System and method for creating cathode electrode product for battery system of electric vehicle

Abstract

A system includes a donor foil, a carrier substrate disposed adjacent the donor foil, an optical system configured to generate a laser beam through the donor foil and the carrier substrate to create a plurality of cathode voxels, and a current collector foil defined by an X-Y plane and configured to collect the plurality of cathode voxels in the X-Y plane, wherein a first group of the plurality of cathode voxels at a first location on the X-Y plane is diluted with a first amount of solvent, a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels at a second location on the X-Y plane is diluted with a second amount of solvent, the second amount of solvent being less than the first amount of solvent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for creating cathode electrode products for battery systems of electric vehicles. The present invention applies an electrode laser induced forward electrode transfer (eLIFT) process and an eLIFT recipe to create cathode electrode products that can be used for battery development, validation and standardization throughout the automotive industry. Background Art

[0002] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the background of the present disclosure. To the extent described in this section, the work of the presently named inventors, as well as aspects of the description that may not qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art with respect to the present disclosure.

[0003] The eLIFT printing process creates unique surface geometry and roughness designs using a customized combination of multiple eLIFT printing parameters and cathode recipe density to create unique eLIFT recipes.

[0004] Since eLIFT electrode products are able to create unique surface geometries through custom combinations, they can be easily detected by profilometer-microscope methods. These unique combinations allow one to control the surface geometry to a much higher degree compared to roll-to-roll.

[0005] Other conventional methods such as roll-to-roll (R2R) have difficulty achieving this architecture with high reproducibility. In addition, other additive manufacturing processes such as extrusion or inkjet printing make it difficult to create battery electrodes due to inherent process limitations on material properties such as viscosity and particle size, making many electrode materials difficult to use in the printing process.

[0006] Therefore, there is still room for improvement in systems and methods with fewer limitations and greater potential for high-speed deposition. Summary of the invention

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a system comprising a donor foil, a transparent carrier substrate disposed adjacent to the donor foil, an optical system configured to generate a laser beam that passes through the donor foil and the transparent carrier substrate to create a plurality of cathode voxels, and a collector foil defined by an XY plane and configured to collect the plurality of cathode voxels in the XY plane, wherein a first group of the plurality of cathode voxels at a first position on the XY plane has a first thickness in a Z direction perpendicular to the XY plane, and a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels at a second position on the XY plane has a second thickness in the Z direction, the second thickness in the Z direction being less than the first thickness in the Z direction.

[0008] Implementations of the present disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, a first group of the plurality of cathode voxels is spaced apart from a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels along the XY plane.

[0009] A first group of the plurality of cathode voxels may at least partially overlap a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels along the XY plane.

[0010] A first group of the plurality of cathode voxels may be diluted with a solvent in the range of 0-20% of the total composition of each voxel in the first group of the plurality of cathode voxels. A second group of the plurality of cathode voxels may be diluted with a solvent in the range of 0-20% of the total composition of each voxel in the second group of the plurality of cathode voxels. The amount of solvent with which the first group of the plurality of cathode voxels is diluted may be less than the amount of solvent with which the second group of the plurality of cathode voxels is diluted.

[0011] The first group of the plurality of cathode voxels may include a first subset of cathode voxels and a second subset of cathode voxels disposed along the same Z axis as the first subset of cathode voxels, the first subset of cathode voxels being diluted with a smaller amount of solvent than the second subset of cathode voxels.

[0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a system comprising a donor foil, a carrier substrate disposed adjacent to the donor foil, an optical system configured to generate a laser beam that passes through the donor foil and the carrier substrate to create a plurality of cathode voxels, and a collector foil defined by an XY plane and configured to collect the plurality of cathode voxels in the XY plane, wherein a first group of the plurality of cathode voxels at a first position on the XY plane is diluted with a first amount of solvent, and a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels at a second position on the XY plane is diluted with a second amount of solvent, the second amount of solvent being less than the first amount of solvent.

[0013] Implementations of the present disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, a first group of the plurality of cathode voxels is spaced apart from a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels along the XY plane.

[0014] A first group of the plurality of cathode voxels may at least partially overlap a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels along the XY plane.

[0015] A first group of the plurality of cathode voxels may be diluted with a solvent in the range of 0-20% of the total composition of each voxel in the first group of the plurality of cathode voxels. A second group of the plurality of cathode voxels may be diluted with a solvent in the range of 0-20% of the total composition of each voxel in the second group of the plurality of cathode voxels.

[0016] Multiple cathode voxels can be configured for use in a battery system for an electric vehicle.

[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for creating a cathode electrode product for a battery system of an electric vehicle, the method comprising: providing a donor foil; providing a carrier substrate disposed adjacent to the donor foil; providing an optical system; providing a collector foil defined by an XY plane; activating the optical system to generate a laser beam that passes through the donor foil and the carrier substrate, thereby creating a plurality of cathode voxels; and collecting the plurality of cathode voxels on the collector foil.

[0018] Implementations of the present disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, the plurality of cathode voxels include a first group of cathode voxels and a second group of cathode voxels. The first group of the plurality of cathode voxels may be spaced apart from the second group of the plurality of cathode voxels along the XY plane.

[0019] A first group of the plurality of cathode voxels may at least partially overlap a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels along the XY plane.

[0020] The first group of the plurality of cathode voxels may be diluted with a solvent in the range of 0-20% of the total composition of each voxel in the first group of the plurality of cathode voxels.

[0021] The second group of the plurality of cathode voxels may be diluted with a solvent in the range of 0-20% of the total composition of each voxel in the second group of the plurality of cathode voxels.

[0022] Multiple cathode voxels can be configured for use in a battery system for an electric vehicle.

[0023] The details of one or more embodiments of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other aspects, features, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected configurations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an eLIFT cathode system according to the principles of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a portion of the eLIFT cathode system and the resulting cathode product;

[0027] Figure 3A Is Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a first exemplary cathode product created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0028] Figure 3B Is Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a second exemplary cathode product created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0029] Figure 3C Is Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a third exemplary cathode product created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0030] Figure 3D Is Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a fourth exemplary cathode product created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0031] Figure 3E Is Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a fifth exemplary cathode product created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0032] Figure 3F Is Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a sixth exemplary cathode product created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0033] Figure 3G Is Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a seventh exemplary cathode product created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0034] Figure 3H Is Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an eighth exemplary cathode product created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0035] Figure 4A Is Figure 1 A topographic image of a ninth exemplary cathode product created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0036] Figure 4B Is Figure 1 A topographical image of a tenth exemplary cathode product created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0037] Figure 5A Is Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a side view of a first exemplary cathode voxel column created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0038] Figure 5B Is Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a side view of a second exemplary cathode voxel column created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0039] Figure 5C Is Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a side view of a third exemplary cathode voxel column created by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0040] Figure 5D Is Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a side view of a fourth exemplary cathode voxel column generated by the eLIFT cathode system;

[0041] Figure 6 Is used for operation Figure 1 A flow chart of a method of an eLIFT cathode system; and

[0042] Figure 7 is a graph showing the discharge capacity per cycle for a slurry cathode voxel and a 50% overlap cathode voxel.

[0043] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Example configurations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example configurations are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Specific details, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the configurations of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example configurations may be implemented in many different forms, and that the specific details and exemplary configurations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0045] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , generally illustrating an electrode laser induced forward electrode transfer (eLIFT) cathode system 100. The eLIFT cathode system 100 includes an optical system 102 including an optical scanner 104 and optics 106 configured to generate and direct a laser beam 108.

[0046] The optical system 102 includes a controller that includes a computer system. The computer system of the controller includes a processor and a memory. The processor performs the computational and control functions of the controller and may include one or more processors of any type, a single integrated circuit such as a microprocessor, or any suitable number of integrated circuit devices and / or circuit boards that work together to implement the functions of the processing unit. During operation, the processor executes one or more programs contained in the memory and, as such, generally controls the general operation of the controller and the computer system of the controller in performing the processes described herein.

[0047] The memory can be any type of suitable memory. For example, the memory can include various types of dynamic random access memory (DRAM), such as SDRAM, various types of static RAM (SRAM), and various types of non-volatile memory (PROM, EPROM, and flash memory). In some examples, the memory can be located and / or co-located on the same computer chip as the processor.

[0048] The eLIFT cathode system 100 includes a donor foil roll 110 configured to contain a donor foil 112. In some embodiments, the donor foil 112 can be transparent. The eLIFT cathode system 100 includes a dispenser 114 configured to provide a cathode material 116 (e.g., a lithium-based material) proximate the donor foil 112. In some embodiments, the cathode material 116 is disposed below the donor foil 112. In other embodiments, the cathode material 116 is disposed above the donor foil 112. In some embodiments, the cathode material 116 can be diluted with a solvent in the range of 0-20% of the total composition of the cathode material 116 and the solvent.

[0049] Optical system 102 may generate laser beam 108 that passes through donor foil 112 and cathode material 116 to create cathode voxels 118 that are received on current collector foil 124 defining an XY plane. Multiple cathode voxels 118 create cathode product 120, such as Figure 1 and 2 The cathode product 120 can be created with various densities, resolutions (e.g., overlap of voxels), depositions, etc. The thickness of the cathode voxel layer can be controlled to adjust the number of layers for a desired height, allowing for more control over density, porosity, and surface roughness, which can result in tuning of electrochemical properties.

[0050] The cathode product 120 can be used in a battery cell of an electric vehicle (which can be a car). It should be understood that the vehicle can be any of a variety of different types of cars, such as a sedan, van, truck, or sports utility vehicle (SUV), and can be two-wheel drive (2WD) (i.e., rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive), four-wheel drive (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and / or various other types of vehicles in certain configurations. The vehicle can also include a truck, a boat, an airplane, and / or one or more other types of vehicles.

[0051] refer to Figure 3A , generally illustrating a first exemplary cathode product 120a. The first exemplary cathode product 120a includes a series of first cathode voxels 118a without any dilution.

[0052] refer to Figure 3B , a second exemplary cathode product 120b is generally shown. The second exemplary cathode product 120b includes a series of second cathode voxels 118b comprising a 10% solvent dilution.

[0053] refer to Figure 3C, generally showing a third exemplary cathode product 120c. The third exemplary cathode product 120c includes a series of first cathode voxels 118a without any dilution, a series of second cathode voxels 118b containing 10% solvent dilution, and a series of third cathode voxels 118c containing 20% ​​solvent dilution. Figure 3C As shown, the various cathode voxels 118a, 118b, 118c may be arranged in any suitable configuration.

[0054] refer to Figure 3D , a fourth exemplary cathode product 120d is generally shown. The fourth exemplary cathode product 120d includes cathode voxels 118 arranged in spaced-apart rows along the XY plane.

[0055] refer to Figure 3E , generally showing a fifth exemplary cathode product 120e. The fifth exemplary cathode product 120e includes cathode voxels 118 arranged in rows along the XY plane, with the rows spaced less than the fourth exemplary cathode product 120d, thereby adjusting the resolution of the layer.

[0056] refer to Figure 3F , generally showing a sixth exemplary cathode product 120f. The sixth exemplary cathode product 120f includes cathode voxels 118 arranged in rows along the XY plane, and the rows are spaced less from each other than the fifth exemplary cathode product 120e. The cathode voxels 118 in the sixth exemplary cathode product 120f overlap with each other, thereby adjusting the resolution of the layer.

[0057] refer to Figure 3G , generally showing a seventh exemplary cathode product 120g. The seventh exemplary cathode product 120g includes cathode voxels 118 arranged in rows along the XY plane, and the rows are spaced less from each other than the sixth exemplary cathode product 120f. The cathode voxels 118 in the seventh exemplary cathode product 120g overlap with each other, thereby adjusting the resolution of the layer.

[0058] refer to Figure 3H , generally showing an eighth exemplary cathode product 120h. The eighth exemplary cathode product 120h includes cathode voxels 118 arranged in rows along the XY plane, and the rows are spaced less from each other than the seventh exemplary cathode product 120g. The cathode voxels 118 in the eighth exemplary cathode product 120h overlap with each other, thereby adjusting the resolution of the layer.

[0059] refer to Figure 4A , a ninth exemplary cathode product 120i is generally shown as a topographical diagram. A portion of a voxel 118 of the ninth exemplary cathode product 120i has a greater height in the Z direction at a first location than a portion of the voxel 118 at a second location.

[0060] refer to Figure 4B , a tenth exemplary cathode product 120j is generally shown as a topographical diagram. A portion of a voxel 118 of the tenth exemplary cathode product 120j has a greater height in the Z direction at a first location than a portion of the voxel 118 at a second location.

[0061] refer to Figure 5A , shows a side view of a column of first voxels 118a extending in the Z direction. As shown, the first voxel 118a may include a height along the Z direction.

[0062] refer to Figure 5B , shows a side view of a column of second voxels 118b extending in the Z direction. As shown, the second voxel 118b may include a height along the Z direction.

[0063] refer to Figure 5C , shows a side view of a column of third voxels 118c extending in the Z direction. As shown, the third voxel 118c may include a height along the Z direction.

[0064] refer to Figure 5D , a side view of a column of first voxels 118a, second voxels 118b, and third voxels 118c extending in the Z direction is shown. As shown, the first voxels 118a, second voxels 118b, and third voxels 118c can be arranged in columns in any suitable configuration to create a gradient voxel structure. For example, each layer can have up to five different dilution cathode voxels 118, producing a unique pattern or "gradient dilution" within a layer.

[0065] refer to Figure 6 , a method 600 for operating the eLIFT cathode system 100 to create any of the aforementioned cathode products 120 is shown. The method 600 includes a first step 602 of providing a donor foil 112. The method 600 includes a second step 604 of providing a carrier substrate, such as a cathode material 116. The method 600 includes a third step 606 of providing an optical system 102. The method 600 includes a fourth step 608 of providing a current collector foil 124. The method 600 includes a fifth step 610 of activating the optical system 102 to generate a laser beam 108 that passes through the donor foil 112 and the cathode material 116, thereby creating a plurality of cathode voxels 118. The method 600 includes a sixth step 612 of collecting the plurality of cathode voxels 118 on the current collector foil 124 in any suitable configuration based on a desired density, resolution, porosity, surface roughness, etc.

[0066] Table 1 below illustrates the coating properties, electrochemical properties, and internal resistance of the slurry, 25% overlap cathode voxel, 50% overlap cathode voxel, and 75% overlap cathode voxel.

[0067] Table 1

[0068]

[0069] Figure 7 The discharge capacity (mAh / g) per cycle is shown for both slurries and 50% overlap cathode voxels.

[0070] The terms used herein are only for describing specific exemplary configurations, not for limiting. As used herein, the singular articles "a", "an" and "the" may also be intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprise", "include", "contain" and "have" are inclusive, thus specifying the presence of features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups thereof. The method steps, processes and operations described herein should not be interpreted as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order discussed or shown, unless specifically identified as an execution order. Additional or alternative steps may be adopted.

[0071] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on another element or layer," "engaged to," "connected to," "attached to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected, attached to, or coupled to another element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on another element or layer," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," "directly attached to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intermediate elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0072] The terms first, second, third, etc. can be used here to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts. These elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish each element, component, region, layer or part. Terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence unless the context clearly indicates. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or part discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or part, without departing from the teaching of the example configuration.

[0073] In this application, including the definitions below, the term module may be replaced by the term circuit. The term "module" may refer to or be part of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor; other suitable hardware components that provide the functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0074] The term code used above may include software, firmware and / or microcode, and may refer to a program, a routine, a function, a class and / or an object. The term shared processor includes a single processor that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group processor includes a processor that executes some or all of the code from one or more modules in combination with an additional processor. The term shared memory includes a single memory that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group memory includes a memory that stores some or all of the code from one or more modules in combination with an additional memory. The term memory may be a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium does not include transient electrical signals and electromagnetic signals propagated through the medium and can therefore be considered to be tangible non-transitory memory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory memory include tangible computer-readable media, including non-volatile memory, magnetic memory, and optical memory.

[0075] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in whole by one or more computer programs executed by one or more processors. The computer program includes processor executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer program may also include and / or rely on stored data.

[0076] Software applications (i.e., software resources) may refer to computer software that enables a computing device to perform tasks. In some examples, software applications may be referred to as "applications," "apps," or "programs." Example applications include, but are not limited to, system diagnostic applications, system management applications, system maintenance applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, messaging applications, media streaming applications, social networking applications, and gaming applications.

[0077] Non-transitory memory can be a physical device used to temporarily or permanently store programs (e.g., instruction sequences) or data (e.g., program state information) for use by a computing device. Non-transitory memory can be volatile and / or non-volatile addressable semiconductor memory. Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, flash memory and read-only memory (ROM) / programmable read-only memory (PROM) / erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) / electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) (e.g., commonly used for firmware, such as bootloaders). Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), phase change memory (PCM), and disk or tape.

[0078] These computer programs (also referred to as programs, software, software applications, or code) include machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming languages ​​and / or assembly / machine languages. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any computer program product, non-transitory computer-readable medium, apparatus, and / or device (e.g., disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0079] Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein can be realized in digital electronic and / or optical circuits, integrated circuits, specially designed ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various implementations may include implementations in one or more computer programs executable and / or interpretable on a programmable system comprising at least one programmable processor, which may be special purpose or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from a storage system, and to send data and instructions to the storage system.

[0080] The processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors, also known as data processing hardware, executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating outputs. These processes and logic flows can also be performed by dedicated logic circuits, such as FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) or ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits). For example, processors suitable for executing computer programs include general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Typically, the processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The basic elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more storage devices for storing instructions and data. Typically, a computer will also include or be operably connected to one or more large-capacity storage devices for storing data, such as magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks, to receive data from the large-capacity storage device or to transmit data to it, or both. However, a computer does not need to have such a device. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media and storage devices, including, for example, semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and memory may be supplemented by or incorporated in special purpose logic circuitry.

[0081] To provide interaction with a user, one or more aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented on a computer having a display device for displaying information to the user, such as a CRT (cathode ray tube), LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, or touch screen, and an optional keyboard and pointing device, such as a mouse or trackball, through which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices may also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, the feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user may be received in any form, including sound, voice, or tactile input. In addition, the computer may interact with the user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device used by the user; for example, by sending a web page to a web browser on a user's client device in response to a request received from the web browser.

[0082] Many embodiments have been described. However, it should be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, other embodiments are also within the scope of the following claims.

[0083] The foregoing description has been provided for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular configuration are generally not limited to that particular configuration, but where applicable, they are interchangeable and can be used in a selected configuration even if not specifically shown or described. This can also be varied in a variety of ways. Such variations should not be considered a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A system comprising: donor foil; a transparent carrier substrate disposed adjacent to the donor foil; an optical system configured to generate a laser beam that passes through the donor foil and the transparent carrier substrate to create a plurality of cathode voxels; as well as A current collector foil defined by an XY plane and configured to collect a plurality of cathode voxels in the XY plane, wherein a first group of the plurality of cathode voxels at a first position on the XY plane has a first thickness in a Z direction perpendicular to the XY plane, and a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels at a second position on the XY plane has a second thickness in the Z direction, the second thickness in the Z direction being less than the first thickness in the Z direction.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: A first group of the plurality of cathode voxels is spaced apart from a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels along the XY plane.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein: A first group of the plurality of cathode voxels at least partially overlaps a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels along the XY plane.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The first group of the plurality of cathode voxels is diluted with a solvent in the range of 0-20% of the total composition of each voxel in the first group of the plurality of cathode voxels.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein: The second group of the plurality of cathode voxels is diluted with a solvent in the range of 0-20% of the total composition of each voxel in the second group of the plurality of cathode voxels.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein: A first group of the plurality of cathode voxels is diluted with an amount of solvent that is less than an amount of solvent that is diluted with a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The first group of the plurality of cathode voxels includes a first subset of cathode voxels and a second subset of cathode voxels disposed along the same Z axis as the first subset of cathode voxels, the first subset of cathode voxels being diluted with a smaller amount of solvent than the second subset of cathode voxels.

8. A system comprising: donor foil; a carrier substrate disposed adjacent to the donor foil; an optical system configured to generate a laser beam that passes through the donor foil and the carrier substrate to create a plurality of cathode voxels; as well as A current collector foil defined by an XY plane and configured to collect a plurality of cathode voxels in the XY plane, wherein a first group of the plurality of cathode voxels at a first location on the XY plane are diluted with a first amount of solvent, and a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels at a second location on the XY plane are diluted with a second amount of solvent, the second amount of solvent being less than the first amount of solvent.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein: A first group of the plurality of cathode voxels is spaced apart from a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels along the XY plane.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein: A first group of the plurality of cathode voxels at least partially overlaps a second group of the plurality of cathode voxels along the XY plane.

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