sub.2,
and combinations thereof. The electronically conductive layer may
include stainless steel. Examples of electrode active materials
include crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, silicon oxides,
silicon oxy-nitrides, tin-containing materials,
germanium-containing materials, and carbon-containing
materials.
[0010] In certain embodiments, the layer of the first
nanostructures includes multiple nanowires rooted to the
electronically conductive layer. The electrode material may have
porosity between about 30% and 50%. The coating of the electrode
active material may include multiple layers. At least some of these
multiple layers may have different porosities. For example,
multiple layers may include an inner layer and an outer layer. The
inner layer may have a lower porosity than the outer layer. The
multiple layers may include at least some layers that have
different hydrogen concentrations or, more generally, different
compositions. In certain embodiments, at least some of the multiple
layers have different morphologies. In certain embodiments, the
coating of the electrode active material is positioned between at
least a portion of the layer of the first nanostructures and the
layer of the second nanostructures. A layer of the second
nanostructures may include carbon nanofibers and/or
multidimensional metal silicide structures. Multidimensional metal
silicide structures may include support structures to which
plurality of metal silicide nanowires are attached.
[0011] Provided is an electrode assembly including a conductive
substrate for conducting electrical current between an electrode
active material and battery terminal and an electrode material. The
electrode material in turn includes a layer of the first
nanostructures attached to the conductive substrate. The first
nanostructures include one or more metal silicides. The electrode
material also includes a layer of second nanostructures positioned
on the layer of the first nanostructures and a coating of the
electrode active material that covers at least a portion of the
first nanostructures and the second nanostructures. The first and
second nanostructures may provide electronic communication between
the electrode active material and conductive substrate.
[0012] Provided also is an electrochemical cell including a first
electrode, a second electrode, and an electrolyte providing ionic
communication between the first electrode and the second electrode.
The first electrode may include an electronically conductive layer,
a layer of first nanostructures positioned on the electronically
conductive layer, a layer of second nanostructures positioned on
the layer of the first nanostructures, and a coating of electrode
active material that covers at least a portion of the first
nanostructures and the second nanostructures. The first
nanostructures may include one or more metal silicides.
[0013] A method of fabricating an electrode is also provided. The
method may involve receiving a substrate having a base material and
forming a source material layer having a controlled thickness. The
source material layer may include a metal that is different from
the base material. The method may proceed with forming multiple
template nanostructures having a metal silicide attached to the
base material by chemically reacted the metal with a silicon
containing precursor. The method may then proceed with forming a
coating of an electrochemically active material over the template
nanostructures. The electrochemically active material is configured
to take in and release lithium ions during cycling. Multiple
template nanostructures facilitate conduction of electrical current
to and from the electrochemically active material. In certain
embodiments, forming the coating of the electrochemically active
material involves forming a first portion of the coating using
thermal chemical vapor deposition and forming a second portion of
the coating using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The
method may also involve controlling porosity of the coating of the
electrochemically active material using one or more of the
following techniques: doping, etching, ion implantation, and
annealing. In certain embodiments, forming the coating of the
electrochemically active material involves multistep thermal
chemical vapor deposition.
[0014] These and other embodiments are described further below with
reference to the figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIGS. 1A-1C are schematic representations of an electrode
substrate at different stages of template formation, in accordance
with certain embodiments.
[0016] FIG. 1D is a Scanning Electron Microscope image of a
nanostructured template containing nickel silicide nanowires.
[0017] FIG. 1E is a Scanning Electron Microscope image of a
nanostructured template containing nickel silicide nanowires with
carbon nanofibers (CNF) deposited over the nickel silicide
nanowires.
[0018] FIG. 1F is a Scanning Electron Microscope image of a
nanostructured template containing nickel silicide nanowires with a
layer of multidimensional nickel silicide structures deposited over
the nickel silicide nanowires.
[0019] FIGS. 2A-2C are Scanning Electron Microscope images of three
electrode layers having different porosities.
[0020] FIG. 3A is a schematic representation of an electrode layer
containing a single-layer template coated with a high capacity
active material, in accordance with certain embodiments.
[0021] FIG. 3B is a Scanning Electron Microscope image of an
electrode layer containing a single-layer nickel silicide template
coated with amorphous silicon.
[0022] FIG. 3C is a schematic representation of an electrode layer
containing a multilayer template formed by a single-layered
template and carbon nanofibers (CNF), in accordance with certain
embodiments.
[0023] FIG. 3D is a Scanning Electron Microscope image of an
electrode layer containing a multilayer template formed by a nickel
silicide template and carbon nanofibers (CNF) and coated with
amorphous silicon.
[0024] FIG. 3E is a schematic representation of an electrode layer
containing a multilayer template formed by a single-layered
template and multidimensional silicide structures ("fuzzy balls"),
in accordance with certain embodiments.
[0025] FIG. 3F is a Scanning Electron Microscope image of an
electrode layer containing a multilayer template formed by a nickel
silicide template and multidimensional nickel silicide structures
and coated with amorphous silicon.
[0026] FIG. 4A is a process flowchart corresponding to a method of
fabricating a battery electrode layer, in accordance with certain
embodiments.
[0027] FIGS. 4B-4E illustrate Raman spectrums representing short
range order (SRO) ratios of four amorphous silicon layers deposited
using different process conditions.
[0028] FIG. 4F is a schematic representation of a residual stress
model for a multilayer electrode layer structure, in accordance
with certain embodiments.
[0029] FIGS. 5A-5B are top and side schematic views of an
illustrative electrode arrangement in accordance with certain
embodiments.
[0030] FIGS. 6A-6B are top and perspective schematic views of an
illustrative round wound cell in accordance with certain
embodiments.
[0031] FIG. 7 is a top schematic view of an illustrative prismatic
wound cell in accordance with certain embodiments.
[0032] FIGS. 8A-8B are top and perspective schematic views of an
illustrative stack of electrodes and separator sheets in accordance
with certain embodiments.
[0033] FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-section view of an example of a
wound cell in accordance with embodiments.
[0034] FIG. 10 is cycling data corresponding to a cell fabricated
using electrode material described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0035] In the following description, numerous specific details are
set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the
present invention. The present invention may be practiced without
some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well
known process operations have not been described in detail to not
unnecessarily obscure the present invention. While the invention
will be described in conjunction with the specific embodiments, it
will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention
to the embodiments.
[0036] High capacity electrochemically active materials can be
formed into nanostructures for use in rechargeable batteries.
Nanostructures are less likely to deteriorate than larger
structures during battery cycling. Specifically, they are less
likely to pulverize and/or lose electrical contacts with one
another because of lower mechanical stresses built up in the
nanostructures during lithiation. Yet, integrating nanostructures
into a battery electrode layer that has adequate active material
loading may be challenging because of their small sizes and need to
establish and maintain many electrical connections within the
electrode. For example, it is difficult to mechanically arrange,
support, and electrically interconnect many small nanostructures as
well as to preserve these arrangements and interconnections over a
large number of swelling-contraction cycles. Further, nanoparticles
that are only 50-100 nanometers in diameter will have to rely on
hundreds and even thousands of particle-to-particle connections and
possibly intermediate conductive structures to pass an electrical
current in a typical electrode design. Initial connections formed,
for example, by direct contacts of the nanoparticle and/or
conductive additives are often lost when the nanoparticles swell
and then contract. While swelling, the nanoparticles push each
other and other components apart. During delithiation, the same
nanoparticles shrink, and the original contacts may be lost due to
electrode elasticity constraints. This may result in unconnected
active particles, which effectively become inactive. Nanofilms have
been proposed as alternative nanostructures. They are formed with a
relative small thickness (e.g., less than 500 nanometers) to avoid
fracturing during cycling. Unfortunately, nanofilms deposited on
flat substrates contain only very small amounts of the active
material over the surface area of an electrode and therefore are
not practical for most battery applications.
[0037] High surface area substrates help to increase active
material loading while keeping active material structures
relatively small. These substrates, when coated with active
materials, can yield a higher capacity per unit area (based on the
flat electrode surface area) than conventional flat substrates.
High surface area substrates may be formed by roughening substrate
surface or forming templates on a surface of the initial flat
substrate. For example, a flat metallic substrate may be processed
to form silicide nanostructures extending from the substrate
surface. The addition of the nanostructures substantially increases
the overall surface area available for coating. These silicide
nanostructures can serve as a high surface area template used for
coating active materials. In some embodiments, silicide
nanostructures may be shaped as nanowires that have substrate
rooted ends or middle portions. The rooted ends may form integral
structures with the substrate surface. In some cases, the nanowires
may not have a clearly defined morphological boundary at the
interface with the substrate. As a result, nanowires may have
superior mechanical attachment to the substrate and a low
electronic contact resistance.
[0038] Some template nanostructures can be difficult to grow above
certain dimensions. For example, when forming metal silicide
templates, the growth is believed to be limited by diffusion rates
of silicon and metals through the respective silicide phases. Only
relative short structures may be formed resulting in thin template
layers, for example, less than 10-20 micrometers in thickness for
nickel silicide nanowires. Such silicide structures do not provide
an adequate surface area to support enough active material. If an
active material is coated over this template such that the coating
thickness does not exceed the fracture limit of the active
material, the total amount of active materials per unit area may be
not sufficient for a commercially viable electrode.
[0039] Furthermore, forming silicide nanostructures on metal
surfaces with an excess of source metals, such as forming nickel
silicide nanowires on a thick nickel foil, may cause undesirable
deposits formed near the bases of the silicide nanostructures.
These undesirable deposits may cause an increase in the overall
electronic resistance of the electrode and other undesirable
effects. Finally, a deposition thickness of many active materials
is limited to their fracturing limits, e.g., a few hundred of
nanometers for amorphous silicon. These constraints limit electrode
design options and use of high capacity active materials in
commercial batteries.
[0040] Novel template layer structures and fabrication techniques
are provided and described herein. These structures allow having
higher mass loading of high capacity active materials per electrode
unit area without exceeding fracture limits of these active
materials. Higher mass loading corresponds to a higher capacity per
electrode unit area and, in certain embodiments, to a higher
capacity of electrochemical cells. Controlling thickness of the
active material coating and keeping it under the fracture limit may
result in more robust cycling performance characteristics.
[0041] An initial template layer may be formed on a substrate that
is relatively inert during template formation. For example, a
substrate for forming a template may include a base layer and a
source layer. Only a source layer is consumed during template
fabrication, while the base layer stays substantially intact. The
source layer may have a controlled thickness to control a density
and length of the formed template structures. The source layer may
be fully consumed during formation of the nanostructure template
layer. For example, a layer of nickel metal having a controlled
thickness may be used as the template source material. The layer is
exposed to a silicon precursor, such as silane, until the layer is
fully consumed. In the course of the process, nickel silicide
nanostructures are formed. These nickel silicide nanostructures
serve as the template layer.
[0042] In certain embodiments, an initial template layer is
enhanced by forming additional one or more template layers over
that initial layer. The resulting structure is referred to herein
as a multilayer template structure. Additional layers may be formed
using prefabricated structures, such as carbon nanofibers (CNF)
and/or multidimensional silicide structures, which are sometimes
referred to as "fuzzy balls" or "urchin" structures. Each of these
multidimensional silicide structures typically may have a central
support structure and multiple metal silicide nanowires attached to
the support structure and extending into different directions away
from the support structure. This arrangement gives a "fuzzy ball"
look to such structures. In certain embodiments, template
structures of additional template layers may be formed directly
over an initial template layer, which is further described in U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 13/039,031, entitled "TEMPLATE
ELECTRODE STRUCTURES FOR DEPOSITING ACTIVE MATERIALS," filed on
Mar. 2, 2011 (Attorney Docket AMPRP012US), which is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety for purposes of describing
template structures. Multidimensional silicide structures are
described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/114,413, entitled
"MULTIDIMENSIONAL ELECTROCHEMICALLY ACTIVE STRUCTURES FOR BATTERY
ELECTRODES," filed on May 24, 2011 (Attorney Docket AMPRP014US),
which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for
purposes of describing multidimensional silicide structures.
[0043] In certain embodiments, cell performance and active material
loading can be substantially improved by using various novel active
material coating structures. For example, a multi-layered active
material coating may be formed on template structures. Various
deposition and post-deposition treatment techniques are described
below to achieve desired compositions as well as morphological and
dimensional structures within these active material coatings.
[0044] A typical electrode material or electrode structure may
include different layers, which should be distinguished from each
other. Specifically, an "active material layer" should be
distinguished from a "template layer" and an "electrode layer". A
"template layer" is a layer formed by one or more template
structures, such as nickel silicide nanowires. An initial template
layer is formed over a substrate surface. In embodiments involving
silicide nanowires, this initial layer may be about 10-20
micrometers thick. Additional template layers may be formed over
the initial template layer to form a multilayer template structure.
A thickness of the multilayer template structure equals a sum of
thicknesses of individual template layers.
[0045] An "active material layer" is a thin layer of an active
electrode material, such as amorphous silicon, that is formed over
the template layer structures. The active material layer is often
referred to as an active material coating because it is often
formed by coating template structured with an active material. The
thickness of the active material layer/coating is typically chosen
to be less than material's fracture limits for given lithiation
levels. The fracture limit may be further adjusted by varying
porosity and other parameters of the active material coating.
[0046] Multiple template layers may be stacked one on top of the
other and these layers are generally parallel to the substrate
surface. On the other hand, the active material coating follows
contours of template structures. In certain embodiments, an active
material coating layers may be considered a shell surrounding
template nanostructures within the template layer. In certain
embodiments, an active material coating may have has multiple
layers forming a multilayer active material coating or
structure.
[0047] An "electrode layer" is commonly used in the art to describe
a collective structure formed on one or both side of a conductive
substrate. This structure includes an active material and various
other components that may be added to provide mechanical support
and electrical conductivity within the electrode layer. In certain
embodiments, the electrode layer includes a combination of a
template layer and an active material coating.
[0048] FIGS. 1A-1B are schematic representations of a template at
different stages of its formation, in accordance with certain
embodiments. FIG. 1A illustrates an initial stage where substrate
100 has base layer 102 and source layer 104. As further described
below with reference to FIG. 4A, a template formation process may
start with depositing a source layer on a base layer. In certain
embodiments, base layer 102 contains little or no source material
that could be used to form template structures. Instead, base layer
102 may include an inert material, at least on its top surface. In
these embodiments, base layer 102 needs be inert only at process
conditions used during template formation. For example, a stainless
steel foil may remain substantially inert during formation of
nickel silicide nanowires from a nickel layer deposited on the
stainless steel foil. However, further heating this stainless steel
foil may result in formation of iron silicides and other
byproducts. As such, process conditions may be specifically
controlled to avoid undesirable reactions and interactions with
base layer 102 as further explained in the context of FIG. 4A. In
other embodiments, a substrate does not have distinctive base and
source layers and the same material is used both as a base and a
source, for example, of metal during silicides formation.
[0049] Base layer 102 may be made from various conductive materials
and serve as a current collector for active materials. Some example
of base layer materials include copper, copper coated with metal
oxides, stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, nickel, chromium,
tungsten, metal nitrides, metal carbides, carbon, carbon fiber,
graphite, graphene, carbon mesh, conductive polymers, or
combinations of above including multi-layer structures. The base
layer material may be formed as a foil, film, mesh, foam, laminate,
wires, tubes, particles, multi-layer structure, or any other
suitable configuration. In certain embodiments, a base material is
a metallic foil with a thickness of between about 1 micrometer and
50 micrometers or, more specifically between about 5 micrometers
and 30 micrometers.
[0050] Examples of materials for source layer 104 include any of a
number of materials that form silicide nanostructures. Such
materials include nickel, cobalt, copper, silver, chromium,
titanium, iron, zinc, aluminum, tin, and their combinations.
Examples of some alloys include nickel/phosphorus, nickel/tungsten,
nickel/chromium, nickel/cobalt, nickel/iron, and nickel/molybdenum.
Source layer 104 may be at least about 10 nanometers thick or, more
specifically, at least about 100 nanometers thick. In more specific
embodiments, a nickel source layer is between about 100 nanometers
and 300 nanometers thick. In another specific embodiment, a nickel
phosphate source layer is between 300 nanometers and 10
micrometers. In some exemplary embodiments, the nickel phosphate
layer is about 500 nanometers thick, or about 1.5 micrometers
thick, or about 8 micrometers thick. A source layer may also be
made from NiFe, NiW, and NiMo alloys with a thickness of between
about 0.5 micrometers and 10 micrometers.
[0051] A specific thickness of source layer 104 may cause specific
characteristics of the resulting template layer. For example, it
has been found that thicker source layers may lead to formation of
denser and/or longer silicide structures. For example, two nickel
layers having different thicknesses were exposed to silane at
typical nickel silicide formation conditions and then tested for
weight gain. A sample with a 100 nanometers layer showed 0.04
milligrams per centimeter square weight gain, while the one with a
300 nanometers layer showed 0.1 milligrams per centimeter square
weight gain. These experimental results demonstrate that some
template characteristics can be controlled by forming a source
layer having a specific thickness. Further, these characteristics
can be controlled to affect the surface area available for coating
and, thus, the resulting mass loading of the active material
layers.
[0052] In certain embodiments, a substrate may have an intermediate
protective layer formed between the base and source layers (not
shown). This protective layer may be made from inert materials and
can protect the base layer from being exposed to reactive species,
e.g., silane. When a protective layer is used, it is possible to
use material that can react with silane if they were in direct
contact for the base. Various examples of intermediate layers are
described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/944,576, entitled
"INTERMEDIATE LAYERS FOR ELECTRODE FABRICATION," filed on Nov. 11,
2010, which is incorporated herein by reference for purposes of
describing intermediate layers. In addition to or instead of
providing protective properties, an intermediate layer may be used
to enhance adhesion between the template structures and the base
layer. Other intermediate layers that offer other desirable
characteristic can also be used.
[0053] In certain embodiments, a source material is provided in a
form of particles or other discrete structures. These structures
are still described as source layer 104 formed on a surface of the
base layer. These discrete structures may be provided as a layer
having a thickness of at least about 10 nanometers or, more
specifically, between about 10 nanometers and 500 nanometers. In
certain embodiments, precursor particles are used to control the
porosity of the resulting electrode layer and have diameters of
between about 1 and 3 micrometers.
[0054] FIG. 1B illustrates an intermediate stage of template
formation with an intermediate template structure 108 formed over a
residual source layer 106. Some of the initial source material has
been consumed to form intermediate template structures 108.
Therefore, residual source layer 106 shown in FIG. 1B is typically
thinner than initial source layer 104 shown in FIG. 1A. At this
stage, there may be still some remaining source material to support
further growth of intermediate template structures 108. In certain
embodiments, residual layer 106 may include reaction products of
source materials forming an alloy, which cause some swelling.
Therefore, in these embodiments, residual layer 106 may sometimes
be thicker than initial source layer 104. A specific example would
be the formation of a very metal rich silicide phase, such as
nickel silicide or copper silicide, where the residual layer may
expand as it alloys with the silicon. Proper selection of the
residual layer composition and processing conditions will
positively affect the performance and the volumetric energy density
of the electrode.
[0055] FIG. 1C illustrates a final stage of the template formation
operation where template structures 110 are finally formed. In the
depicted embodiment, template structures 110 have their ends rooted
to base layer 102. Template structures 110 may be between about 5
nanometers and 100 nanometers in diameter (i.e., prior to
depositing active material) or, more specifically, between about 10
nanometers and 50 nanometers. Further, template structures 110 may
be between about 1 micrometer and 100 micrometers long or, more
specifically, between about 2 micrometers and 25 micrometers long.
In the depicted embodiment where template structures 110 extend
substantially perpendicular to the flat surface of the base layer,
this length corresponds to a thickness of a template layer 112.
Template layer 112 may have a porosity of at least about 50% or,
more particularly, at least about 75%, or even at least about 90%.
The porosity of template layer 112 that does not include any active
material should be distinguished from a porosity of the active
layer (i.e., a thin layer of active material formed on a surface of
template structures 110) or a porosity of the electrode layer.
[0056] In the depicted embodiment in FIG. 1C, residual source layer
106 has been substantially consumed. The thickness of initial
source layer 104 may be specifically selected such that most or all
of the source material is eventually consumed during template
formation. This approach may eliminate formation of undesirable
materials, such as metal silicides, at the interface with the base
layer. For example, if a brittle silicide phase is formed on the
surface, then various stresses generated before, during, or even
after active material deposition may lead to fracture of that
silicide phase. Some phases may also have poor adhesion to the
substrate below or the active material on top. Another example
demonstrates some drawback of having a thick (e.g., at least about
500 nanometers) nickel film. Nickel is known to diffuse relatively
fast in silicon structures. If some residual nickel is left at the
interface, it may react with silicon at high temperatures during
silicon deposition, and "consume" a portion of silicon that is
meant to be active material. This may in turn cause an unbalanced
electrochemical cell (i.e., inadequate amounts of the negative
active material) and possibly overcharge. Furthermore, this initial
thickness may be selected to achieve certain density and length of
template structures as described above.
[0057] Generally, the template material is highly electronically
conductive and mechanically stable in the face of stresses
experienced from expansion and contraction of active materials
during cycling. Examples of suitable template materials include
metal silicides (e.g., copper silicides, nickel silicides, aluminum
silicides), carbon, certain metal or semiconductor oxides (e.g.
zinc oxide, tin oxide, indium oxide, cadmium oxide, aluminum oxide,
titania/titanium dioxide, silicon oxides), and certain metals
(copper, nickel, aluminum). In particular embodiments, template
structures are formed into nanowires and include silicides.
Silicide nanowires may have a variable material composition along
their lengths, i.e., higher source material concentrations at the
rooted (proximal) ends where more source material is available than
near the free (distal) ends of the nanowires. Depending on a source
material type, this variability may be reflected in different
morphological and stoichiometric phases of silicides. For example,
nickel silicide nanowires may include one, two, or all three phases
of nickel silicide, i.e., Ni.sub.2Si, NiSi, and NiSi.sub.2. It is
believed that higher nickel content phases form stronger bonds with
nickel metal. Therefore, this variability may provide relatively
strong adhesion of nickel silicide nanowires to the base layer and
reduce the contact resistance. The conductivity and lithium
irreversibility of these different nickel silicide phases also
varies.
[0058] Cone shaped nanowires may also result from greater
availability of the metal near the substrate/support rooted ends of
the nanowires. In certain embodiments, an average diameter near the
substrate/support rooted ends is at least about twice that near the
free end. In other words, nanowires' bases may be large enough even
to touch one another at the proximal ends on the surface of the
substrate, but the distal tips are free and unconnected because of
a decrease in diameter along the structure form the base to the
tip. In more specific embodiments, a ratio of diameters between the
proximal and distal nanowire ends is at least about 4 or, more
particularly, at least about 10. Wider bases may help to maintain
adhesion to the substrate.
[0059] FIG. 1D is a Scanning Electron Microscope image of a
nanostructured template containing nickel silicide nanowires. These
nanowires were deposited directly on a hard rolled nickel foil
available from Carl Schlenk AG Company in Roth, Germany. The foil
was first oxidized for one minute at 300.degree. C. in a process
chamber containing air at a pressure of 50 Torr. The foil was then
heated to 450.degree. C. and a process gas containing 1% silane by
volume was introduced into the chamber for ten minutes. Resulting
silicide nanowires were about 10-50 nanometers in diameters and
about 1-30 micrometers in length. A density of nanowires was
between about 10-70%. As it can be seen from the SEM image in FIG.
1D, the nanowires form a template with a relatively large surface
area. The substrate carrying this template was punched into discs
that were approximately 15 millimeters in diameter to construct
coin cells.
[0060] In certain embodiments, an initial nanostructure template
layer formed on a substrate does not provide a sufficient surface
area and/or thickness for deposition of the active material
desired. As explained above, a certain minimal surface area of a
template may be needed per planar electrode surface area to achieve
adequate active material loading. To provide additional surface
area, one or more additional template layers may be provided over
the initial template layer to form a multilayer template structure.
For example, an initial silicide template may be coated with a
layer of carbon nanofibers (CNF). FIG. 1E is a Scanning Electron
Microscope image of a nanostructured template containing nickel
silicide nanowires with carbon nanofibers (CNF) deposited over the
nickel silicide nanowires.
[0061] In certain embodiments, an available surface area of the
initial silicide template is increased by providing a second layer
of structures that form a second template layer. These structures
of the second template layer may have characteristics similar to
structures in the initial layer, e.g., both may be electronically
conductive and form porous template layers available for active
material coating. In specific embodiments, the second template
layer includes fibers or linear nanostructures. Examples of such
structures include carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, and silicide
nanowires. In other embodiments, multidimensional nanostructures
may be provided in one or more additional template layers. One
example of such structures has a central core to which multiple
metal silicide nanowires are attached forming "fuzzy balls" or
"snowballs" like structures. In this example, metal silicides
nanowires extend in different directions away from the central
core. FIG. 1F is a Scanning Electron Microscope image of a
nanostructured template containing nickel silicide nanowires and a
layer of nickel silicide fuzzy ball structures over the nickel
silicide nanowires.
[0062] Structures of additional template layers may be made of the
same materials as the initial layer, e.g., silicides, or made be
made from different materials, e.g., carbon containing materials,
different silicides. A multilayer template structure may be at
least about 10 nanometers thick or, more particularly, at least 50
nanometers thick or even at least 100 nanometers thick. Additional
template layers may be deposited after the initial layer is coated
with an active material. In another arrangement, the additional
template layers are deposited before the initial layer is coated
with an active material, and subsequently the two-layer template is
coated with the active material. Various operation sequences are
further described below with reference to FIG. 4A.
[0063] Template structures can provide mechanical support and/or
electrical connection to an active material coating. Having a much
higher surface area in comparison to a flat substrate, a
nanostructure template allows forming a thin active material
coating while still providing a sufficient amount of active
material per electrode unit area (the planar surface of the
electrode). An active material coating generally has a thickness
below the fracture limit of the active material used and
morphological structure of the active material. For example, a
thickness of an amorphous silicon coating may be less than about
300 nanometers or, more specifically, less than about 100
nanometers. However, various new structures as well as deposition
and treatment techniques described herein that change morphological
characteristics of the active material coating allow increasing the
coating thickness above typical fracture limit values. In one
example, a multilayer active material coating may be formed where
each layer has a different composition, physical and/or
morphological structure. In a specific embodiment, a multilayer
active material coating includes inner and outer amorphous silicon
layers. The inner layer has a lower porosity than an outer
layer.
[0064] Examples of negative electrochemically active materials that
can be deposited over a template include, but are not limited to,
various silicon containing materials (e.g., crystalline silicon,
amorphous silicon, other silicides, silicon oxides, sub-oxides, and
oxy-nitrides). Other examples of negative electrochemically active
materials that can be used include tin-containing materials (e.g.,
tin, tin oxide), germanium, carbon-containing materials, a variety
of metal hydrides (e.g., MgH.sub.2), silicides, phosphides, and
nitrides. Still other examples include carbon-silicon combinations
(e.g., carbon-coated silicon, silicon-coated carbon, carbon doped
with silicon, silicon doped with carbon, and alloys including
carbon and silicon), carbon-germanium combinations (e.g.,
carbon-coated germanium, germanium-coated carbon, carbon doped with
germanium, and germanium doped with carbon), and carbon-tin
combinations (e.g., carbon-coated tin, tin-coated carbon, carbon
doped with tin, and tin doped with carbon). High capacity active
materials are generally defined as active materials with
theoretical lithiation capacities of at least about 700 mAh/g.
Examples of positive electrochemically active materials that can
serve as coatings include various lithium metal oxides (e.g.,
LiCoO.sub.2, LiFePO.sub.4, LiMnO.sub.2, LiNiO.sub.2,
LiMn.sub.2O.sub.4, LiCoPO.sub.4,
LiNi.sub.1/3Co.sub.1/3Mn.sub.1/3O.sub.2,
LiNi.sub.xCo.sub.yAl.sub.zO2, LiFe.sub.2(SO4).sub.3), carbon
fluoride, metal fluorides such as iron fluoride (FeF.sub.3), metal
oxide, sulfur, and combination thereof. Doped and
non-stoichiometric variations of these positive and negative active
materials may be used as well. Examples of dopant includes elements
from the groups III and V of the periodic table (e.g., boron,
aluminum, gallium, indium, thallium, phosphorous, arsenic,
antimony, and bismuth) as well as other appropriate dopants (e.g.,
sulfur and selenium).
[0065] Coating an active material over template structures forms an
electrode or, more specifically, an electrode layer. As mentioned
above, an electrode layer typically has a thickness comparable to
that of the over template layer, which may itself include multiple
template layers. The porosity of the electrode layer is generally
lower than the porosity of the corresponding overall template layer
because the active material occupies some void space in between
template structures. The electrode layer porosity generally depends
on the composition and thickness of the active material coating as
well as cycling characteristics of the cell, e.g., its depths of
charge and discharge. It has been found that a suitable porosity of
the electrode layer having an amorphous silicon coating is between
about 20% and 80% or, more specifically, between about 30% and 60%.
These porosity ranges provide both an adequate active material
loading and space for active material swelling and ionic mobility.
FIGS. 2A-2C are Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of three
different electrode layers having different porosities in the 30%
and 50% range.
[0066] An active material coating may be itself a porous structure,
typically having internal voids of much smaller dimension than
those associated with the porosity of the overall, two-layer
template nanostructures. The electrode layer porosity values
recited above do not take into account the porosity of the active
material coating. The experimental data suggests that higher active
material porosity, i.e., an internal porosity of the active
material coating, as well other associated factors result in cells
with better cycling performance. In certain embodiments, the
porosity within the active material coating is controlled to
achieve a desired cell performance.
[0067] An active material may be deposited directly onto an initial
single layer template. FIG. 3A is a schematic representation of an
electrode layer containing a number of nanostructures 315 that make
up a single-layer template 320. Template 320 is coated with a high
capacity active material 340. Sometimes, such initial template
layer 320 provides an adequate surface and/or thickness for
deposition of high capacity active material 340. For example, high
rate battery applications generally use thinner electrodes for
their high electronic and ionic conductivities needed to generate
and draw high electrical currents. In one arrangement, areal mass
density of high capacity active material is between about 1.5 and
4.5 milligram per centimeter square. Such densities translate into
an overall thickness of the active material coated template to
between about 10 micrometers and 40 micrometers. FIG. 3B is a
Scanning Electron Microscope image of an electrode layer containing
a single-layer nickel silicide template coated with amorphous
silicon.
[0068] In certain embodiments, an initial template layer formed on
a substrate does not provide a sufficient surface area for
deposition of a desired amount of active material and additional
template layers are formed over the initial template layer.
Examples of materials that may be employed to produce these
additional layers include carbon nanofibers (CNF) and
multidimensional silicide structures. FIG. 3C is a schematic
representation of an electrode layer containing a multilayer
template formed by a first layer 340 of nanostructured silicide
template and a second template layer 360 of carbon nanofibers
(CNF). Both template layers are coated with a high capacity active.
For clarity, an active material coating is not shown in FIG. 3C.
The active material coating may be performed sequentially, after
each template layer is formed or in one step after all template
layers are formed. FIG. 3D is a Scanning Electron Microscope image
of an electrode layer containing a multilayer template formed by a
nickel silicide template and carbon nanofibers (CNF) and coated
with amorphous silicon.
[0069] FIG. 3E is a schematic representation of an electrode layer
containing a multilayer template formed from a initial template
layer 370 of silicide nanowires and an additional template layer
380 of multidimensional silicide structures. Both template layers
are coated with a high capacity active material. For clarity and
simplicity, an active material coating is not shown in FIG. 3E. The
multidimensional silicide structures may be used to form an
electrode with any thickness, for example, continuously deposited
over initial template layer 370 until the desirable characteristics
are not met. Additional template layer 380 helps to thicken the
overall template beyond the lengths of original template
structures. There are generally no upper thickness limits for
electrode layers fabricated from multiple template layers. This
feature allows one to form battery electrode layers with large
active material masses per unit area and, therefore, very high
capacities per unit area. Multilayer template structures may be
stacked up to any thickness as desired for capacity and other
battery performance parameters (e.g., cycling rate). For example,
it is useful to use thicker electrode layers for high capacity
applications, while it is also useful to use thinner more
conductive battery electrode layers for high cycling rates (high
charge and/or discharge currents).
[0070] Various combinations of template layers may be employed,
where the individual layers are made from various different
materials and/or nanostructure morphologies. Examples of suitable
materials for the template include silicides, carbon (fullerene or
otherwise), nitrides, carbides, etc. Almost any material that can
be formed into an appropriate nanostructure and does not
aggressively consume silicon (or other corresponding active
material coatings) at temperatures up to about 500.degree. C. or
600.degree. C. can be used as a template material. In some
arrangements, the template material is electronically conductive.
Examples of suitable template nanostructures include nanowires,
fuzzy balls, nanofibers, nanotubes, spheres, cones, rods, wires,
arcs, saddles, flakes, ellipsoids, spikes, caterpillar structures,
etc.
[0071] Second layer template structures can be bound to the
substrate or lower layer template structures using a polymeric
binder and/or active material coating. For example, if an active
material coating is deposited after the second layer template has
been added, the active material itself can join the template layers
together. These binding methods are further described in U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 13/039,031, entitled "TEMPLATE
ELECTRODE STRUCTURES FOR DEPOSITING ACTIVE MATERIALS", filed Mar.
2, 2011, (Attorney Docket No. AMPRP012US), which is incorporated
herein by reference for purposes of describing binding methods.
FIG. 3F is a Scanning Electron Microscope image of an electrode
layer containing a multilayer template formed by a nickel silicide
template and nickel silicide multidimensional structures and coated
with amorphous silicon.
[0072] FIG. 4A is a process flowchart corresponding to method 400
for fabricating an electrode layer, in accordance with certain
embodiments. Method 400 may start with receiving a substrate having
a base layer during operation 402. Various substrate examples are
described above. Method 400 may proceed with operation 404 during
which a source layer having a controlled thickness is formed on the
substrate. Examples of techniques that may be employed during
operation include physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor
deposition (CVD), or other technique suitable for producing a
uniform, adherent layer of controlled thickness. Various source
layer examples are described above. In specific embodiments, a
layer of nickel having a thickness of between about 100 nanometers
and 500 nanometers is deposited on one or both sides of a stainless
steel or tungsten foil. The foil may be between about 5 micrometers
and 50 micrometers thick. Other examples of techniques for
depositing a source layer include spin-coating a nickel containing
sol-gel solution layer having a thickness of between about 100
nanometers and 10 micrometers onto a support foil or a
Langmuir-Blodgett method for self-assembling nickel nanoparticles
and/or nanowires on a foil.
[0073] Operation 404 may also involve treating a source layer
surface, for example, to increase its surface roughness and/or to
change its surface compositions. Examples of treatment techniques
include introducing silicide precursors into the surfaces (e.g.,
silicon, metal, and/or catalyst containing materials), chemically
modifying the surfaces (e.g., forming oxides, nitrides, carbides,
initial silicide structures, and treatments with various oxidizing
and reducing agents), and physically modifying the surfaces (e.g.,
increasing surface roughness with laser ablation and/or plasma
treatment). Other examples include changing grain orientation,
annealing, sonication, doping, and ion implantation. A modified
surface of the source layer may enhance formation of the template
structures during operation 406.
[0074] In certain embodiments, a source layer is oxidized at a
temperature of between about 150.degree. C. and 500.degree. C.
(more specifically around 250.degree. C.) for a period of between
about 0.1 minutes and 10 minutes or, more specifically, around one
minute, in a gas stream containing oxygen or other suitable
oxidant. It has been found that some oxidation helps roughening the
surface and helps initial formation of nickel silicide structures.
Without being restricted to any particular theory, it is believed
that rough oxide edges may serve as nucleation sites during
silicide formation. Further, the oxide may act as a mask to allow
nucleation only at the pores. Another function of an oxide may be
to regulate the diffusion rate of the metal to the reaction site.
It has been also found that excessive oxidation may be detrimental
to silicide formation. As such, oxidation conditions may be
optimized for each metal containing material and structures
containing these materials.
[0075] Method 400 may proceed with formation of template structures
during operation 406, e.g., using CVD. For example, a process gas
that includes a silicon containing precursor (e.g., silane) may be
flown into a CVD chamber. In certain embodiments, the volumetric
concentration of silane in the process gas is less than about 10%,
or more specifically less than about 5%, or even less than about
1%. In particular embodiments, the concentration of silane is about
1%. A process gas may also include one or more carrier gases, such
as argon, nitrogen, helium, hydrogen, oxygen (although typically
not with silane), carbon dioxide, and methane. The gas and/or
substrate may be maintained at a temperature of between about
350.degree. C. and 500.degree. C. or, more specifically, between
about 425.degree. C. and 475.degree. C. The duration of deposition
may be between about 1 minute and 30 minutes or, more specifically
between about 5 minutes and 15 minutes. In embodiments employing
non-silicide nanostructures, appropriate adjustments to the gas
phase precursor and other process conditions may be employed.
[0076] In specific embodiments, process conditions are varied
during operation 406. For example, during formation of silicide
structures, silane may be introduced initially at a relatively high
concentration in order to promote nucleation and then reduced when,
e.g., further silicide formation is limited by source metal
diffusion from the rooted ends of the structures towards the
growing tips. Further, the process temperature may be kept low
initially and then increased in order to promote such metal
diffusion. In general, process conditions may be varied to control
physical (e.g., length, diameter, shape, orientation, areal
density) and morphological (e.g., stoichiometric phases to ensure
high conductivity of the silicide, for example, distribution along
the length, crystalline/amorphous) properties of the formed
template structures. Other process conditions that could be varied
during operation 406 include composition of the gas mixture (in
addition to variable silane concentration described above), various
flow rates and patterns, and/or a chamber pressure. If a PECVD
(plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition) technique is used,
power output and frequencies of plasma generators can be varied as
well. CVD may also be used.
[0077] Method 400 may proceed with forming of an additional
template layer during operation 408. In this operation, a
single-layer template is transformed into a multilayer template
structure. For example, as mentioned, an initial silicide template
may be coated with a layer of carbon nanofibers (CNF). In another
embodiment, an initial silicide template is coated with a layer of
multidimensional silicide structures, such as fuzzy balls. CNF or
multidimensional silicide structures may be suspended in a liquid
to form slurry and then coated over the initial layer using a
"doctor blade" technique or a spraying technique followed by
drying. It should be noted that additional template layers may be
formed either before or after the initial template layer is coated
with an active material as further described in the context of
decision block 414.
[0078] Method 400 then proceeds with forming an active material
coating over a single-layered or multi-layered template structure
during operation 410. Deposition of the active material coating may
involve CVD, PVD, electroplating, electroless plating, or solution
deposition. An example of a PECVD technique will now be described
in more detail. A template layer provided into the chamber and/or
the process gas are heated to between about 200.degree. C. and
400.degree. C. or, more specifically, between about 250.degree. C.
and 350.degree. C. The gas delivered into the chamber can include a
silicon containing precursor (e.g., silane) and one or more carrier
gases (e.g., argon, nitrogen, helium, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and
methane). In a specific example, a concentration of silane in
helium is between about 5% and 20%, or more specifically between
about 8% and 15%. The gas may also include a dopant containing
material, such as phosphine. The RF power may be delivered at
between about 10 W and 1000 W, which generally depends on the size
of the chamber and other factors.
[0079] Method 400 may then proceed with an optional post-deposition
treatment during operation 412. Examples of post-deposition
treatment techniques include chemical etching, annealing, and
coating. In certain embodiments, a coating of carbon-containing
materials is deposited over a high capacity active material. In
another embodiment, a coating of amorphous silicon deposited in 410
is chemically etched to introduce pores into the active material
coating. In certain embodiments, a solid reaction phase technique
or a liquid phase deposition technique is used. For example, a
liquid-containing active material species may deposited onto the
template and then physically or chemically converted into a solid
active material. In specific embodiments, a liquid-containing
tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) sol-gel (SiO.sub.2) can be
deposited onto a template followed by chemical reduction to
silicon.
[0080] Various process techniques and process conditions are
described in more detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
13/114,413, entitled "MULTIDIMENSIONAL ELECTROCHEMICALLY ACTIVE
STRUCTURES FOR BATTERY ELECTRODES," filed on May 24, 2011 (Attorney
Docket AMPRP014US), which is incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety for purposes of describing these process techniques
and process conditions.
[0081] Different deposition techniques, process conditions, and/or
precursors may lead to active material coatings having different
characteristics. In certain embodiments, operations 408-412 are
repeated (decision block 414) to form multi-layered active material
coatings that demonstrate superior cell performance characteristics
in comparison with single-layered active material coatings. In one
example, a first layer/coating of amorphous silicon is deposited
using a PECVD technique followed by a second layer/coating of
amorphous silicon deposited by a thermal CVD technique, or vice
versa. Each of these two active material coatings has a different
crystallinity, porosity, density, impurities' concentrations (e.g.,
hydrogen), vacancies, and residual stress levels. A series of tests
was performed to determine effects of process conditions on an
atomic density of silicon. In the first test, silicon was deposited
using a thermal CVD technique at 520.degree. C. resulting in a
structure having of 95% of silicon and 5% of hydrogen and having a
density of 5.40E22 atoms per cubic centimeter. In the second test,
silicon was deposited using a thermal CVD technique but at a higher
temperature of 550.degree. C., which resulted in a structure having
of 98% of silicon and 1% of hydrogen and having a density of only
5.16E22 atoms per cubic centimeter. Finally, in the third test,
silicon was deposited using a PECVD technique at 520.degree. C.
resulting in a structure having of 89% of silicon and 11% of
hydrogen and having a density of 5.88E22 atoms per cubic
centimeter.
[0082] In another example, a first layer/coating of amorphous
silicon is deposited using a thermal CVD technique using one set of
process conditions (e.g., a substrate temperature, chamber
pressure, precursors' compositions), while a second layer/coating
is also deposited using a thermal CVD technique but another set of
conditions. In yet another embodiment, a first layer/coating of
amorphous silicon is deposited and then etched to form a porous
amorphous silicon layer. A second layer/coating of amorphous
silicon is the deposited over this porous layer. The second
layer/coating may or may not undergo similar etching. A higher
porosity of at least the first inner layer helps to overcome large
volume changes of this silicon multilayer structure during
cycling.
[0083] It has been found that short range disorder in the active
material structures can greatly influence various cell performance
characteristics. For example, different CVD techniques yield
different short range order (SRO) ratios, which are believed to
have impact the cycle life. FIGS. 4B-4E illustrates short range
order ratios of four amorphous silicon coatings deposited using
different process conditions. FIG. 4B corresponds to an un-doped
amorphous silicon coating deposited using a PECVD process. FIG. 4C
corresponds to a silicon layer deposited using a thermal CVD
technique at 520.degree. C. A curve fitting was used to determine
that an ordered (crystalline) silicon phase is predominantly at 520
cm.sup.-1 position. Another peak at about 480 cm.sup.-1 corresponds
to amorphous silicon. FIG. 4D corresponds to a doped silicon
material deposited using a PECVD technique performed at about
550.degree. C. From the curve fitting, it can be observed that a
PECVD leads to almost all silicon deposited in an amorphous state.
An SRO ration for silicon deposited using a thermal CVD at
520.degree. C. was 4%, while for silicon deposited at 550.degree.
C., it was about 14%.
[0084] It has been also found that residual stresses in active
material coatings may have significant impact on stability of these
structures during cycling (i.e., lithiation and delithiation).
Various deposition and post-deposition treatment process parameters
have been investigated to determine effects of these parameters on
the residual stress levels. For example, it has been found that
some forms of etching and rapid thermal annealing can help with
reducing the residual stresses in amorphous silicon structures and
greatly improve cycle life of the resulting cells.
[0085] Furthermore, small initial defects formed in active material
coatings may further develop during subsequent processing, e.g.,
post-deposition treatments and forming additional coating layers.
For example, even a small crack may cause a large portion of the
active material coating to buckle and loose contact with the
underlying template structure. FIG. 4F is a schematic
representation of a residual stress model for a multilayer
electrode structure in accordance with certain embodiments. This
model has been developed from linear elastic fracture mechanics
(LEFM) for multi-layered coatings to estimate the stress level.
According to this model, materials with different coefficient of
thermal expansion (CTE) may be used to match strain between layers
and reduce initial stresses to less than about 1 GPa range. This in
turn may help to prevent cracking and separating of the coating at
least during processing, where these materials are subjected to
severe thermal fluctuations. It has been found that specifically
tailoring these characteristics of active material coatings help to
overcome some of the stress induced fracture described above. In
other words, more active material can be deposited on the same
template structure without sacrificing cycling performance of the
cell, while improving its overall capacity.
[0086] FIG. 5A is a plan view of a partially-assembled
electrochemical cell that uses electrodes described herein,
according to an embodiment of the invention. The cell has a
positive electrode active layer 502 that is show covering a major
portion of a positive current collector 503. The cell also has a
negative electrode active layer 504 that is show covering a major
portion of a negative current collector 505. Between the positive
electrode active layer 502 and the negative electrode active layer
504 is a separator 506.
[0087] In one embodiment, the negative electrode active layer 504
is slightly larger than the positive electrode active layer 502 to
ensure trapping of the lithium ions released from the positive
electrode active layer 502 by the active material of the negative
active layer 504. In one embodiment, the negative active layer 504
extends at least between about 0.25 and 5 mm beyond the positive
active layer 502 in one or more directions. In a more specific
embodiment, the negative layer extends beyond the positive layer by
between about 1 and 2 mm in one or more directions. In certain
embodiments, the edges of the separator 506 extend beyond the outer
edges of at least the negative active layer 504 to provide complete
electronic insulation of the negative electrode from the other
battery components.
[0088] FIG. 5B is a cross-section view of a partially-assembled
electrochemical cell 500 that uses electrodes described herein,
according to an embodiment of the invention. Cell 500 includes a
positive current collector 503 that has a positive electrode active
layer 502a on one side and a positive electrode active layer 502b
on the opposite side. Cell 500 also includes a negative current
collector 505 that has a negative electrode active layer 504a on
one side and a negative electrode active layer 504b on the opposite
side. There is a separator 506a between the positive electrode
active layer 502a and the negative electrode active layer 504a. The
separator 506 serves to maintain mechanical separation between the
positive electrode active layer 502a and the negative electrode
active layer 504a and acts as a sponge to soak up liquid
electrolyte (not shown) that will be added later. The ends of the
current collectors 503, 505 on which there is no active material
can be used for connecting to the appropriate terminal of a cell
(not shown).
[0089] The electrode layers 502a, 504a, the current collectors 503,
505, and the separator 506a together can be said to form one
electrochemical cell unit. The complete stack 500 shown in FIG. 5B,
includes the electrode layers 502b, 504b and the additional
separator 506b. The current collectors 503, 505 can be shared
between adjacent cells. When such stacks are repeated, the result
is a cell or battery with larger capacity than that of a single
cell unit.
[0090] Another way to make a battery or cell with large capacity is
to make one very large cell unit and wind it in upon itself to make
multiple stacks. The cross-section schematic illustration in FIG.
6A shows how long and narrow electrodes can be wound together with
two sheets of separator to form a battery or cell, sometimes
referred to as a jellyroll 600. The jellyroll is shaped and sized
to fit the internal dimensions of a curved, often cylindrical, case
602. The jellyroll 600 has a positive electrode 606 and a negative
electrode 604. The white spaces between the electrodes are the
separator sheets. The jelly roll can be inserted into the case 602.
In some embodiments, the jellyroll 600 may have a mandrel 608 in
the center that establishes an initial winding diameter and
prevents the inner winds from occupying the center axial region.
The mandrel 608 may be made of conductive material, and, in some
embodiments, it may be a part of a cell terminal. FIG. 6B shows a
perspective view of the jelly roll 600 with a positive tab 612 and
a negative tab 614 extending from the positive current collector
(not shown) and the negative current collector (not shown),
respectively. The tabs may be welded to the current collectors.
[0091] The length and width of the electrodes depend on the overall
dimensions of the cell and thicknesses of the active layers and the
current collectors. For example, a conventional 18650 cell with 18
mm diameter and 65 mm length may have electrodes that are between
about 300 and 1000 mm long. Shorter electrodes corresponding to
lower rate/higher capacity applications are thicker and have fewer
winds.
[0092] A cylindrical design may be desirable for some lithium ion
cells because the electrodes can swell during cycling and thus
exert pressure on the casing. It is useful to use a cylindrical
casing that is as thin as possible while still able to maintain
sufficient pressure on the cell (with a good safety margin).
Prismatic (flat) cells may be similarly wound, but their case may
be flexible so that they can bend along the longer sides to
accommodate the internal pressure. Moreover, the pressure may not
be the same within different parts of the cell, and the corners of
the prismatic cell may be left empty. Empty pockets are not
desirable within lithium ions cells because electrodes tend to be
unevenly pushed into these pockets during electrode swelling.
Moreover, the electrolyte may aggregate in empty pockets and leave
dry areas between the electrodes, negatively affecting lithium ion
transport between the electrodes. Nevertheless, for certain
applications, such as those dictated by rectangular form factors,
prismatic cells are appropriate. In some embodiments, prismatic
cells employ stacks of rectangular electrodes and separator sheets
to avoid some of the difficulties encountered with wound prismatic
cells.
[0093] FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of a wound prismatic jellyroll
700. The jellyroll 700 includes a positive electrode 704 and a
negative electrode 706. The white space between the electrodes is
the separator sheet. The jelly roll 700 is enclosed in a
rectangular prismatic case 702. Unlike cylindrical jellyrolls shown
in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the winding of the prismatic jellyroll starts
with a flat extended section in the middle of the jelly roll. In
one embodiment, the jelly roll may include a mandrel (not shown) in
the middle of the jellyroll onto which the electrodes and separator
are wound.
[0094] FIG. 8A illustrates a cross-section of a stacked cell that
includes a plurality of cells (801a, 801b, 801c, 801d, and 801e),
each having a positive electrode (e.g., 803a, 803b), a positive
current collector (e.g., 802), a negative electrode (e.g., 805a,
805b), a negative current collector (e.g., 804), and a separator
(e.g., 806a, 806b) between the electrodes. Each current collector
is shared by adjacent cells. One advantage of stacking cells is
that the stack can be made in almost any shape, which is
particularly suitable for prismatic batteries. The current
collector tabs typically extend from the stack and lead to a
battery terminal. FIG. 8B shows a perspective view of a stacked
cell that includes a plurality of cells.
[0095] Once the electrodes are arranged as described above, the
battery is filled with electrolyte. The electrolyte in lithium ions
cells may be liquid, solid, or gel. Lithium ion cells with the
solid electrolyte are also referred to as a lithium polymer
cells.
[0096] A typical liquid electrolyte includes one or more solvents
and one or more salts, at least one of which includes lithium.
During the first charge cycle (sometimes referred to as a formation
cycle), the organic solvent in the electrolyte can partially
decompose on the negative electrode surface to form a solid
electrolyte interphase layer (SEI layer). The interphase is
generally electrically insulating but ionically conductive,
allowing lithium ions to pass through. The interphase also prevents
decomposition of the electrolyte in the later charging
sub-cycles.
[0097] Some examples of non-aqueous solvents suitable for some
lithium ion cells include the following: cyclic carbonates (e.g.,
ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC), butylene
carbonate (BC) and vinylethylene carbonate (VEC)), lactones (e.g.,
gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), gamma-valerolactone (GVL) and
alpha-angelica lactone (AGL)), linear carbonates (e.g., dimethyl
carbonate (DMC), methyl ethyl carbonate (MEC), diethyl carbonate
(DEC), methyl propyl carbonate (MPC), dipropyl carbonate (DPC),
methyl butyl carbonate (NBC) and dibutyl carbonate (DBC)), ethers
(e.g., tetrahydrofuran (THF), 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, 1,4-dioxane,
1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME), 1,2-diethoxyethane and
1,2-dibutoxyethane), nitrites (e.g., acetonitrile and adiponitrile)
linear esters (e.g., methyl propionate, methyl pivalate, butyl
pivalate and octyl pivalate), amides (e.g., dimethyl formamide),
organic phosphates (e.g., trimethyl phosphate and trioctyl
phosphate), and organic compounds containing an S.dbd.O group
(e.g., dimethyl sulfone and divinyl sulfone), and combinations
thereof.
[0098] Non-aqueous liquid solvents can be employed in combination.
Examples of the combinations include combinations of cyclic
carbonate-linear carbonate, cyclic carbonate-lactone, cyclic
carbonate-lactone-linear carbonate, cyclic carbonate-linear
carbonate-lactone, cyclic carbonate-linear carbonate-ether, and
cyclic carbonate-linear carbonate-linear ester. In one embodiment,
a cyclic carbonate may be combined with a linear ester. Moreover, a
cyclic carbonate may be combined with a lactone and a linear ester.
In a specific embodiment, the ratio of a cyclic carbonate to a
linear ester is between about 1:9 to 10:0, preferably 2:8 to 7:3,
by volume.
[0099] A salt for liquid electrolytes may include one or more of
the following: LiPF.sub.6, LiBF.sub.4, LiClO.sub.4LiAsF.sub.6,
LiN(CF.sub.3SO.sub.2).sub.2, LiN(C.sub.2F.sub.5SO.sub.2).sub.2,
LiCF.sub.3SO.sub.3, LiC(CF.sub.3SO.sub.2).sub.3,
LiPF.sub.4(CF.sub.3).sub.2, LiPF.sub.3(C.sub.2F.sub.5).sub.3,
LiPF.sub.3(CF.sub.3).sub.3, LiPF.sub.3(iso-C.sub.3F.sub.7).sub.3,
LiPF.sub.5(iso-C.sub.3F.sub.7), lithium salts having cyclic alkyl
groups (e.g., (CF.sub.2).sub.2(SO.sub.2).sub.2xLi and
(CF.sub.2).sub.3(SO.sub.2).sub.2xLi), and combination of thereof.
Common combinations include LiPF.sub.6 and LiBF.sub.4, LiPF.sub.6
and LiN(CF.sub.3SO.sub.2).sub.2, LiBF.sub.4 and
LiN(CF.sub.3SO.sub.2).sub.2.
[0100] In one embodiment the total concentration of salt in a
liquid non-aqueous solvent (or combination of solvents) is at least
about 0.3 M; in a more specific embodiment, the salt concentration
is at least about 0.7M. The upper concentration limit may be driven
by a solubility limit or may be no greater than about 2.5 M; in a
more specific embodiment, no more than about 1.5 M.
[0101] A solid electrolyte is typically used without the separator
because it serves as the separator itself. It is electrically
insulating, ionically conductive, and electrochemically stable. In
the solid electrolyte configuration, a lithium containing salt,
which could be the same as for the liquid electrolyte cells
described above, is employed but rather than being dissolved in an
organic solvent, it is held in a solid polymer composite. Examples
of solid polymer electrolytes may be ionically conductive polymers
prepared from monomers containing atoms having lone pairs of
electrons available for the lithium ions of electrolyte salts to
attach to and move between during conduction, such as
Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or chloride or copolymer of their
derivatives, Poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene),
poly(ethylene-chlorotrifluoro-ethylene), or poly(fluorinated
ethylene-propylene), Polyethylene oxide (PEO) and oxymethylene
linked PEO, PEO-PPO-PEO crosslinked with trifunctional urethane,
Poly(bis(methoxy-ethoxy-ethoxide))-phosphazene (MEEP), Triol-type
PEO crosslinked with difunctional urethane,
Poly((oligo)oxyethylene)methacrylate-co-alkali metal methacrylate,
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN), Polymethylmethacrylate (PNMA),
Polymethylacrylonitrile (PMAN), Polysiloxanes and their copolymers
and derivatives, Acrylate-based polymer, other similar solvent-free
polymers, combinations of the foregoing polymers either condensed
or cross-linked to form a different polymer, and physical mixtures
of any of the foregoing polymers. Other less conductive polymers
may be used in combination with the above polymers to improve
strength of thin laminates include: polyester (PET), polypropylene
(PP), polyethylene napthalate (PEN), polyvinylidene fluoride
(PVDF), polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and
polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
[0102] FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-section view of the wound
cylindrical cell in accordance with one embodiment. A jelly roll
includes a spirally wound positive electrode 902, a negative
electrode 904, and two sheets of the separator 906. The jelly roll
is inserted into a cell case 916, and a cap 918 and gasket 920 are
used to seal the cell. In some cases, cap 912 or case 916 includes
a safety device. For example, a safety vent or burst valve may be
employed to break open if excessive pressure builds up in the
battery. Also, a positive thermal coefficient (PTC) device may be
incorporated into the conductive pathway of cap 918 to reduce the
damage that might result if the cell suffered a short circuit. The
external surface of the cap 918 may used as the positive terminal,
while the external surface of the cell case 916 may serve as the
negative terminal. In an alternative embodiment, the polarity of
the battery is reversed and the external surface of the cap 918 is
used as the negative terminal, while the external surface of the
cell case 916 serves as the positive terminal. Tabs 908 and 910 may
be used to establish a connection between the positive and negative
electrodes and the corresponding terminals. Appropriate insulating
gaskets 914 may be inserted to prevent the possibility of internal
shorting. For example, a Kapton.TM. film may be used for internal
insulation. During fabrication, the cap 918 may be crimped to the
case 916 in order to seal the cell. However prior to this
operation, electrolyte (not shown) is added to fill the porous
spaces of the jelly roll.
[0103] A rigid case is typically required for lithium ion cells,
while lithium polymer cells may be packed into a flexible,
foil-type (polymer laminate) case. A variety of materials can be
chosen for the case. For lithium-ion batteries, Ti-6-4, other Ti
alloys, Al, Al alloys, and 300 series stainless steels may be
suitable for the positive conductive case portions and end caps,
and commercially pure Ti, Ti alloys, Cu, Al, Al alloys, Ni, Pb, and
stainless steels may be suitable for the negative conductive case
portions and end caps.
[0104] A lithium ion battery, which may form or be part of a cell
pack or a battery pack, includes one or more lithium ion
electrochemical cells of this invention, each containing
electrochemically active materials. In addition to the cells, a
lithium ion battery may also include a power management circuit to
control balance power among multiple cells, control charge and
discharge parameters, ensure safety (thermal and electrical
runaways), and other purposes. Individual cells may be connected in
series and/or in parallel with each other to form a battery with
appropriate voltage, power, and other characteristics.
[0105] In addition to the battery applications described above,
metal silicides may be used in fuel cells (e.g., for negative
electrodes, positive electrodes, and electrolytes), hetero-junction
solar cell active materials, various forms of current collectors,
and/or absorption coatings. Some of these applications can benefit
from a high surface area provided by metal silicide structures,
high conductivity of silicide materials, and fast inexpensive
deposition techniques.
[0106] A series of tests were performed on cells fabricated using
various techniques described above. FIG. 10 illustrates cycling
data corresponding to one such cell. Specifically, FIG. 10
illustrates columbic efficiency 1002 and delithiation capacity 1004
over 160 cycles. The cell maintained a stable capacity of over 1000
mAh/g over this number of cycles. The columbic efficiency was at
about 99.1% in each cycle.
[0107] Although the foregoing invention has been described in some
detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be
apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced
within the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted that
there are many alternative ways of implementing the processes,
systems, and apparatus of the present invention. Accordingly, the
present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not
restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details
given herein.
* * * * *