TW201924126A - Method, processing system for forming a component of an electrochemical energy storage device and oxidation chamber configured to oxidize a ceramic layer of a component of an electrochemical energy storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

A processing system for forming a component of an electrochemical energy storage device is provided. The processing system includes a deposition module (102) configured for depositing a ceramic layer (52) over a flexible substrate (111), and an oxidation module (150) configured to subject the ceramic layer (52) to an oxidizing atmosphere at an elevated temperature.

Description

Method for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device, processing system, and oxidation chamber equipped with a ceramic layer for oxidizing an element of an electrochemical energy storage device

The embodiments of the present disclosure are related to several methods and processing systems for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device, and several oxidation chambers. Several embodiments of the present disclosure are particularly related to a method and several processing systems for forming a cathode, anode, electrolyte, or separator of a lithium or lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, and after use Several oxidation chambers that process a cathode, anode, electrolyte, or separator of a lithium or lithium-ion battery.

Electrical separators can be exemplified as separators used in batteries and other configurations. In batteries and other configurations, several electrodes are separated from each other while maintaining ionic conductivity.

Generally speaking, the separator includes thin, porous, and electrically insulating materials. Compared with the chemicals and solvents used in the system, it has high ionic porosity, good mechanical strength, and long-term stability. The chemicals and solvents used in this system are exemplified in the electrolyte of a battery. In batteries, the separator is usually completely electrically insulating the cathode and anode. In addition, the separator is usually permanently resilient and follows the movement in the system, not only blocking loads from the outside, but also preventing "breathing" of the electrodes during ion introduction and discharge.

In general, spacers are critical to determining the life and safety of the system in which they are used. For example, the development of interchangeable batteries has been greatly influenced by the development of appropriate separator materials.

In particular, the separator used in high-energy batteries or high-performance batteries can be very thin to ensure low specific space conditions and to minimize internal resistance, and can have high porosity to ensure low internal resistance, and light weight to Achieve low specific weight of battery system.

The separator generally includes a ceramic layer, which is porous to the ions of the battery. In the case of a lithium battery, the ceramic layer may be porous to lithium ions (Li-ions). However, the ceramic layer may not be all porous. For example, the ceramic layer may include metal atoms, is not completely bound and may react with lithium ions during the charge / discharge of the lithium ion battery. As a result, battery performance may deteriorate.

In view of the above, the embodiments described herein focus on providing methods and systems for forming several elements of an electrochemical energy storage device, which can overcome at least some problems in the art. This disclosure focuses on providing several methods and systems for forming several elements of an electrochemical energy storage device, which can increase the charge transfer (discharge / charge rate) voltage and life of the electrochemical energy storage device.

In view of the above, according to the scope of the independent patent application, a method and a processing system for forming several elements of an electrochemical energy storage device, and an oxidation of a ceramic layer assembled to oxidize one element of an electrochemical energy storage device are proposed. Chamber. Other aspects, advantages, and features of this application are made clearer through the scope, description, and accompanying drawings of the attached patent application.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device is provided. The method includes: depositing a ceramic layer over a soft substrate; and placing the ceramic layer in an oxidizing environment at an elevated temperature.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a processing system for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device is proposed. The processing system includes a deposition module assembled to deposit a ceramic layer over a soft substrate; and an oxidation module assembled to place the ceramic layer in an oxidizing environment at an elevated temperature.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an oxidation chamber is provided, which is assembled to oxidize a ceramic layer of an element of an electrochemical energy storage device. The oxidation chamber includes a substrate transfer mechanism including a first roller and a second roller. The substrate transfer mechanism is assembled to transfer a soft substrate from the first roller to a second roller along a transfer path. A shaft in which a ceramic layer is formed on a soft substrate. The oxidation chamber includes an oxidation module, which is arranged between the first roller and the second roller. The oxidation module is assembled so that the ceramic layer is in an oxidation environment with an elevated temperature.

Several examples also relate to equipment used to perform the disclosed methods, and include equipment components to perform the described method blocks. These method blocks may be implemented by hardware components, a computer programmed with suitable software, any combination of the two, or any other means. Furthermore, the examples according to this application also refer to several methods for operating the described equipment. The method includes several method blocks to perform the functions of the device. In order to have a better understanding of the above and other aspects of the present invention, the following specific examples are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

Detailed reference will now be achieved with several embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more examples of the several embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings. In the description below the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements. In particular, differences between individual embodiments will be described. Examples are provided by way of illustration and are not meant to be a limitation of this disclosure. The features described or described as part of one embodiment can be used in or combined with other embodiments to obtain yet other embodiments. It is expected that this description includes such adjustments and changes.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a processing system 100 for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device.

In the context of this disclosure, “electrochemical energy storage device” can be understood as an electrochemical energy storage that can be exchangeable or non-exchangeable. In this regard, the disclosure does not distinguish between the name "accumulator" on the one hand and "battery" on the other. In the context of this disclosure, the names "electrochemical energy storage device", "electrochemical device" and "electrochemical cell" may be used synonymously in the following. The name "electrochemical energy storage device" is exemplified as may also include a fuel cell. In the several embodiments described herein, an electrochemical cell can be understood as the basic or lowest functional unit of an energy storage. In industrial practice, multiple electrochemical cells can usually be connected in series or parallel to increase the total energy capacity of the storage. In this context, reference may be made to multiple electrochemical cells. Industrially designed batteries can thus have a single battery, or multiple electrochemical cells connected in parallel or in series.

In general, an electrochemical energy storage device as an example of a basic functional unit may include two electrodes of opposite polarities, that is, a negative anode and a positive cathode. The cathode and anode can be separated by a separator. The separator is arranged between the cathode and the anode to avoid a short circuit between the cathode and the anode. The battery may be filled with an electrolyte. The electrolyte may be an ionic conductor, may be in the form of a liquid, a colloid, or sometimes a solid. The separator may be ion-pervious and allow ion exchange between the anode and cathode during a charge or discharge cycle. The components included in the electrochemical energy storage device can be understood as the elements of the electrochemical energy storage device. Therefore, a part or each of the above-mentioned components including the cathode, the anode, the electrolyte, and the separator can be regarded as components of the electrochemical energy storage device, but not limited to these components.

As shown in FIG. 1, the processing system 100 may include a deposition module 102. The deposition module 102 can be assembled to deposit a ceramic layer 52 on or above the soft substrate 111. In particular, the soft substrate may have a first side and / or a second side, and the second side is opposite to the first side. The ceramic layer 52 may be deposited over at least one of the first side and the second side of the flexible substrate 111, or may be deposited on at least one of the first side and the second side of the flexible substrate 111.

In the context of the present disclosure, the “ceramic layer” is, for example, the ceramic layer 52, and can be understood to include a ceramic material or a layer formed of a ceramic material. "Ceramic materials" can be understood as inorganic, non-metal, solid-state materials, including metals, non-metals, or metal atoms that are mainly bound by ions and covalent bonds. In the present disclosure, the ceramic material can be particularly understood as a dielectric material, and the dielectric material includes metal and oxygen atoms in particular, such as alumina, aluminum nitride, and the like. According to several embodiments described herein, the ceramic layer 52 may be an aluminum oxide layer.

According to several embodiments described herein, the ceramic material may be at least one non-conductive or very poorly conductive metal such as aluminum, silicon, lead, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, lanthanum, magnesium, zinc, tin, cerium, yttrium, Oxides of calcium, barium, strontium and combinations thereof. Although silicon is often referred to as a metalloid, in the context of this disclosure, silicon should be included whenever metal is mentioned. According to several embodiments described herein, the components of an electrochemical energy storage device can be optimized for use in an electrochemical cell containing a strong alkaline electrolyte by selecting, in particular, an alkali-resistant input material. For example, zirconium or titanium may be used instead of aluminum or silicon as an inorganic element forming the ceramic layer 52. In this case, the ceramic layer 52 may include zirconia or titanium oxide instead of alumina or silicon oxide.

According to several embodiments described herein, the ceramic layer 52 may be a porous layer or have a porosity. In particular, the ceramic layer 52 may be porous so that a certain element can pass through the ceramic layer 52.

The flexible substrate 111 may particularly include a flexible substrate, such as a plastic film, a web, a foil, a flexible glass, or a strip. The name soft substrate may also include other forms of soft substrate. The flexible substrate used with the embodiments described herein may be flexible. The name "soft substrate" or "substrate" can be used synonymously with the name "foil" or the name "grid". In particular, several of the embodiments described herein can be utilized to coat any kind of soft substrate, for example to make a flat coating with a uniform thickness, or to make a coating pattern or structure into a predetermined Shaped on top of a coated structure on or under a soft substrate. In addition to ceramic layers, electronic devices and structures can be formed on soft substrates by masking, etching, and / or deposition.

According to several embodiments described herein, the soft substrate 111 may include a polymer material selected from the group. The group is: polyacrylonitrile, polyester, polyamide, polyimide, polyolefin, polytetrafluoroethylene, carmellose (carboxymethyl cellulose), polyacrylic acid, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyphenyl ether, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride Vinylidene chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, poly (vinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene), polylactic acid, polypropylene ), Polybutylene, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polystyrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene -Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, poly (methyl methacrylate), polyoxymethylene, poly (pol) ysulfone), styrene-acrylonitrile, styrene-butadiene rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate, styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer (styrene maleic anhydride), and combinations thereof. Any other polymer material that is stable in the strongly reducing conditions found in, for example, lithium-based electrochemical energy storage devices may also be used. According to several embodiments described herein, the soft substrate 111 and / or the ceramic layer 52 can be optimized for use in an electrochemical energy storage device containing a strong alkaline electrolyte by particularly selecting an alkali-resistant input material. For example, the flexible substrate 111 may include polyene or polyacrylonitrile instead of polyester.

In the case of a separator, the soft substrate 111 may be made of microporous polyethylene, polypropylene, polyolefin, and / or a laminate thereof, and / or include microporous polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyolefin And / or a stack thereof.

In the case of a cathode, the soft substrate 111 may be made of and / or include aluminum. In this case, the cathode layer may be formed on the soft substrate 111. The ceramic layer 52 may be formed on the cathode layer. For example, the soft substrate 111 may have a thickness of 5 to 12 µm in the case of a cathode and / or the cathode layer may have a thickness of up to 100 µm. The flexible substrate 111 may additionally or alternatively be a polymer material described herein or include a polymer material described herein, such as polyester, and an aluminum layer is deposited on the flexible substrate 111. The polymer substrate may be thinner than an aluminum substrate and / or a deposited aluminum layer, for example. The deposited aluminum layer may have a thickness of about 0.5 µm to about 1 µm. When implementing several embodiments, the thickness of the cathode can be reduced.

In the case of an anode, the soft substrate 111 may be made of and / or include copper. In this case, an anode layer may be formed on the soft substrate 111. The ceramic layer 52 may be formed on the anode layer. For example, the soft substrate 111 may have a thickness of 5 to 12 µm in the case of an anode and / or the anode layer may have a thickness of up to 100 µm. The flexible substrate 111 may additionally or alternatively be a polymer material as described herein or include a polymer material as described herein, such as polyester, with a copper layer deposited on the flexible substrate 111. The polymer substrate may be thinner than a copper substrate and / or a deposited copper layer, for example. The deposited copper layer may have a thickness of about 0.5 µm to about 1 µm. When implementing several embodiments, the thickness of the anode can be reduced.

According to several embodiments described herein, the material of the soft substrate 111, especially the polymer material, may have a high melting point, for example, equal to or greater than 200 ° C. An element of an electrochemical energy storage device including a polymer material having a high melting point may be useful in an electrochemical energy storage device having a fast charging cycle. In practice, and in particular by virtue of the high thermal stability of elements including polymer materials with high melting points according to the embodiments described herein, electrochemical energy storage devices equipped with such elements may not be too thermally sensitive , And can allow the temperature increase due to rapid charging, without adversely changing components or damaging the electrochemical energy storage device. When several embodiments are implemented, a faster charging cycle can be achieved, which can be beneficial in electric vehicles that can be charged in a shorter time.

According to several embodiments described herein, the soft substrate 111 with or without the ceramic layer 52 may have porosity in a range from 10% to 90%, and in particular, from 40% to 80% Porosity in the range. The soft substrate 111 and / or the ceramic layer 52 may actually provide a path for the electrolyte, and may reduce the electrolyte penetration time. In the context of this disclosure, "porosity" is, for example, the porosity of the soft substrate 111 and / or the ceramic layer 52, and may be related to the accessibility of open pores. For example, porosity can be determined by common methods, for example, by the method of mercury porosimetry and / or it can be calculated from the volume and density of the material by assuming that all pores are open.

According to several embodiments described herein, the electrochemical energy storage device may be a lithium-ion battery. In a lithium-ion battery, the soft substrate 111 can often be made of microporous polyethylene and polyolefin. During the electrochemical reaction during the charge and discharge cycles, lithium ions migrate through the holes in the soft substrate 111 and / or the ceramic layer 52 between the two electrodes of the lithium ion battery. High porosity increases ionic conductivity. However, when, for example, lithium dendrites formed during a cycle cause a short circuit between electrodes, some soft substrates 111 having high porosity may be susceptible to electrical short circuits.

The disclosure can provide very thin components of electrochemical energy storage devices, such as very thin separators. When several embodiments are implemented, the proportion of the components of the electrochemical energy storage device that do not contribute to the activity of the electrochemical energy storage device may be reduced. Furthermore, a reduction in thickness can simultaneously lead to an increase in ionic conductivity. Elements according to several embodiments described herein may allow, for example, an increased density of battery stacks, so that a large amount of energy can be stored in the same volume. When several embodiments are implemented, the limited current density can similarly increase through the enlarged electrode area.

The several embodiments described herein can be used to make spacers. The separator can be separated from the electrochemical energy storage device or directly integrated into the electrochemical energy storage device, such as a lithium-ion battery with an integrated separator, for example. In an integrated separator application, a single-layer separator or a multilayer separator may be formed directly on an electrode of an electrochemical energy storage device. Furthermore, the ceramic layer 52 may be coated on an electrode of an electrochemical energy storage device, such as an anode or a cathode. Therefore, the components of the electrochemical energy storage device may be a separator or a separator, an electrolyte, an anode, and / or a cathode.

According to several embodiments described herein, the ceramic layer 52 may be formed by evaporating a metal. In particular, the ceramic layer 52 may be formed by evaporating a metal in an induction heating crucible. Furthermore, for example, a processing gas such as oxygen may be provided to form the ceramic layer 52. According to several embodiments described herein, the ceramic layer 52 may be formed by reactive evaporation. When implementing several embodiments, very high coating speeds can be achieved compared to conventional spacer coating techniques. Conventional spacer coating techniques are, for example, dip-coating. In particular, the coating speed can be changed according to the thickness and form of the ceramic material to be formed on the soft substrate 111.

According to several embodiments described herein, the thickness of the ceramic layer 52 formed on the soft substrate 111 may be equal to or greater than 25 nm, particularly equal to or greater than 50 nm, and particularly equal to or greater than 100 nm. And / or equal to or less than 1000 nm, especially equal to or less than 500 nm, and especially equal to or less than 150 nm. When implementing several embodiments, a very high energy density in an electrochemical energy storage device can be achieved.

When the ceramic layer 52 is formed by evaporation, and in particular, the ceramic layer 52 is formed by reactive evaporation, the ceramic layer 52 may not be formed entirely stoichiometrically or non-stoichiometrically. In the context of this disclosure, "stoichiometry" is, for example, the stoichiometry of the ceramic layer 52, and can be understood as the calculation of the relative quantities of reactants and products in a chemical reaction. Therefore, "non-stoichiometric" or "incomplete stoichiometry" can mean a situation where the product does not include all reactants. In the example of alumina as the material of the ceramic layer 52, the complete stoichiometric reaction may be: 4Al + 3O ₂ = 2Al ₂ O ₃ . If the alumina is not formed in a fully stoichiometric or non-stoichiometric manner, the reaction product may be exemplified by Al ₂ O _2.5 . Therefore, any composition of AlO _x with x ≠ 1.5 may be considered non-stoichiometric or not formed at full stoichiometry. In this non-stoichiometric ceramic layer, particularly during charging and / or discharging of the electrochemical energy storage device, there may be unbound excess atoms that can react with elements of the electrochemical energy storage device. In the example of a lithium ion battery, for example, during the charging and / or discharging of a lithium ion battery, unbound excess atoms can react with lithium ions passing through the ceramic layer. In the example of alumina as the material of the ceramic layer 52, the unbound excess atom may be aluminum (Al).

According to several embodiments described herein, the processing system 100 may include an oxidation module 150. The oxidation module 150 can be assembled so that the ceramic layer 52 is in an oxidation environment. According to several embodiments described herein, the ceramic layer 52 may be particularly an oxidizing environment at an elevated temperature. When several embodiments are implemented, the stoichiometry of the ceramic layer 52 can be improved. According to an advantageous embodiment, a fully stoichiometric ceramic layer 52 can be obtained virtually.

In the content of this application, the “oxidizing environment” is, for example, an oxidizing environment in which the ceramic layer 52 can be located, and can be understood as an environment that is favorable for the oxidation reaction. An example is to improve the stoichiometry of the ceramic layer 52. According to several embodiments described herein, the oxidizing environment may contain more than 20 vol .-% oxygen.

In the example where alumina is the material of the ceramic layer 52, the alumina can be oxidized when in an oxidizing environment, so that the total amount of unbound excess Al atoms is reduced and / or the alumina includes incremental Al ₂ O ₃ . According to several embodiments described herein, the alumina layer may be in an oxidizing environment in a manner that changes the stoichiometry of the alumina layer. Therefore, fewer elements of the electrochemical energy storage device can react with the ceramic layer 52, and less elements of the electrochemical energy storage device are, for example, the lithium ions described above. When several embodiments are implemented, higher discharge and / or recharge rates, higher voltages, and / or improved life can be achieved. As a result, improved charge migration, increased voltage, and / or extended cycle life can be achieved in practice.

Furthermore, the mechanical robustness of the ceramic layer 52 can be improved. When implementing several embodiments, the manufacturing, post-processing, and storage of such electrochemical energy storage device components and electrochemical energy storage devices can be improved. In particular, the improved robustness of the ceramic layer 52 may help roll and / or reroll the ceramic layer 52 formed on the soft substrate 111.

According to several embodiments described herein, the ceramic layer 52 may be in an oxidizing environment at an elevated temperature. In the context of the present disclosure, the “rising temperature” is, for example, that the ceramic layer 52 may be at the rising temperature of the oxidizing environment. Therefore, the elevated temperature can be understood as a temperature higher than room temperature or ambient temperature. There may also be devices to raise the ambient temperature to an elevated temperature. For example, a heating device or heating assembly may be applied to achieve an elevated temperature.

According to several embodiments described herein, the elevated temperature may be equal to or greater than the ambient temperature, and / or equal to or greater than 23 ° C, especially equal to or greater than 50 ° C, and especially equal to or greater than 80 ° C. The elevated temperature is additionally or alternatively equal to or greater than 50 ° C, in particular equal to or greater than 60 ° C, in particular equal to or greater than 80 ° C, and / or equal to or less than 180 ° C, in particular Equal to or lower than 120 ° C, especially equal to or lower than 100 ° C.

Such an increase in temperature can increase the rate of oxidation, that is, the higher the temperature, the faster the oxidation treatment can be. Nonetheless, there may be further restrictions that may provide an upper limit for the elevated temperature. In the application of electrochemical energy storage devices, there may be strict restrictions on the application of elevated temperature. As described above, the soft substrate 111 may be deformed due to the temperature. Although the material of the soft substrate 111 described above can be used and has a melting point of about 200 ° C, many soft substrates do not have such a high melting point. Furthermore, lithium (Li) has a melting point of about 180 ° C, and may also limit the temperature range in which the temperature is increased. Therefore, the use of elevated temperature to form or post-process the ceramic layer of a component of an electrochemical energy storage device, especially the use of elevated temperature to form or post-process a ceramic layer of a cell of a lithium-ion battery, is generally contrary Counterintuitive. This application describes the use of oxidizing environments at elevated temperatures to improve the stoichiometry of ceramic layers.

FIG. 1 illustrates that the oxidation module 150 is disposed downstream of the deposition module 102. Such an assembly may be used in accordance with several embodiments described herein, while other assemblies may also be feasible. For example, the oxidation module 150 may be configured in series, that is, the oxidation module 150 is configured in series. In this case, the oxidation module 150 and the sedimentation module 102 may be in the same processing system or processing chamber. Furthermore, the oxidation module 150 may be configured off-line, that is, configured on a line different from the deposition module 102. In this case, the oxidation module 150 and the deposition module 102 may be in different processing systems or processing chambers. For example, a separate oxidation chamber may be provided for the oxidation module 150. Furthermore, the deposition module 102 may be disposed in a first processing chamber, and the oxidation module 150 may be disposed in a second processing chamber of the same processing system.

The soft substrate 111 can be moved during processing in a vacuum processing chamber, for example, from the deposition module 102 to the oxidation module 150. According to several embodiments described herein, a substrate transfer mechanism may be provided. For example, the soft substrate 111 may be transferred along the transfer path P through the deposition module 102 and / or the oxidation module 150.

As shown in FIG. 1, a first substrate support and / or a second substrate support may be provided. The second substrate supporting member is disposed at a distance from the first substrate supporting member. The first substrate support and / or the second substrate support may also be referred to as a roller, such as a first roller and / or a second roller. The first roller 22 and the second roller 24 may be part of a substrate transfer mechanism. According to several embodiments described herein, the soft substrate 111 may be transferred from the first roller 22 to the second roller 24. The soft substrate 111 can be carried from the first roller 22 along the conveying path P and / or to the second roller 24 (shown by a circle with a point in the center to indicate the conveying path P perpendicular to the projection plane). According to several embodiments described herein, the substrate transfer mechanism may be assembled to transfer the soft substrate 111 to the second roller 24 along the transfer path P from the first roller 22. The deposition module 102 and / or the oxidation module 150 may be disposed at a position between the first roller 22 and the second roller 24. According to several embodiments described herein, the deposition module 102 and / or the oxidation module 150 may be arranged along the transfer path P. According to several embodiments described herein, the ceramic layer 52 may be formed when the soft substrate 111 is transferred from the first roller 22 to the second roller 24. According to several embodiments described herein, when the soft substrate 111 is transferred from the first roller 22 to the second roller 24, the ceramic layer 52 may be in an oxidizing environment.

In some applications, the soft substrate 111 can be unrolled from the storage roller, can be conveyed on the outer surface of the coating drum, and can be guided along the outer surface of other rollers. The coated soft substrate can be wound on a winding reel.

In the content of this disclosure, for example, "roller", "roller" or "roller device" as part of a roller assembly can be understood as providing a surface A device, such as a soft substrate 111 (or a portion of the soft substrate 111), can be contacted during the substrate's presence in a deposition configuration (such as a deposition equipment or deposition chamber) This surface. At least a part of the roller device may include a circular shape for contacting the substrate. In some embodiments, the roller device may have a substantially cylindrical shape. This substantially cylindrical shape may be formed around a linear longitudinal axis or may be formed around a curved longitudinal axis. According to some embodiments, a roller device as described herein may be adapted to contact a soft substrate. The roller device referred to herein may be a guide roller, a spreader roller, a deflection roller, or the like. The guide roller is suitable for guiding the substrate when the substrate is coated (or part of the substrate is coated) or when the substrate is present in the processing equipment. Coater rollers are suitable to provide a defined tension on the substrate to be coated. The deflection roller is used to deflect the substrate according to a defined path of travel.

According to several embodiments described herein, the processing chamber may be equipped for processing a soft substrate 111 having a length of 500 m or more, 1000 m or more, or several kilometers. The substrate width may be 100 mm or more, 300 mm or more, 500 mm or more, or 1 m or more. The substrate width may be 5 m or less, especially 2 m or less. In general, the substrate thickness can be 5 µm or more and 200 µm or less, especially from 15 µm to 20 µm.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a processing system 100 for depositing a ceramic layer on a surface of a soft substrate 111. The processing system 100 may include a loading / unloading chamber 101. The loading / unloading chamber 101 may be assembled to load and / or unload the soft substrate 111 into and from the processing system 100. According to several embodiments described herein, the loading / unloading chamber may be maintained under vacuum during processing of the soft substrate 111. The vacuum device 190 may be provided to exhaust the loading / unloading chamber 101, and the vacuum device 190 is, for example, a vacuum pump.

According to several embodiments described herein, the loading / unloading chamber 101 may include an unwinding module 110 and / or a rewinding module 130. The unwinding module 110 may include a unwinding roller for unwinding the soft substrate 111. During processing, the soft substrate 111 may be unrolled (indicated by arrow 113) and / or guided to the coating drum 120 by one or more guide rollers 112. After processing, the soft substrate 111 can be wound (arrow 114) on a rewinding roller in the rewinding module 130.

Furthermore, the loading / unloading chamber 101 may include a tension module 180, for example, including one or more tension rollers. The loading / unloading chamber 101 may also additionally or alternatively include a pivot device 170, such as a pivot arm, for example. The pivot device 170 may be assembled to be movable relative to the rewind module 130.

According to several embodiments described herein, the unwinding module 110, the rewinding module 130, the guide roller 112, the pivot device 170, and the tension module 180 may be a substrate transfer mechanism and / or a roller assembly Part of it.

According to several embodiments described herein, the processing system 100 may include a deposition chamber 103 or an evaporation chamber. The deposition chamber 103 may include a deposition module 102. The deposition module 102 may be similar to or the same as the deposition module 102 described in particular with reference to FIG. 1. The deposition chamber 103 may be evacuated by a vacuum device 190, and the vacuum device 190 may also be used to evacuate the loading / unloading chamber 101. The deposition chamber 103 may additionally or alternatively have a vacuum device, and this vacuum device which is also used to exhaust the loading / unloading chamber 101 may be separated from the vacuum device 190.

As exemplarily shown in FIG. 2, the deposition module 102 may include an evaporation device 140. The evaporation device 140 may be equipped to evaporate materials, especially metals. According to several embodiments described herein, the evaporation device 140 may include one or more evaporation dishes. The evaporation device 140 may further include one or more wires that are wired into the evaporation device 140. In particular, there can be one line for each evaporation dish. The one or more lines may include and / or be made from a material to be evaporated. In particular, the one or more wires may provide a material that will evaporate.

According to several embodiments described herein, the evaporation device 140 may be one or more induction heating crucibles. With radio frequency (RF) induction heating, especially intermediate frequency (MF) induction heating, induction heating crucibles can be exemplified as being assembled to evaporate metals in a vacuum environment. Furthermore, the metal may be provided in an exchangeable crucible, such as, for example, one or more graphite containers. The exchangeable crucible may include an insulating material surrounding the crucible. One or more induction coils can be wound around the crucible and insulating material. According to several embodiments described herein, the one or more induction coils may be water cooled. Where an exchangeable crucible is used, there is no need to provide a line into the evaporation device 140. The exchangeable crucible can be pre-loaded with metal and can be replaced or replenished periodically. In particular, supplying metals in batches has the advantage of accurately controlling the total amount of evaporated metal.

Compared with the traditional evaporation method that uses a resistance heating crucible to evaporate metal, the induction heating crucible system provides a heating process generated inside the crucible, instead of providing an external source through a heat conduction heating process. Induction heating crucibles have the advantage of very fast and uniform heating of all walls of the crucible. The evaporation temperature of metal can be controlled more closely than traditional resistance heating crucibles. When using an induction heating crucible, heating the crucible above the evaporation temperature of the metal may not be necessary. When several embodiments are implemented, more controllable and efficient metal evaporation can be provided to make the ceramic layer formed on the soft substrate more homogeneous. By reducing the possibility of splattering of evaporated metal, precise control of the temperature of the crucible can also avoid / reduce pin hole and through hole defects in the ceramic layer. Defects in pin holes and through holes in separators may cause short circuits in electrochemical cells.

According to several embodiments described herein, an induction heating crucible can be exemplified by being surrounded by one or more induction coils (not shown in the drawings). The induction coil can be part of the induction heating crucible. Furthermore, the induction coil and the induction heating crucible can be provided as separate components. Separate induction heating crucibles and induction coils provide easy maintenance of the evaporation equipment.

According to several embodiments described herein, the evaporation device may include one or more electrode beam sources. The one or more electrode beam sources may provide one or more electrode beams to evaporate the material to be evaporated.

According to several embodiments described herein, a power source 240 may be provided (see FIG. 3). The power source 240 can be connected to the induction coil. The power source may be an alternating current (AC) power source and may be assembled to provide power with low voltage but high current and high frequency. Furthermore, the reaction power can be increased by including a resonance coil, for example. According to several embodiments described herein, in addition to or in place of a conductive material, an induction heating crucible may be exemplified by including a ferromagnetic material. Examples of magnetic materials include improved induction heating processes and better control of the evaporation temperature of metals.

According to several embodiments described herein, the coating drum 120 of the processing system 100 can separate the loading / unloading chamber 101 and the sedimentation chamber 103. The coating drum 120 may be assembled to guide the soft substrate 111 into the deposition chamber 103. Generally, the coating drum 120 can be disposed in the processing chamber, so that the soft substrate 111 can pass above the deposition module 102. According to several embodiments described herein, the coating drum 120 may be cooled.

The deposition module 102 may include a plasma source 108. The plasma source 108 may be assembled to generate a plasma between the evaporation device 140 and the coating drum 120. The plasma source 108 may be exemplified by an electron beam device that is configured to ignite the plasma using the electron beam. According to other embodiments described herein, the plasma source may be a hollow anode deposition plasma source. By further reducing the possibility of splattering of evaporated metal, plasma can help avoid / reduce pin holes and through holes in porous coatings on substrates. Plasma can also excite particles of evaporated metal. According to several embodiments described herein, plasma can increase the density and uniformity of porous coatings deposited on soft substrates.

According to several embodiments described herein, the deposition module 102 may include a gas supplier for supplying a process gas. The gas supplier may include a gas guiding device 107. The gas guiding device 107 may be configured to controllably guide the processing gas into the deposition module 102 and / or the deposition chamber 103. The gas guiding device may include, for example, a nozzle and a supply pipe, and is connected to a processing gas supplier for supplying a processing gas to the deposition module 102 and / or the deposition chamber 103.

The processing gas may be a reaction gas. In particular, the processing gas may be a reaction gas that reacts with the metal evaporated by the evaporation device 140. For example, the processing gas may be and / or include oxygen, ozone, argon, and combinations thereof.

For the case where oxygen is included in the processing gas, the oxygen may be exemplified to react with the evaporated metal to form a ceramic layer 52 on the soft substrate 111. Elements of an electrochemical energy storage device such as a separator or a separator, an electrolyte, a cathode, and an anode may include AlO _x . Metals such as aluminum may be exemplified by evaporation by an induction heating crucible, and oxygen may be provided to the evaporated metal via a gas guiding device.

According to several embodiments described herein, the processing system may include an oxidation module 150. The oxidation module 150 may be an annealing module for annealing the ceramic layer 52. The oxidation module 150 may be similar to or the same as the oxidation module 150 described in particular with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the oxidation module 150 may be disposed downstream of the deposition chamber 103. The oxidation module 150 may be assembled to place the ceramic layer in an oxidation environment and / or an annealing environment, especially at an oxidation distance and / or an annealing distance. The oxidation distance and / or annealing distance may be long enough to obtain the desired total amount of oxidation and / or annealing.

According to several embodiments described herein, the oxidation module 150 may include a gas component 151. The gas assembly 151 may be assembled to provide an oxidizing gas, such as oxygen. According to several embodiments described herein, the oxidation module 150 may include a heating element (not shown). The heating assembly can be assembled to increase the temperature of at least one of the supplied oxidizing gas, the soft substrate 111 and the ceramic layer 52.

According to several embodiments described herein, the oxidation module 150 may include a suction device. The suction device 152 can be assembled to suck an excessive amount of oxidizing gas, that is, an oxidizing gas that is not used to oxidize the ceramic layer 52. The suction device 152 may be disposed with respect to the soft substrate 111 and opposite to the gas assembly 151. Therefore, the processing gas supplied from the gas assembly 151 can be supplied to the ceramic layer 52, traverses the soft substrate 111, and sucked by the suction device 152. When several embodiments are implemented, contamination of the processing system 100 can be avoided.

The oxidation module 150 may further include a plasma source (not shown in FIG. 2, see FIG. 4). The plasma source may be a plasma source 153, particularly the oxidation chamber 200 described with reference to FIG. When several embodiments are implemented, the oxidation distance and / or annealing distance can be reduced.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the processing system 100 shown in FIG. 2. According to several embodiments described herein, the processing system 100 may include a control system 220. The control system 220 may be connected to at least one of the deposition module 102, the oxidation module 150, the gas guiding device 107, the plasma source 108, and the power source 240. According to several embodiments described herein, the control system 220 may be assembled to adjust the power supplied to the deposition module 102, the power supplied to the plasma source 108, and the gas guiding device 107 to guide the deposition module 102. At least one of the total amount of processing gas and / or the orientation of the gas flow of the processing gas. According to several embodiments described herein, the control system 220 may be assembled to additionally or alternatively adjust the total amount of oxidation gas supplied by the oxidation module 150 and / or the orientation of the gas flow of the oxidation gas, and the suction device 152. Absorb at least one of the forces.

According to several embodiments described herein, the gas guide 107 may be configured to provide a flow of process gas in a direction approximately parallel to the evaporation direction 230 of the metal. According to several embodiments described herein, the orientation of the air flow provided by the gas guiding device can be adjusted based on at least one of the uniformity and composition of the ceramic layer 52. When implementing several embodiments, it is possible to ensure a more efficient reaction between the reaction gas and the evaporated metal to form a ceramic layer. By being able to more accurately control the total amount of processing gas that interacts with the evaporated metal, the gas guide device 107 is configured to guide the reaction gas in a direction substantially parallel to the evaporation direction 230 of the metal from the evaporation device 140. Helps better control the coating process.

According to several embodiments described herein, the plasma 210 may be guided in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the evaporation direction 230 of the metal. When implementing several embodiments, splashing of evaporated metal can be avoided and / or pin hole defects of the ceramic layer can be reduced.

Although the oxidation module 150 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 to be arranged in series with the sunk module 102, the oxidation module 150 may be configured offline as described above. For example, the oxidation chamber 200 may be disposed at the configurable oxidation module 150. The oxidation chamber 200 may be separated from the sedimentation chamber 103. Furthermore, the oxidation chamber 200 may be separated from the processing system 100. In addition, the processing system 100 may be a multi-chamber system including a plurality of processing chambers, such as a deposition chamber 103 and / or an oxidation chamber 200. Furthermore, the processing system 100 may include a storage chamber. In the storage chamber, before the re-rolled soft substrate 111 having the ceramic layer 52 deposited on the soft substrate 111 can be transferred to the oxidation chamber 200, the re-rolled substrate having the ceramic layer 52 deposited on the soft substrate 111 The soft substrate 111 can be stored.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an oxidation chamber 200 according to several embodiments. The oxidation chamber 200 may include an oxidation module 150 and / or a substrate transfer mechanism.

The substrate transfer mechanism may include a first roller 222 and / or a second roller 224. The first roller 222 and / or the second roller 224 of the oxidation chamber 200 may be similar to or equivalent to the first roller 22 and / or the second roller exemplified as the processing system 100 described in particular with reference to FIG. 1.轴 24. The shaft 24. Furthermore, the oxidation chamber 200 may include a substrate transfer mechanism and / or a roller assembly similar to or the same as the processing system 100 described in particular with reference to FIG. 2. Therefore, the substrate transfer mechanism and / or the roller assembly of the oxidation chamber 200 may include the same, similar, or corresponding components as the substrate transfer mechanism and / or the roller assembly of the processing system 100, particularly including the unwinding module. 110. Rewind module 130, guide roller 112, pivot device 170, and tension module 180. The substrate conveying mechanism can be assembled to convey the soft substrate 111 to the second roller 224 from the first roller 222 along the conveying path P '. The ceramic layer 52 may be formed on the soft substrate 111.

According to several embodiments described herein, the oxidizing module 150 may be disposed on the transmission path P 'between the first roller 222 and the second roller 224. The oxidation module 150 can be assembled so that the ceramic layer 52 is in an oxidation environment at an elevated temperature.

Furthermore, the oxidation module 150 in the oxidation chamber 200 may further include the same or similar components as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, in particular, including the gas assembly 151 and / or the suction device 152. Furthermore, the oxidation module 150 may include a plasma source 153. The plasma source 153 can be assembled to generate a plasma between the gas assembly 151 and the soft substrate 111. The plasma source 153 may be exemplified by an electron beam device, which is assembled to ignite the plasma using the electron beam. According to other embodiments described herein, the plasma source may be a hollow anode deposition plasma source. Furthermore, the plasma source 153 may be the same as or similar to the plasma source 108 of the deposition module 102 described in particular with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The plasma may ionize and / or heat the oxidizing gas supplied by the gas assembly 151. Therefore, the oxidation rate of the ceramic layer 52 can be increased. When implementing several embodiments, a fully stoichiometric ceramic layer can be obtained.

According to several embodiments described herein, the oxidation module 150 may include a heating component 154. The heating assembly 154 may be assembled to raise the temperature of at least one of the oxidation chamber 200, the oxidation environment, the soft substrate 111, and the ceramic layer 52. In particular, the heating assembly 154 may be assembled to form or generate an elevated temperature. Therefore, the oxidation rate of the ceramic layer 52 can be increased. When implementing several embodiments, a fully stoichiometric ceramic layer can be obtained.

Although the plasma source 153 and the heating assembly 154 are shown in FIG. 4 as part of the oxidation module 150 arranged in the oxidation chamber 200, the plasma source 153 and / or the heating assembly 154 may also exist in the oxidation chamber The oxidation module 150 outside the chamber 200 is, for example, a series of oxidation modules 150. For example, the plasma source 153 and / or the heating assembly 154 may also be components of the oxidation module 150 described in particular with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In the case where the heating assembly 154 is configured in a processing chamber different from one of the oxidation chambers 200, the heating assembly 154 may be assembled to heat this processing chamber.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method 500 for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device. This method may include operating at least one of 510-520. According to operation 510, the ceramic layer 52 is deposited on the soft substrate 111. According to operation 520, the ceramic layer 52 is placed in an oxidizing environment at an elevated temperature. When implementing several embodiments, ceramic layers with improved stoichiometry can be obtained.

FIG. 6 illustrates a method 300 for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device according to the embodiments described herein. The method 300 may include providing 310 a soft substrate having a front side and a back side. According to several embodiments described herein, providing a soft substrate may include guiding the soft substrate from the unwinding module through a coating drum of an evaporation device to the rewinding module.

According to several embodiments described herein, this method may further include evaporating 320 metal, especially evaporating metal in an induction heating crucible. In particular, according to several embodiments described herein, aluminum and / or silicon can be evaporated by an induction heating crucible. In several embodiments herein, the method further includes providing 330 ceramic layers to at least one of the front side and the back side of the soft substrate.

The evaporated metal can react with the reaction gas to form a porous coating on a soft substrate. Metals can evaporate in a vacuum environment. For example, it has been evaporated aluminum may react with oxygen to form a porous AlO _x layer on the soft base material.

According to several embodiments described herein, evaporating metal in an induction heating crucible may further include inducing the evaporation temperature of 340 metal evaporation, and adjusting the power provided to evaporate metal in the induction heating crucible according to the induction evaporation temperature . Monitoring and adjusting the evaporation temperature can improve the energy efficiency of the method used to form the elements of the electrochemical energy storage device, and / or can help avoid any pinhole defects of the porous coating provided to the soft substrate.

In several embodiments described herein, the ceramic layer provided to the soft substrate may have a thickness from about 25 nm to about 300 nm, for example, a thickness from 100 nm to 200 nm.

According to several embodiments described herein, evaporating the metal in the induction heating crucible may further include providing 350 process gas to the evaporated metal. The process gas is, for example, oxygen. The reaction gas may be provided in a direction substantially parallel to the evaporation direction of the metal.

The method for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device may further include providing a 360 plasma to the evaporated metal and a soft substrate. Plasma can increase the density of porous coatings on soft substrates, and can also help reduce pinhole defects in porous coatings. In particular, according to several embodiments described herein, the plasma may be provided by way of example as an electron beam device or a hollow anode deposition plasma source. The density of the porous coating may be affected by the density of the plasma.

The stoichiometry of the porous layer deposited on the soft substrate can be exemplified by the evaporation rate of the metal and the total amount of processing gas provided to the evaporated metal. Other aspects that may affect the stoichiometry of the deposited porous layer may be the pressure difference between the vacuum inside the evaporation chamber and the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere. Thus, as described herein, the ceramic layer 52 may be deposited non-stoichiometrically, or not entirely stoichiometrically.

According to several embodiments described herein, a method for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device may include subjecting the ceramic layer 52 to an oxidizing environment at an elevated temperature of 370. When several embodiments are implemented, the stoichiometry of the ceramic layer can be improved. It is even possible to actually obtain a fully stoichiometric ceramic layer.

This written description uses several examples, including best practices, to disclose this disclosure, and is also capable of implementing the stated objectives, including manufacturing and using any equipment or system and performing any incorporated methods. Several embodiments described herein provide an improved method and apparatus for producing a separator that has high porosity and good ionic conductivity, and has no / reduced pin or through hole defects to suppress short circuits. Complex hole structure, excellent thermal and mechanical stability, and can be manufactured at low cost. When several specific embodiments have been disclosed in the foregoing, the non-exclusive features of the above embodiments may be combined with each other. The patentable scope is defined by the scope of the patent application, and if the example has structural elements that are not different from the literal language of the patent application scope, or if the example includes equivalent structural elements, and the equivalent structural element is literal When the language is non-substantial, other examples are intended to be included in the scope of the patent application. In summary, although the present invention has been disclosed as above with the embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of the attached patent application.

22, 222‧‧‧The first roller

24, 224‧‧‧Second Roller

52‧‧‧ceramic layer

100‧‧‧treatment system

101‧‧‧ Loading / unloading chamber

102‧‧‧Deposition Module

103‧‧‧ Deposition chamber

107‧‧‧gas guide

108, 153‧‧‧ Plasma source

110‧‧‧Unwind module

111‧‧‧ soft substrate

112‧‧‧Guide roller

113, 114‧‧‧ arrows

120‧‧‧ coating drum

130‧‧‧ Rewind Module

140‧‧‧Evaporation device

150‧‧‧ Oxidation Module

151‧‧‧Gas components

152‧‧‧Suction device

154‧‧‧Heating components

170‧‧‧ Pivot device

180‧‧‧ tension module

190‧‧‧Vacuum device

200‧‧‧ oxidation chamber

210‧‧‧ Plasma

220‧‧‧Control System

230‧‧‧ evaporation direction

240‧‧‧ Power

300, 500‧‧‧ methods

310-370‧‧‧step

510, 520‧‧‧ operation

P, P’‧‧‧ transmission path

In order to make the above-mentioned features of the present disclosure understandable in detail, a more specific description briefly extracted from the above disclosure may refer to several exemplary embodiments. The attached drawings relate to several embodiments of the present disclosure and are described below:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a processing system for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device according to several embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a processing system for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device according to several embodiments; FIG.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of the processing system shown in Figure 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an oxidation chamber used to form an element of an electrochemical energy storage device according to several embodiments; FIG.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device according to several embodiments; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a method for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device according to several embodiments.

Claims (20)

A method for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device, comprising: depositing a ceramic layer (52) over a soft substrate (111); and placing the ceramic layer (52) at an elevated temperature Oxidative environment. The method according to item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the ceramic layer (52) is an aluminum oxide layer. The method of claim 2, wherein the alumina layer is in the oxidizing environment in a way that a stoichiometry of the alumina layer is improved. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electrochemical energy storage device is a lithium ion battery. The method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the element is a separator. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the element is an electrode. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elevated temperature is at least one of 50 ° C or more and 180 ° C or less. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elevated temperature is at least one of 60 ° C or more and 120 ° C or less. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elevated temperature is at least one of 80 ° C or more and 100 ° C or less. The method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elevated temperature is at least one of 50 ° C or more and 100 ° C or less. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elevated temperature is at least one of 80 ° C or more and 180 ° C or less. The method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ceramic layer is formed by evaporating a metal. The method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the oxidizing environment contains more than 20 vol .-% oxygen. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: transferring the soft substrate (111) from a first roller (22) to a second roller (24), the ceramic The layer (52) is formed when the soft substrate (111) is transferred from the first roller (22) to the second roller (24). The method according to item 14 of the scope of patent application, wherein the ceramic layer (52) is at the time when the soft substrate (111) is transferred from the first roller (22) to the second roller (24). Oxidizing environment. A processing system (100) for forming an element of an electrochemical energy storage device includes: a deposition module (102), which is assembled for depositing a ceramic layer (52) on a soft substrate (111) Above; and an oxidation module (150), which is assembled so that the ceramic layer (52) is in an oxidation environment at an elevated temperature. The processing system according to item 16 of the scope of patent application, wherein the oxidation module (150) includes a gas component (151) and a heating component (154), the gas component is assembled to provide an oxidation gas, and the heating component is assembled A temperature of at least one of the supplied oxidizing gas, the soft substrate and the ceramic layer is raised. The processing system according to item 16 or 17 of the scope of patent application, further comprising: a substrate conveying mechanism, including a first roller (22) and a second roller (24), the substrate conveying mechanism is assembled To convey the soft substrate (111) from the first roller (22) along a conveying path (P) to the second roller (24), the deposition module (102) and the oxidation module ( 150) are arranged along the transmission path (P). An oxidation chamber equipped with a ceramic layer for oxidizing an element of an electrochemical energy storage device. The oxidation chamber includes: a substrate transfer mechanism including a first roller (222) and a second roller (222). 224), the substrate transfer mechanism is assembled to transfer a soft substrate (111) from the first roller (222) to a second roller (224) along a transfer path (P '), the ceramic A layer (52) is formed on the soft substrate (111); and an oxidation module (150) is disposed on the transport path between the first roller (222) and the second roller (224) ( P '), the oxidation module (150) is assembled so that the ceramic layer (52) is in an oxidation environment at an elevated temperature. The oxidation chamber according to item 19 of the scope of patent application, further comprising: a heating component (154) assembled to raise the oxidation chamber (200), the oxidation environment, the soft substrate (111), and the ceramic A temperature of at least one of the layers (52).