Method for treating a surface of a solid glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body and method for treating a surface of a solid glass or glass-ceramic electrolyte body

Abstract

A method for treating a surface (10') of a solid glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic electrolyte body (12) for preparing the electrolyte body surface (10') to be placed against the surface of an alkali metal electrode (50) during the assembly of an alkali metal-based battery cell, wherein the alkali metal is one of lithium and sodium, wherein the solid glass or glass-ceramic electrolyte body (12) is formed from alkali metal sulfides and glass-forming sulfides or glass-forming oxides, wherein the ceramic electrolyte body (12) comprises an alkali metal and oxygen, wherein the glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic electrolyte body (12) has mobile alkali metal cations, wherein the solid glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic electrolyte body (12) is thermodynamically unstable, wherein a direct reaction of the alkali metal electrode material with the glass electrolyte compositions tends toTo form compositional barriers for the transport of alkali metal ions into the intended glass electrolyte, as is the case with respect to the behavior of alkali metal cations upon contact with the alkali metal electrode (50) during operation of the battery cell, the method comprising: forming a passivation coating (16) of a metal oxide on the surface (10') of the glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic electrolyte body (12), wherein a metal oxide coating is formed by repeated cycles of atomic layer deposition, each cycle being (i) a deposition of a coating of metal atoms from a metal precursor compound, followed by (ii) a deposition of oxygen atoms, wherein the oxygen atoms react with the metal atoms to form the metal oxide, wherein the cycles of atomic layer deposition are repeated until the at least two nanometer thick metal oxide coating is deposited over the surface (10') of the glass,Glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) is formed, which is to be applied against the surface of the alkali metal electrode (50) during operation of the battery cell; and the subsequent application of the metal oxide coating to the surface (10') of the glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic electrolyte body (12) to the surface of the alkali metal electrode (50) and promoting a reaction between the metal oxide coating and an alkali metal electrode body to introduce alkali metal atoms from the alkali metal electrode (50) into the metal oxide of the coating, wherein the coating is conductive to alkali metal ions but resistant to the flow of electrons.

Claims

[1] A method for treating a surface (10') of a solid glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic electrolyte body (12) for preparing the electrolyte body surface (10') to be placed against the surface of an alkali metal electrode (50) during assembly of an alkali metal-based battery cell, wherein the alkali metal is one of lithium and sodium, wherein the solid glass or glass-ceramic electrolyte body (12) is formed from alkali metal sulfides and glass-forming sulfides or glass-forming oxides, wherein the ceramic electrolyte body (12) comprises an alkali metal and oxygen, wherein the glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic electrolyte body (12) has mobile alkali metal cations, wherein the solid glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic electrolyte body (12) is thermodynamically unstable, wherein a direct reaction of the alkali metal electrode material with the glass electrolyte compositions tends toTo form compositional barriers for the transport of alkali metal ions into the intended glass electrolyte, as is the case with respect to the behavior of alkali metal cations upon contact with the alkali metal electrode (50) during operation of the battery cell, the method comprising: Forming a passivation coating (16) of a metal oxide on the surface (10') of the glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic electrolyte body (12), wherein a metal oxide coating is formed by repeated cycles of atomic layer deposition, each cycle being (i) a deposition of a coating of metal atoms from a metal precursor compound, followed by (ii) a deposition of oxygen atoms, wherein the oxygen atoms react with the metal atoms to form the metal oxide, wherein the cycles of atomic layer deposition are repeated until the at least two nanometer thick metal oxide coating is formed over the surface (10') of the glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic electrolyte body (12), which is to be applied against the surface of the alkali metal electrode (50) during operation of the battery cell; and the subsequent Applying the metal oxide coating to the surface (10') of the glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) to the surface of the alkali metal electrode (50) and promoting a reaction between the metal oxide coating and an alkali metal electrode body to introduce alkali metal atoms from the alkali metal electrode (50) into the metal oxide of the coating, wherein the coating is conductive to alkali metal ions but resistant to the flow of electrons. [2] A method for treating a surface (10') of a solid glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the solid glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) is in the range of ten micrometers to two hundred micrometers. [3] A method for treating a surface (10') of a solid glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the applied metal oxide coating is in the range of two nanometers to twenty nanometers [4] A method for treating a surface (10') of a solid glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) according to claim 1, wherein the metal for the metal oxide coating is selected from the group consisting of aluminum and zirconium. [5] A method for treating a surface (10') of a solid glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) according to claim 1, wherein trimethylaluminium is used in the atomic layer deposition and aluminium oxide is formed as a passivation coating (16) on the surface (10') of the electrolyte body (12). [6] A method for treating a surface (10') of a solid glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) according to claim 1, wherein the composition of the solid glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) is formed using lithium disulfide or sodium disulfide. [7] A method for treating a surface (10') of a solid glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) according to claim 1, wherein the composition of the solid glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) is formed using one or more of phosphorus pentasulfide, silicon disulfide, germanium disulfide and phosphorus pentoxide. [8] A method for treating a surface (10') of a solid glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) according to claim 1, wherein the composition of the solid glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic electrolyte body (12) is formed using one or more of a lithium-containing perovskite or a sodium-containing perovskite. [9] A method for treating a surface (10') of a solid glass or glass-ceramic electrolyte body (12) in preparation for applying the electrolyte surface (10') to the surface of an alkali metal electrode (50) in the assembly of an alkali metal-based battery cell, wherein the alkali metal is one of lithium and sodium, wherein the solid glass electrolyte body (12) is formed from (i) alkali metal sulfides and (ii) glass-forming sulfides or glass-forming sulfides and oxides, such that the glass electrolyte has mobile alkali metal cations, wherein the solid glass electrolyte body (12) is formed with an amorphous microstructure or an amorphous matrix with dispersed, non-contact crystals, wherein the solid glass or glass-ceramic electrolyte body (12) is thermodynamically unstable, wherein a direct reaction of the alkali metal electrode material with the glass electrolyte compositions tends toTo form compositional barriers for the transport of alkali metal ions into the intended glass electrolyte, as is the case with respect to the behavior of alkali metal cations upon contact with the alkali metal electrode (50) during operation of the battery cell, the method comprising: Forming a passivation coating (16) of a metal oxide on the surface (10') of the solid glass or glass-ceramic electrolyte body (12), wherein a metal oxide coating is formed by repeated cycles of atomic layer deposition, each cycle being (i) the deposition of a coating of metal atoms from a metal precursor compound, followed by (ii) the deposition of oxygen atoms from ozone, wherein the oxygen atoms react with the metal atoms to form the metal oxide, wherein the cycles of atomic layer deposition are repeated until the at least two nanometer thick metal oxide coating is formed over the surface (10') of the glass or glass-ceramic electrolyte body (12), which is to be applied against the surface of the alkali metal electrode (50) during operation of the battery cell; and the subsequent Applying the metal oxide coating to the surface (10') of the solid glass or glass-ceramic electrolyte body (12) to the surface of the alkali metal electrode (50) and promoting a reaction between the metal oxide coating and an alkali metal electrode body to introduce alkali metal atoms from the alkali metal electrode (50) into the metal oxide of the metal oxide coating. [10] A method for treating a surface (10') of a solid glass or glass-ceramic electrolyte body (12) in preparation for applying the electrolyte surface (10') to the surface of an alkali metal electrode (50) in the assembly of an alkali metal-based battery cell, wherein the alkali metal is one of lithium and sodium, wherein the solid glass electrolyte body (12) is formed from (i) alkali metal sulfides and (ii) glass-forming sulfides or glass-forming sulfides and oxides, such that the glass electrolyte has mobile alkali metal cations, wherein the solid glass electrolyte body (12) is formed with an amorphous microstructure or an amorphous matrix with dispersed, non-contact crystals, wherein the solid glass, glass-ceramic electrolyte body (12) is thermodynamically unstable, wherein a direct reaction of the alkali metal electrode material with the glass electrolyte compositions tends toTo form compositional barriers for the transport of alkali metal ions into the intended glass electrolyte, as is the case with respect to the behavior of alkali metal cations upon contact with the alkali metal electrode (50) during operation of the battery cell, the method comprising: Forming a passivation coating (16) of lithium phosphorus oxynitride on the surface (10') of the glass or glass-ceramic electrolyte body (12), wherein a lithium phosphorus oxynitride layer is formed by RF sputtering of trilithium phosphate with nitrogen until a lithium phosphorus oxynitride layer of at least two nanometers thick is formed over the surface (10') of the glass or glass-ceramic electrolyte body (12), which is applied to the surface of the alkali metal electrode (50) during operation of the battery cell; and the subsequent Applying the lithium phosphorus oxynitride layer to the surface (10') of the glass or glass-ceramic electrolyte body (12) against the surface of the alkali metal electrode (50).

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