Reinforcement for electrical interconnection systems of electrochemical cells and systems and methods therefor - Patents.com

Abstract

The secondary battery assembly includes an electrode assembly having mutually perpendicular lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding to the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively, of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. The electrode assembly defines a group of planes, each plane being defined by two of the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes. The secondary battery assembly also includes a group of first current collector tabs electrically coupled to a first bus bar extending along a first face of the electrode assembly, the first face extending in at least one of a ZX plane defined by the Z and X axes, or a ZY plane defined by the Z and Y axes. The second battery assembly also includes a reinforcing structure disposed over at least a portion of the first current collector tabs, the first current collector tabs extending along the first face. The reinforcing structure includes a polymer.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 168,395, filed March 31, 2021, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0002] The field of the disclosure relates generally to energy storage technology, such as battery technology. More specifically, the field of the disclosure relates to reinforcing films or layers for electrical interconnection of battery components, such as components of electrochemical batteries, e.g., lithium-based secondary batteries. [Background technology]

[0003] Lithium-based secondary batteries have become a desirable energy source due to their relatively high energy density, power, and shelf life. Examples of lithium secondary batteries include non-aqueous batteries such as lithium ion batteries and lithium polymer batteries.

[0004] Known energy storage devices, such as batteries, fuel cells, and electrochemical capacitors, typically have two-dimensional laminate structures, such as planar or spirally wound (i.e., jelly-roll) laminate structures, where the surface area of ​​each laminate is approximately equal to its geometric footprint (neglecting porosity and surface roughness).

[0005] Three-dimensional secondary batteries can offer increased capacity and extended life compared to layered secondary batteries, however, fabrication of such three-dimensional secondary batteries presents manufacturing and cost challenges.

[0006] During the manufacturing process of stacked cell type secondary batteries, interconnect tabs may be welded or folded along one or more edges of the battery that are susceptible to damage from impact or material fatigue. Failure of such interconnects can cause battery performance degradation or failure. Therefore, it would be desirable to manufacture batteries while addressing the problems of the known art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In one embodiment, an electrode assembly for cycling between a charged state and a discharged state includes a group of unit cells, an electrode bus bar, and a counter electrode bus bar, and a constituent unit of the group of unit cells includes an electrode structure, a separator structure, and a counter electrode structure, (a) the electrode structure includes an electrode tab reinforcement structure including an electrode active material layer, an electrode current collector having a tab, and a first polymer disposed on at least a portion of the electrode current collector tab, and (b) the counter electrode current collector includes a counter electrode tab reinforcement structure including a counter electrode active material layer, a counter electrode current collector having a tab, and a second polymer disposed on at least a portion of the counter electrode current collector tab, and the electrode structure is electrically connected in parallel to the electrode bus bar via the electrode current collector tab, and the counter electrode structure is electrically connected in parallel to the counter electrode bus bar via the counter electrode current collector tab.

[0008] In another embodiment, a secondary battery assembly includes an electrode assembly having mutually perpendicular lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding to the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively, of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the electrode assembly defining a group of planes, each plane being defined by two of the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes; a group of first current collector tabs electrically coupled to a first bus bar extending along a first surface of the electrode assembly, the first surface extending in at least one of a ZX plane defined by the Z and X axes, or a ZY plane defined by the Z and Y axes; and a reinforcing structure disposed on at least a portion of the first current collector tabs, the current collector tabs extending along the first surface, the reinforcing structure comprising a polymer.

[0009] In another embodiment, a secondary battery includes an electrode assembly having mutually perpendicular lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding to the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively, of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the electrode assembly defining a group of planes, each plane being defined by two of the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes; a group of first current collector tabs electrically coupled to a first bus bar extending along a first face of the electrode assembly, the first face extending in one of a ZX plane defined by the Z and X axes, or a ZY plane defined by the Z and Y axes; a reinforcement structure disposed on at least a portion of the first current collector tabs, the current collector tabs extending along the first face, the reinforcement structure comprising a polymer; and a battery housing encapsulating the electrode assembly and the reinforcement structure.

[0010] In yet another embodiment, a method of making a battery assembly for use with a secondary battery includes making an electrode assembly having mutually perpendicular lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding, respectively, to the X-, Y-, and Z-axes of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the electrode assembly defining a group of planes, each plane being defined by two of the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes; electrically coupling a first group of current collector tabs to a first bus bar extending along a first face of the electrode assembly; bonding a reinforcing structure over at least a portion of the first current collector tabs, the reinforcing structure comprising a polymer; and encapsulating the electrode assembly and the reinforcing structure within a battery housing.

[0011] In yet another embodiment, a method of manufacturing a secondary battery includes creating an electrode assembly having mutually perpendicular lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding, respectively, to the X-, Y-, and Z-axes of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the electrode assembly defining a group of faces, each face being defined by two of the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes; electrically coupling a first group of current collector tabs to a first bus bar extending along a first face of the electrode assembly; bonding a reinforcing structure over at least a portion of the first current collector tabs, the reinforcing structure comprising a polymer; encapsulating the electrode assembly and the reinforcing structure within a battery housing such that the reinforcing structure is between the battery housing and the electrode assembly; and vacuum sealing the housing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of one preferred embodiment of a battery assembly having a cut portion prior to attachment of a reinforcement structure according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electrode assembly of FIG. 1 taken from section line DD. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a battery assembly within the constraints of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a constraint according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery assembly prior to attachment of a reinforcement structure according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the battery assembly of FIG. 4 after attachment of a reinforcement structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the battery assembly of FIG. 4 after attachment of a reinforcing structure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a front view of the battery assembly of FIG. 5 after attachment of a reinforcement structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 13 is a photograph of a side view of each of two battery assemblies after attachment of a reinforcement structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery assembly partially disposed within a battery housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the battery assembly of FIG. 9 including a second cover of the battery housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a top view of the completed battery after it has been sealed into the battery housing. [Figure 12] 1 is a schematic diagram of a method of making a battery assembly including a reinforcement structure according to the present disclosure.

[0013] definition As used herein, "A," "an," and "the" (i.e., singular) refer to plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, in one instance, reference to an "electrode" includes both a single electrode and a plurality of similar electrodes.

[0014] As used herein, "about" and "approximately" refer to plus or minus 10%, 5%, or 1% of the stated value. For example, in one case, about 250 μm includes 225 μm to 275 μm. As a further example, in one case, about 1,000 μm includes 900 μm to 1,100 μm. Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities (e.g., measurements, etc.) and the like used in the specification and claims should be understood to be modified in all cases by the term "about". Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and the appended claims are approximations. Each numerical parameter should be construed, at least in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

[0015] "Anode" as used herein in the context of a secondary battery refers to the negative electrode of the secondary battery.

[0016] As used herein, "anode material" or "anode active" means a material suitable for use as the negative electrode of a secondary battery.

[0017] "Cathode" as used herein in the context of a secondary battery refers to the positive electrode of the secondary battery.

[0018] As used herein, "cathode material" or "cathode active" means a material suitable for use as the positive electrode of a secondary battery.

[0019] "Conversion chemical active material" or "conversion chemical" refers to a material that undergoes a chemical reaction during the charge-discharge cycle of a secondary battery.

[0020] As used herein, a "counter electrode" may refer to the electrode opposite the negative or positive electrode (anode or cathode) of a secondary battery, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise.

[0021] As used herein in the context of cycling a secondary battery between a charging state and a discharging state, "cycling" refers to charging and / or discharging the battery to move the battery from a first state, either a charging state or a discharging state, to a second state that is the opposite of the first state (i.e., the charging state if the first state was discharging, or the discharging state if the first state was charging), and then returning the battery to the first state to complete the cycle. For example, a single cycle of a secondary battery between a charging state and a discharging state can include charging the battery from the discharging state to the charging state, as in a charging cycle, and then discharging back to the discharging state to complete the cycle. A single cycle can also include discharging the battery from the charging state to the discharging state, as in a discharging cycle, and then charging back to the charging state to complete the cycle.

[0022] As used herein, "electrochemically active material" means an anode active material or a cathode active material.

[0023] As used herein, an "electrode" may refer to either the negative or positive electrode (anode or cathode) of a secondary battery, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise.

[0024] As used herein, an "electrode current collector layer" may refer to an anode (e.g., negative) current collector layer or a cathode (e.g., positive) current collector layer.

[0025] As used herein, "electrode material" may refer to either anodic or cathodic materials, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise.

[0026] As used herein, "electrode structure" may refer to an anode structure (e.g., a negative electrode structure) or a cathode structure (e.g., a positive electrode structure) suitable for use in a battery, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise.

[0027] As used herein, "longitudinal axis", "transverse axis", and "vertical axis" refer to mutually perpendicular axes (i.e., each is orthogonal to the other). For example, "longitudinal axis", "transverse axis", and "vertical axis" as used herein are analogous to a Cartesian coordinate system used to define three-dimensional aspects or orientations. As such, the description of the elements of the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited to the particular axes used to describe the three-dimensional orientation of the elements. Alternatively stated, the axes may be interchangeable when referring to three-dimensional aspects of the subject matter disclosed. "Weakened region" refers to a portion of a web that has been subjected to a processing operation, such as, for example, scoring, cutting, or perforating, such that the localized breaking strength of the weakened region is lower than the breaking strength of the non-weakened region. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to reinforcement structures for components of batteries, such as secondary batteries, to reduce the occurrence of damage to the components in order to maintain the functionality, safety and / or power output of the battery.

[0029] One preferred embodiment of a battery assembly 100, prior to attachment of a reinforcing structure, is described with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the battery assembly 100 includes a group of adjacent electrode subunits 102. Each electrode subunit 102 has dimensions along an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis, respectively. The X, Y, and Z axes are each mutually perpendicular, similar to a Cartesian coordinate system. As used herein, the dimension of each electrode subunit 102 along the Z-axis may be referred to as the "height", the dimension along the X-axis may be referred to as the "length", and the dimension along the Y-axis may be referred to as the "width". The electrode subunits may be combined into one or more unit cells 200 (FIG. 2). Each unit cell 200 includes at least one anode active material layer 104 and at least one cathode active material layer 106. The anode active material layer 104 and the cathode active material layer 106 are electrically insulated from each other by a separator layer 108. It should be understood that in preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, any number of electrode subunits 102 may be used, such as 1 to 200 or more subunits in a single battery assembly 100.

[0030] Still referring to FIG. 1 , the battery assembly 100 includes bus bars 110 and 112 that are in electrical contact with the anode active layer 104 and the cathode active layer 106 of each electrode subunit 102, respectively, via electrode tabs (or current collector tabs) 120. Thus, the bus bar 110 shown in FIG. 1 may be referred to as an anode bus bar, and the bus bar 112 may be referred to as a cathode bus bar. In one embodiment, a casing 116, which may be referred to as a constraint, may be attached on one or both of the XY surfaces of the battery assembly 100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the casing 116 includes a group of perforations 118 to facilitate the distribution or flow of electrolyte solution once the battery assembly 100 is fully assembled.

[0031] In one embodiment, each of the anode active layer 104 and the cathode active layer 106 can be a multi-layer material including, for example, an electrode current collector layer (i.e., an anode current collector layer or a cathode current collector layer) on at least one major surface thereof, and an electrochemically active material layer (i.e., a layer of anode active material or a layer of cathode active material), while in other embodiments, one or more of the anode active layer and cathode active layer can be a single layer of a suitable material.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 2, the individual layers of a unit cell 200 are shown, which may be the same or similar to the electrode subunit 102. For each of the unit cells 200, in some embodiments, the separator layer 108 is an ion-permeable woven polymeric material suitable for use as a separator in a secondary battery. A cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a unit cell 200 is shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the electrode unit cell 200 comprises a central anode current collector layer 206, an anode active material layer 104, a separator 108, a cathode active material layer 106, and a cathode current collector layer 210 in a stacked formation. In an alternative embodiment, the position of the cathode active material layer 106 and the anode active material layer 104 may be swapped, with the cathode active material layer 106 toward the center and the anode active material layer distal to the cathode active material layer 106. In one embodiment, unit cell 200A includes a cathode current collector 210, a cathode active material layer 106, a separator 108, an anode active material layer 104, and an anode current collector 206, stacked consecutively from right to left in the view of Figure 2. In an alternative embodiment, unit cell 200B includes a separator 108, a first layer of cathode active material layer 106, a cathode current collector 210, a second layer of cathode active material layer 106, a separator 108, a first layer of anode active material layer 104, an anode current collector 206, a second layer of anode active material layer 104, and a separator 108, stacked consecutively from left to right in the view of Figure 2.

[0033] In one embodiment, the anode current collector layer 206 may include a conductive metal such as copper, a copper alloy, carbon, nickel, stainless steel, or any other material suitable as an anode current collector layer. The anode active material layer 104 may be formed as a first layer on a first surface of the anode current collector layer 206 and a second layer on a second opposing surface of the anode current collector layer 206. In another embodiment, the anode current collector layer 206 and the anode active material layer 104 may be intermixed. The first surface and the second opposing surface may be referred to as the major surfaces, or the front and back surfaces, of the layer. A major surface, as used herein, refers to a surface defined by a plane formed by the length of the material in the X-axis direction (not shown in FIG. 2) and the height of the material in the Z-axis direction.

[0034] In one embodiment, the anode active material layers 104 may each have a thickness of at least about 10 um. For example, in one embodiment, the anode active material layers 104 have a width in the Y-axis direction of (each) at least about 40 um. By way of further example, in one such embodiment, the anode active material layers 104 have a width in the Y-axis direction of (each) at least about 80 um. By way of further example, in one such embodiment, the anode active material layers 104 each have a width of at least about 120 um. Typically, however, the anode active material layers 104 each have a width of less than about 60 um, or even less than about 30 um. As used herein, the terms "thickness" and "width" may be used interchangeably to refer to measurements in the Y-axis direction.

[0035] In general, the negative electrode active material (e.g., anode active material) may be selected from the group consisting of: (a) silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and cadmium (Cd); (b) alloys or intermetallic compounds of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ti, Ni, Co, or Cd with other elements; and (c) Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ti, Fe. , oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, and tellurides of Ni, Co, V, or Cd, and mixtures, composites, or lithium-containing composites thereof; (d) salts and hydroxides of Sn; (e) lithium titanate, lithium manganate, lithium aluminate, lithium-containing titanium oxides, lithium transition metal oxides, ZnCo2O4; (f) graphite and carbon particles; (g) lithium metal; and (h) combinations thereof.

[0036] Exemplary anode active materials include graphite and soft or hard carbon, or carbon materials such as graphene (e.g., single-walled or multi-walled carbon nanotubes), or any of a range of metals, metalloids, alloys, oxides, nitrides, and compounds that can intercalate or form alloys with lithium. Specific examples of metals or metalloids that can constitute the anode material include graphite, tin, lead, magnesium, aluminum, boron, gallium, silicon, Si / C composites, Si / graphite blends, silicon oxide (SiOx), porous Si, intermetallic Si alloys, indium, zirconium, germanium, bismuth, cadmium, antimony, silver, zinc, arsenic, hafnium, yttrium, lithium, sodium, graphite, carbon, lithium titanate, palladium, and mixtures thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, the anode active material includes aluminum, tin, or silicon, or oxides thereof, nitrides thereof, fluorides thereof, or other alloys thereof. In another exemplary embodiment, the anode active material comprises silicon, or an alloy or oxide thereof.

[0037] In one embodiment, the anode active material is microstructured to provide a significant void volume fraction to accommodate volume expansion and contraction as lithium ions (or other carrier ions) are introduced into or removed from the anode active material during charge and discharge processes. Generally, the void volume fraction of each of the anode active material layers 104 is at least 0.1. Typically, however, the void volume fraction of each of the anode active material layers is 0.8 or less. For example, in one embodiment, the void volume fraction of each of the anode active material layers 104 is from about 0.15 to about 0.75. As a further example, in one embodiment, the void volume fraction of (each of) the anode active material layers 104 is from about 0.2 to about 0.7. As a further example, in one embodiment, the void volume fraction of each of the anode active material layers 104 is from about 0.25 to about 0.6.

[0038] Depending on the composition of the microstructured anode active material and the method of its formation, the microstructured anode active material may include macroporous, microporous, or mesoporous material layers, or combinations thereof, such as a combination of microporous and mesoporous, or a combination of mesoporous and macroporous. Microporous materials are typically characterized by pore dimensions of less than 10 nm, wall dimensions of less than 10 nm, pore depths of 1 to 50 micrometers, and pore morphologies generally characterized by a "spongy" and irregular appearance, non-smooth walls, and branched pores. Mesoporous materials are typically characterized by pore dimensions of 10 to 50 nm, wall dimensions of 10 to 50 nm, pore depths of 1 to 100 micrometers, and pore morphologies generally characterized by somewhat well-defined branched or dendritic pores. Macroporous materials are typically characterized by pore dimensions greater than 50 nm, wall dimensions greater than 50 nm, pore depths between 1 and 500 micrometers, and pore morphologies that can be linear, branched, or dendritic, and smooth or rough-walled. Furthermore, the void volume can include open or closed porosity, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the void volume includes open porosity, i.e., the anode active material includes porosity with openings in the sides of the anode active material through which lithium ions (or other carrier ions) can enter or leave the anode active material, e.g., lithium ions can enter the anode active material through the porosity openings after leaving the cathode active material. In another embodiment, the void volume includes closed porosity, i.e., the anode active material includes porosity that is enclosed by the anode active material. In general, open porosity can provide a greater interfacial surface area for carrier ions, while closed porosity tends to be less susceptible to solid electrolyte interfaces, while each provides room for expansion of the anode active material upon ingress of carrier ions. Thus, in certain embodiments, it is preferred that the anode active material include a combination of open and closed porosity.

[0039] In one embodiment, the anode active material comprises porous aluminum, tin or silicon, or alloys, oxides, or nitrides thereof. The porous silicon layer can be formed, for example, by anodization, by etching (e.g., by depositing a precious metal such as gold, platinum, silver, or gold / palladium on the surface of the single crystal silicon and etching the surface with a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and hydrogen peroxide), or by other methods known in the art, such as patterned chemical etching. Furthermore, the porous anode active material generally has a porosity of at least about 0.1, but less than 0.8, and a thickness of about 1 to about 100 micrometers. For example, in one embodiment, the anode active material comprises porous silicon, has a thickness of about 5 to about 100 micrometers, and has a porosity of about 0.15 to about 0.75. As a further example, in one embodiment, the anode active material comprises porous silicon, has a thickness of about 10 to about 80 micrometers, and has a porosity of about 0.15 to about 0.7. By way of further example, in one such embodiment, the anode active material comprises porous silicon, has a thickness of about 20 to about 50 micrometers, and has a porosity of about 0.25 to about 0.6. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the anode active material comprises a porous silicon alloy (e.g., nickel silicide), has a thickness of about 5 to about 100 micrometers, and has a porosity of about 0.15 to about 0.75.

[0040] In another embodiment, the anode active material comprises aluminum, tin or silicon fibers, or alloys of tin or silicon. The individual fibers may have a diameter (thickness dimension) of about 5 nm to about 10,000 nm, and a length generally corresponding to the thickness of the anode active material. The silicon fibers (nanowires) may be formed by, for example, chemical vapor deposition or other techniques known in the art, such as vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth and solid-liquid-solid (SLS) growth. Additionally, the anode active material generally has a porosity of at least about 0.1, but less than 0.8, and a thickness of about 1 to about 200 micrometers. For example, in one embodiment, the anode active material comprises silicon nanowires, has a thickness of about 5 to about 100 micrometers, and has a porosity of about 0.15 to about 0.75. As a further example, in one embodiment, the anode active material comprises silicon nanowires, has a thickness of about 10 to about 80 micrometers, and has a porosity of about 0.15 to about 0.7. By way of further example, in one such embodiment, the anode active material comprises silicon nanowires, has a thickness of about 20 to about 50 micrometers, and has a porosity of about 0.25 to about 0.6. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the anode active material comprises silicon alloy (such as nickel silicide) nanowires, has a thickness of about 5 to about 100 micrometers, and has a porosity of about 0.15 to about 0.75.

[0041] In yet other embodiments, the negative electrode (i.e., electrode or counter electrode, depending on the context) or anode active material layer 104 is coated with a particulate lithium material selected from the group consisting of stabilized lithium metal particles, e.g., lithium carbonate stabilized lithium metal powder, lithium silicate stabilized lithium metal powder, or other sources of stabilized lithium metal powder or ink. The particulate lithium material is in an amount of about 0.05-5 mg / cm. 2 , for example, about 0.1 to 4 mg / cm 2 , or even about 0.5 to 3 mg / cm 2 The lithium particulate material may be applied to the anode active material layer 104 (e.g., the negative electrode) by spraying, packing, or otherwise disposing the lithium particulate material in the negative electrode active material layer at a loading of 0.1 to 0.5 μm. 50The average particle size (D) can be 5 to 200 μm, for example, about 10 to 100 μm, 20 to 80 μm, or even about 30 to 50 μm. 50 ) can be defined as the particle size corresponding to 50% in the cumulative volume-based particle size distribution curve. 50 ) can be measured, for example, using laser diffraction methods.

[0042] Generally, the anode current collector 206 has a thickness of at least about 10 3 For example, in one such embodiment, the anode current collector has an electrical conductivity of at least about 10 4 By way of further example, in one such embodiment, the anode current collector has a conductivity of at least about 10 Siemens / cm. 5 It has a conductivity of Siemens / cm. Exemplary electrically conductive materials suitable for use as the anode current collector 206 include metals such as copper, nickel, stainless steel, carbon, cobalt, titanium, and tungsten, and alloys thereof.

[0043] Referring again to FIG. 2, in another preferred embodiment, the unit cell 200 includes one or more cathode current collector layers 210 and one or more cathode active material layers 106. The cathode current collector layer 210 of the cathode material may include aluminum, an aluminum alloy, titanium, or any other material suitable for use as a cathode current collector layer 210. The cathode active material layer 106 may be formed as a first layer on a first surface of the cathode current collector layer 210 and a second layer on a second opposing surface of the cathode current collector layer 210. The cathode active material layer 106 may be coated on one or both sides of the cathode current collector layer 210. Similarly, the cathode active material layer 106 may be coated on one or both major surfaces of the cathode current collector layer 210. In another embodiment, the cathode current collector layer 210 may be mixed with the cathode active material layer 106.

[0044] In one embodiment, the cathode active material layers 106 each have a thickness of at least about 20 um. For example, in one embodiment, the cathode active material layers 106 each have a thickness of at least about 40 um. By way of further example, in one such embodiment, the cathode active material layers 106 each have a thickness of at least about 60 um. By way of further example, in one such embodiment, the cathode active material layers 106 each have a thickness of at least about 100 um. Typically, however, the cathode active material layers 106 each have a thickness of less than about 90 um, or even less than about 70 um.

[0045] In one embodiment, the positive electrode (eg, cathode) material can include or be an intercalation-type chemically active material, a conversion chemically active material, or a combination thereof.

[0046] Exemplary conversion chemical materials useful in the present disclosure include S (or the lithiated form LiS), LiF, Fe, Cu, Ni, FeF, FeO d F 3.2d , FeF3, CoF3, CoF2, CuF2, and NiF2, where 0≦d≦0.5.

[0047] Exemplary cathode active materials also include any of a wide range of intercalation type cathode active materials. For example, in the case of a lithium ion battery, the cathode active material may include a cathode active material selected from transition metal oxides, transition metal sulfides, transition metal nitrides, lithium transition metal oxides, and lithium transition metal sulfides, and lithium transition metal nitrides may be used selectively. The transition metal elements of these transition metal oxides, transition metal sulfides, and transition metal nitrides may include metal elements having a d-shell or an f-shell. Specific examples of such metal elements are Sc, Y, lanthanides, actinides, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Tc, Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pb, Pt, Cu, Ag, and Au. Additional cathode active materials include LiCoO2, LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O4, Li(Nix Co y Al z )O2, LiFePO4, Li2MnO4, V2O5, molybdate oxysulfide, phosphates, silicates, vanadates, sulfur, sulfur compounds, oxygen (air), Li(Ni x Mn y Co z ) O2, and combinations thereof.

[0048] Generally, the cathode current collector 210 has a thickness of at least about 10 3 For example, in one such embodiment, the cathode current collector 210 has an electrical conductivity of at least about 10 4 By way of further example, in one such embodiment, the cathode current collector 210 has a conductivity of at least about 10 5 It has a conductivity of Siemens / cm. Exemplary electrically conductive materials suitable for use as the cathode current collector 210 include metals such as aluminum, nickel, cobalt, titanium, and tungsten, and alloys thereof.

[0049] 2, in one embodiment, the electrically insulating separator layer 108 is adapted to electrically insulate the components of the anode active material layer 104 from the components of the cathode active material layer 106. The electrically insulating separator layer 108 typically comprises a microporous separator material that can be permeated with a non-aqueous electrolyte, for example, in one embodiment the microporous separator material comprises pores having diameters of at least 50 Å, more typically in the range of about 2,500 Å, and a porosity in the range of about 25% to about 75%, more typically in the range of about 35 to 55%.

[0050] In one embodiment, the electrically insulating separator material layers 108 each have a thickness of at least about 4 um. For example, in one embodiment, the electrically insulating separator material layers 108 each have a thickness of at least about 8 um. By way of further example, in one such embodiment, the electrically insulating separator material layers 108 each have a thickness of at least about 12 um. By way of further example, in one such embodiment, the electrically insulating separator material layers 108 each have a thickness of at least about 15 um. In another embodiment, the electrically insulating separator material layers 108 each have a thickness of at least about 25 um. In another embodiment, the electrically insulating separator material layers 108 each have a thickness of at least about 50 um. Typically, however, the electrically insulating separator material layers 108 each have a thickness of less than about 12 um, or even less than about 10 um.

[0051] In general, the separator material for separator layer 108 can be selected from a wide variety of separator materials capable of conducting carrier ions between the positive and negative active materials of the unit cells. For example, the separator material can include a microporous separator material that can be permeated with a liquid non-aqueous electrolyte. Alternatively, the separator material can include a gel or solid electrolyte that can conduct carrier ions between the positive and negative electrodes of the unit cells.

[0052] In one embodiment, the separator material may include a polymer-based electrolyte. Exemplary polymer electrolytes include PEO-based polymer electrolytes, polymer ceramic composite electrolytes, polymer ceramic composite electrolytes, and polymer ceramic composite electrolytes.

[0053] In another embodiment, the separator material may include an oxide-based electrolyte. Exemplary oxide-based electrolytes include lithium lanthanum titanate (Li 0.34 La 0.56 TiO3), Al-doped lithium lanthanum zirconate (Li 6.24 La3Zr2Al 0.24 O 11.98 ), Ta-doped lithium lanthanum zirconate (Li 6.4 La3Zr1.4 Ta 0.6 O 12 ), and lithium titanium aluminum phosphate (Li 1.4 Al 0.4 Ti 1.6 (PO4)3).

[0054] In another embodiment, the separator material may include a solid electrolyte. Exemplary solid electrolytes include lithium tin sulfide (Li 10 SnP2S 12 ), lithium phosphorus sulfide (β-Li3PS4) and lithium phosphorus sulfide chloride iodide (Li6PS5Cl 0.9 I 0.1 ) and other sulfide-based electrolytes.

[0055] In one embodiment, the separator material comprises a microporous separator material including a particulate material and a binder, and having a porosity (void fraction) of at least about 20% by volume. The pores of the microporous separator material have a diameter of at least 50 Å, typically in the range of about 250-2500 Å. The microporous separator material typically has a porosity of less than about 75%. In one embodiment, the microporous separator material has a porosity (void fraction) of at least about 25% by volume. In one embodiment, the microporous separator material has a porosity of about 35-55%.

[0056] Binders for the microporous separator material may be selected from a wide range of inorganic or polymeric materials. For example, in one embodiment, the binder is an organic material selected from the group consisting of silicates, phosphates, aluminates, aluminosilicates, and hydroxides, such as magnesium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, etc. For example, in one embodiment, the binder is a fluoropolymer derived from monomers including vinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene, and tetrafluoropropene, etc. In another embodiment, the binder is a polyolefin, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polybutene, having any of a variety of molecular weight and density ranges. In another embodiment, the binder is selected from the group consisting of ethylene-diene propene terpolymer, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl butyral, polyacetal, and polyethylene glycol diacrylate. In another embodiment, the binder is selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, styrene rubber, butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl ether, polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, and polyethylene oxide. In another embodiment, the binder is selected from the group consisting of acrylates, styrenes, epoxies, and silicones. In another embodiment, the binder is a copolymer or blend of two or more of the foregoing polymers.

[0057] The particulate material comprised by the microporous separator material may also be selected from a wide range of materials. Generally, such materials have relatively low electronic and ionic conductivity at operating temperatures and do not corrode under the operating voltages of the battery electrodes or current collectors that contact the microporous separator material. For example, in one embodiment, the particulate material has a molecular weight of 1×10 -4 By way of further example, in one embodiment, the particulate material has a conductivity for carrier ions (e.g., lithium) of less than 1×10 -5 By way of further example, in one embodiment, the particulate material has a conductivity for carrier ions of less than 1×10 -6The particulate material has a conductivity for carrier ions of less than 10 ... In one embodiment, the particulate material has an average particle size of about 20 nm to 2 micrometers, more typically 200 nm to 1.5 micrometers, hi one embodiment, the particulate material has an average particle size of about 500 nm to 1 micrometer.

[0058] In alternative embodiments, the particulate materials comprised by the microporous separator material may be bound together by techniques such as, for example, sintering, bonding, curing, etc., while maintaining a desired void fraction for electrolyte ingress to provide ionic conductivity for the function of the battery.

[0059] In an assembled energy storage device, such as the battery assembly 100, the microporous separator material is permeated with a non-aqueous electrolyte suitable for use as a secondary battery electrolyte. Typically, the non-aqueous electrolyte comprises a lithium salt and / or mixture of salts dissolved in an organic solvent and / or solvent mixture. Exemplary lithium salts include inorganic lithium salts such as LiClO4, LiBF4, LiPF6, LiAsF6, LiCl, and LiBr, as well as inorganic lithium salts such as LiB(CH5)4, LiN(SO2CF3)2, LiN(SO2CF3)3, LiNSO2CF3, LiNSO2CF5, LiNSO2C4F9, LiNSO2C5F 11 , LiNSO2C6F13 , and LiNSO2C7F 15 Exemplary organic solvents for dissolving lithium salts include cyclic esters, chain esters, cyclic ethers, and chain ethers. Specific examples of cyclic esters include propylene carbonate, butylene carbonate, γ-butyrolactone, vinylene carbonate, 2-methyl-γ-butyrolactone, acetyl-γ-butyrolactone, and γ-valerolactone. Specific examples of chain esters include dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, dibutyl carbonate, dipropyl carbonate, methyl ethyl carbonate, methyl butyl carbonate, methyl propyl carbonate, ethyl butyl carbonate, ethyl propyl carbonate, butyl propyl carbonate, alkyl propionates, dialkyl malonates, and alkyl acetates. Specific examples of cyclic ethers include tetrahydrofuran, alkyltetrahydrofuran, dialkyltetrahydrofuran, alkoxytetrahydrofuran, dialkoxytetrahydrofuran, 1,3-dioxolane, alkyl-1,3-dioxolane, and 1,4-dioxolane.Specific examples of chain ethers include 1,2-dimethoxyethane, 1,2-diethoxyethane, diethyl ether, ethylene glycol dialkyl ether, diethylene glycol dialkyl ether, triethylene glycol dialkyl ether, and tetraethylene glycol dialkyl ether.

[0060] In one embodiment, the microporous separator layer 108 can be permeated with a non-aqueous organic electrolyte comprising a mixture of a lithium salt and a high purity organic solvent. Additionally, the electrolyte can be a polymer using a polymer electrolyte or a solid electrolyte.

[0061] 1 and 2, in one embodiment, the bus bars 110 and 112 are disposed through bus bar openings (not shown) of the respective electrodes or counter electrodes (e.g., anodes or cathodes, as the case may be) to connect the anode current collectors 206 in parallel with each other (in a battery including multiple electrode subunits), and the other of the bus bars connects the cathode current collectors 210 in parallel with each other in a battery including multiple unit cells 200. In one embodiment, the bus bars 110, 112 are welded or otherwise electrically coupled to the current collector tabs 120 that are respectively folded over prior to welding. In one embodiment, the bus bar 110 is a copper bus bar and is welded to the anode tab of the anode current collector layer 206, and the bus bar 112 is an aluminum bus bar and is welded to the cathode tab of the cathode current collector layer 210. However, in other embodiments, the bus bars 110, 112 may be any suitable conductive material to enable the battery assembly 100 to function as described herein. The welding may be performed using a laser welder, friction welding, ultrasonic welding, or any suitable welding method for welding the bus bars 110 and 112 to the electrode tabs 120. In one embodiment, each of the bus bars 110 and 112 makes electrical contact with all of the electrode tabs 120 for the anodes and cathodes, respectively.

[0062] As referred to herein, the anode group unit includes at least the anode current collector 206 and the anode active material layer 104. In some embodiments, the anode group unit includes the anode current collector 206 and the anode active material layer 104 disposed on each major surface of the anode current collector 206. The length of the anode group unit varies depending on the energy storage device and its intended use. However, in general, the anode group unit typically has a length in the range of about 5 mm to about 500 mm. For example, in one such embodiment, the anode group unit has a length of about 10 mm to about 250 mm. As a further example, in one such embodiment, the anode group unit has a length of about 25 mm to about 100 mm.

[0063] The width of the anode group unit (Y-axis range) also varies depending on the energy storage device and its intended use. In general, however, each anode group unit typically has a width in the range of about 0.01 mm to 2.5 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the width of each anode group unit is in the range of about 0.025 mm to about 2 mm. As a further example, in one embodiment, the width of each anode group unit is in the range of about 0.05 mm to about 1 mm.

[0064] The height (Z-axis range) of the anode group constituent units also varies depending on the energy storage device and its intended use. In general, however, the anode group constituent units typically have a height in the range of about 0.05 mm to about 25 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the height of each anode group constituent unit is in the range of about 0.05 mm to about 5 mm. As a further example, in one embodiment, the height of each anode group constituent unit is in the range of about 0.1 mm to about 1 mm. According to one embodiment, the anode group constituent units include one or more first electrode constituent units having a first height and one or more second electrode constituent units having a second height other than the first height. In yet another embodiment, the different heights of the one or more first electrode constituent units and the one or more second electrode constituent units can be selected to accommodate a predetermined shape of the electrode assembly, such as a shape of the electrode assembly having different heights along one or more of the longitudinal axis and / or the lateral axis, and / or to provide a predetermined performance characteristic of the secondary battery. According to another embodiment, the anode group unit includes one or more first electrode units having a first width and one or more second electrode units having a second width other than the first width. In yet another embodiment, the different widths of the one or more first electrode units and the one or more second electrode units can be selected to accommodate a predetermined shape of the electrode assembly, such as an electrode assembly shape having different widths, and / or to provide a predetermined performance characteristic of the secondary battery. According to yet another embodiment, the anode group unit includes one or more first electrode units having a first length and one or more second electrode units having a second length other than the first length. In yet another embodiment, the different lengths of the one or more first electrode units and the one or more second electrode units can be selected to accommodate a predetermined shape of the electrode assembly, such as an electrode assembly shape having different lengths, and / or to provide a predetermined performance characteristic of the secondary battery.

[0065] In general, an anode group unit has a length (X-axis extent) that is substantially greater than each of its width and its height. For example, in one embodiment, the ratio of each of the length to width and height is at least 5:1, respectively, for each anode group unit (i.e., the ratio of the length to width is at least 5:1, respectively, and the ratio of the length to height is at least 5:1, respectively). By way of further example, in one embodiment, the ratio of each of the length to width and height is at least 10:1. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the ratio of each of the length to width and height is at least 15:1. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the ratio of each of the length to width and height is at least 20:1, respectively, for each anode group unit.

[0066] In one embodiment, the height to width ratio of each of the constituent units of the anode group is at least 0.4:1. For example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is at least 2:1 for each of the constituent units of the anode group. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is at least 10:1 for each of the constituent units of the anode group. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is at least 20:1 for each of the constituent units of the anode group. However, typically, the height to width ratio is generally less than 1,000:1 for each of the constituent units of the anode group. For example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is less than 500:1 for each of the constituent units of the anode group. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is less than 100:1 for each of the constituent units of the anode group. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is in the range of about 2:1 to about 100:1 for each of the constituent units of the anode group.

[0067] As referred to herein, the cathode group unit includes at least a cathode current collector 210 and a cathode active material layer 106. The length of the cathode group unit varies depending on the energy storage device and its intended use. In general, however, each cathode group unit typically has a length in the range of about 5 mm to about 500 mm. For example, in one such embodiment, each cathode group unit has a length of about 10 mm to about 250 mm. As a further example, in one such embodiment, each cathode group unit has a length of about 25 mm to about 100 mm.

[0068] The width (Y-axis range) of the cathode group constituent units also varies depending on the energy storage device and its intended use. In general, however, the cathode group constituent units typically have a width in the range of about 0.01 mm to 2.5 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the width of each cathode group constituent unit is in the range of about 0.025 mm to about 2 mm. As a further example, in one embodiment, the width of each cathode group constituent unit is in the range of about 0.05 mm to about 1 mm.

[0069] The height (Z-axis range) of the cathode group constituent units also varies depending on the energy storage device and its intended use. In general, however, the cathode group constituent units typically have a height in the range of about 0.05 mm to about 25 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the height of each of the cathode group constituent units is in the range of about 0.05 mm to about 5 mm. As a further example, in one embodiment, the height of each of the cathode group constituent units is in the range of about 0.1 mm to about 1 mm. According to one embodiment, the cathode group constituent units include one or more first cathode constituent units having a first height and one or more second cathode constituent units having a second height other than the first height. In yet another embodiment, the different heights of the one or more first cathode constituent units and the one or more second cathode constituent units can be selected to accommodate a predetermined shape of the electrode assembly, such as a shape of the electrode assembly having different heights along one or more of the longitudinal axis and / or the lateral axis, and / or to provide a predetermined performance characteristic of the secondary battery. According to another embodiment, the cathode group of units includes one or more first electrode units having a first width and one or more second electrode units having a second width other than the first width. In yet another embodiment, the different widths of the one or more first electrode units and the one or more second electrode units can be selected to accommodate a predetermined shape of the electrode assembly, such as an electrode assembly shape having different widths, and / or to provide a predetermined performance characteristic of the secondary battery. According to yet another embodiment, the cathode group of units includes one or more first electrode units having a first length and one or more second electrode units having a second length other than the first length. In yet another embodiment, the different lengths of the one or more first electrode units and the one or more second electrode units can be selected to accommodate a predetermined shape of the electrode assembly, such as an electrode assembly shape having different lengths, and / or to provide a predetermined performance characteristic of the secondary battery.

[0070] In general, each of the cathode group units has a length (X-axis extent) that is substantially greater than its width and substantially greater than its height. For example, in one embodiment, the ratio of each of the length to width and height is at least 5:1 for each of the cathode group units (i.e., the ratio of the length to width is at least 5:1 and the ratio of the length to height is at least 5:1). As a further example, in one embodiment, the ratio of each of the length to width and height is at least 10:1 for each of the cathode group units. As a further example, in one embodiment, the ratio of each of the length to width and height is at least 15:1 for each of the cathode group units. As a further example, in one embodiment, the ratio of each of the length to width and height is at least 20:1 for each of the cathode group units.

[0071] In one embodiment, the height to width ratio of each of the cathode group units is at least 0.4:1. For example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is at least 2:1 for each of the cathode group units. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is at least 10:1 for each of the cathode group units. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is at least 20:1 for each of the cathode group units. Typically, however, the height to width ratio is generally less than 1,000:1 for each of the anode group units. For example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is less than 500:1 for each of the cathode group units. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is less than 100:1 for each of the cathode group units. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is less than 10:1 for each of the cathode group units. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the height to width ratio is within the range of about 2:1 to about 100:1, respectively, for each unit of the cathode group.

[0072] In one embodiment, the anode current collector 206 also has an electrical conductivity that is substantially greater than the electrical conductivity of the negative electrode active material layer 104. It should be noted that the negative electrode active material layer 104 can be the same as or similar to the anode active material layer 104. For example, in one embodiment, the ratio of the electrical conductivity of the anode current collector 206 to the electrical conductivity of the anode active material layer 104 is at least 100:1 when there is an applied current to store energy in the device or an applied load to discharge the device. By way of further example, in some embodiments, the ratio of the electrical conductivity of the anode current collector 206 to the electrical conductivity of the anode active material layer 104 is at least 500:1 when there is an applied current to store energy in the device or an applied load to discharge the device. By way of further example, in some embodiments, the ratio of the electrical conductivity of the anode current collector 206 to the electrical conductivity of the negative electrode active material layer 104 is at least 1000:1 when there is an applied current to store energy in the device or an applied load to discharge the device. By way of further example, in some embodiments, the ratio of the electrical conductivity of anode current collector 206 to the electrical conductivity of anode active material layer 104, when subjected to an applied current to store energy in the device or an applied load to discharge the device, is at least 5000:1. By way of further example, in some embodiments, the ratio of the electrical conductivity of anode current collector 206 to the electrical conductivity of anode active material layer 104, when subjected to an applied current to store energy in the device or an applied load to discharge the device, is at least 10000:1.

[0073] In general, the cathode current collector layer 210 may comprise a metal such as aluminum, carbon, chromium, gold, nickel, NiP, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, alloys of silicon and nickel, titanium, or combinations thereof (see "Current collectors for positive electrodes of lithium-based batteries" by A.H. Whitehead and M. Schreiber, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 152(11) A2105-A2113 (2005)). By way of further example, in one embodiment, the cathode current collector layer 210 comprises gold or an alloy thereof, such as gold silicide. By way of further example, in one embodiment, the cathode current collector layer 210 comprises nickel or an alloy thereof, such as nickel silicide.

[0074] Reference is now made to Figure 3, which is an enlarged, partially detailed perspective view of a battery assembly 300 (which may be the same as or similar to battery assembly 100) before a reinforcing structure or outer packaging (e.g., a housing) is placed thereon. Battery assembly 300 includes an electrode assembly 301 including a group of electrode subunits 302 (which may be the same as or similar to subunits 102) configured in a stacked arrangement along a Y axis. Each of electrode subunits 302 includes at least an electrode current conductor layer, an electrode layer including an electrode active material (e.g., an anode active material layer), a separator layer, a counter electrode layer including a counter electrode active material (e.g., a cathode active material layer), and a counter electrode current collector layer.

[0075] In a preferred embodiment, the electrode assembly 301 is enclosed within a volume defined by a constraint 316 (which in some embodiments may be the same as or similar to the casing 116). In one embodiment, the constraint 316 comprises stainless steel, such as SS316, 440C, or 440C hard. In other embodiments, the constraints are made of aluminum (e.g., aluminum 7075-T6, hard H18, etc.), titanium (e.g., 6Al-4V), beryllium, beryllium copper (hard), copper (O2 free, hard), nickel, other metals or metal alloys, composites, polymers, ceramics (e.g., alumina (e.g., sintered or Coorstek AD96), zirconia (e.g., Coorstek YZTP), yttria stabilized zirconia (e.g., ENrG E-Strate®), glass, tempered glass, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) (e.g., Aptiv 1102), carbon filled PEEK (e.g., Victrex 90HMF40 or Xycomp 1000-04), carbon filled polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) (e.g., Tepex Dynalite 207), 30% glass filled polyetherketone (PEEK), (e.g., Victrex 90 HMF 40 or Xycomp 1000-04), Polyimide (e.g., Kapton®), E Glass Std Fabric / Epoxy, 0°, E Glass UD / Epoxy, 0°, Kevlar Std Fabric / Epoxy, 0°, Kevlar UD / Epoxy, 0°, Carbon Std Fabric / Epoxy, 0°, Carbon UD / Epoxy, 0°, Toyobo Zylon® HM Fiber / Epoxy, Kevlar 49 Aramid Fiber, S Glass Fibers, Carbon Fibers, Vectran UM LCP Fibers, Dyneema, Zylon, or other suitable materials.

[0076] The constraint 316 comprises a first cover 320 (i.e., a first primary growth constraint) on one side of the battery assembly 300 generally aligned along the XY plane, and a second cover (i.e., a second primary growth constraint) on the opposite side of the battery assembly 300 (not shown in FIG. 3 but substantially similar to the first cover 320 and generally indicated at 322) separated in the Z direction from the first cover 320 and also generally aligned along the XY plane and having a thickness t1 (FIG. 3A) measured in the Z direction. The thickness (t1) of the constraint 316 may depend on a variety of factors including, for example, the material of construction of the constraint 316, the overall dimensions of the electrode assembly 301, and the composition of the electrode and counter electrodes. In some embodiments, for example, the constraint 316 comprises a sheet having a thickness t1 in the range of about 10 to about 100 micrometers. For example, in one such embodiment, the constraint 316 comprises a stainless steel sheet (e.g., SS316) having a thickness of about 30 μm. By way of further example, in another embodiment, the constraint 316 comprises an aluminum sheet (e.g., 7075-T6) having a thickness of about 40 μm. By way of further example, in another embodiment, the constraint 316 comprises a zirconia sheet (e.g., Coorstek YZTP) having a thickness of about 30 μm. By way of further example, in another embodiment, the constraint 316 comprises an E Glass UD / Epoxy 0 degree sheet having a thickness of about 75 μm. By way of further example, in another such embodiment, the constraint 316 comprises 12 μm carbon fiber at a packing density of greater than 50%. The first cover 320 and the second cover 322 may each comprise one or more features 315, which may be formed as indentations, through cuts, holes, or the like. In one embodiment, the features 315 facilitate lithiation of the battery assembly 300, for example, from an external lithium foil electrode (not shown). In such an embodiment, the features 315 allow lithium to diffuse therethrough to facilitate prelithiation.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, there is a third cover 324 (i.e., a first secondary growth constraint) extending in the XZ plane, an opposing third cover separated in the Y-axis direction, and a fourth cover 326 (e.g., a second secondary growth constraint) extending in the XZ plane, and an opposing fourth cover separated in the Y-axis direction. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the third cover 324 is defined by a folded portion of the first cover 320 folded at a first corner 328, and the fourth cover 326 is defined by a folded portion of the second cover 322 folded at a second corner 329. The first and second corners 328 and 329 can be radius or angled corners. In one embodiment, the first and second corners 328 and 329 are at an angle of 90 degrees to 100 degrees. In other embodiments, the third and fourth covers can be a single cover. In one embodiment, the first secondary growth constraint 324 or the first primary growth constraint 320 is connected to a surface (e.g., a top surface) of an electrode or counter electrode structure of the subset of unit cells, and the second primary growth constraint 322 or the second secondary growth constraint 326 is connected to another surface (e.g., a bottom surface) of an electrode or counter electrode structure of the subset of unit cells.

[0078] In one embodiment, the casing edge gap 338 is defined between the third constraint 324 and the fourth constraint 326 with the gap distance defined in the Z-axis direction. In one embodiment, the gap distance of the casing edge gap 338 in the Z-axis direction between the third constraint 324 and the fourth constraint 326 is less than or equal to 50% of the Z-axis thickness of the battery assembly 300. Note that the opposite side of the battery assembly 300 may include constraints similar to the third and fourth constraints 324 and 326. The third constraint includes a flap edge 330 defined along the X-axis and the Z-axis, and the fourth constraint includes a second flap edge 332 defined along the X-axis and the Z-axis.

[0079] Each of the first cover 320 and the second cover 322 may include one or more notches 334 or lands 336 formed along an edge generally aligned with the Y-axis. In an embodiment, one or more of the size, shape, spacing, and amount of the notches 334 or lands 336 are determined based on manufacturing conditions or limitations. In an embodiment, the notches 334 or lands 336 may facilitate manufacturability by facilitating machining, stamping processes, or cutting of the first cover 320 or the second cover 322 from the material stock used in the manufacturing process of the first cover 320 and the second cover 322. In addition, the battery assembly 300 includes a bus bar 310 that is electrically coupled to one of the electrode subunits 302. Due to the material thickness t1 used for the constraint 316, the constraint includes an edge surface 340 that protrudes from the electrode assembly 301 in the Z-axis direction. Similarly, one or more of the flap edges 330, 332 protrude from the battery assembly 300 in the Y-axis direction. In addition, the busbar 310 protrudes from the side 344 of the cell in the X-axis direction at the busbar edge 342 .

[0080] Referring to FIG. 4, a battery assembly 400 is shown, which may be the same as or similar to the battery assembly 300. In this embodiment, the battery assembly 400 includes an electrode assembly 401 (which may be the same as or similar to the electrode assembly 301) that includes a group of electrode subunits 402 (which may be the same as or similar to the subunits 302, 102) arranged in a stacked arrangement along the Y axis. Each of the electrode subunits 402 includes at least an electrode current conductor layer, an electrode layer including an electrode active material (e.g., an anode active material layer), a separator layer, a counter electrode layer including a counter electrode active material (e.g., a cathode active material layer), and a counter electrode current collector layer. In one preferred embodiment, the electrode assembly 401 is held within a constraint 416 (which may be the same as or similar to the constraint 316 in some embodiments).

[0081] A bus bar 410 (which may be the same as or similar to bus bar 310) extends along the Y-axis direction across each of the electrode subunits 402. In this embodiment, a current collector tab 420 (which may be the same as or similar to current collector tab 120) extends from each electrode (e.g., anode or cathode) of the electrode subunits 402. Each current collector tab 420 has a tab height CT H The bus bar 410 has a height BB in the Z-axis direction. H In one embodiment, each current collector tab 420 has an opening 425 sized and shaped to allow the bus bar 410 to pass therethrough. The openings 425 may be referred to as "D slots" and in some embodiments the openings may have a "D" shape. The openings 425 are spaced apart from the bus bar height B-B to allow the bus bar 410 to pass therethrough. H A height O in the Z direction that is at least as wide as H has.

[0082] Typically, all of the current collector tabs 420 on a single side of the battery assembly 400 extend from the same type of electrode, e.g., all from an anode electrode or all from a cathode electrode. Thus, the opposite side of the battery will have as many current collector tabs 420 extending therefrom as there are other types of electrodes. Thus, a single bus bar 410 may extend along the entire length of the electrode subunit 401. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, each of the current collector tabs is folded from the X-axis direction to the Y-axis direction, each overlapping and electrically contacting a portion of the bus bar 410. To secure the current collector tabs 420 to the bus bar 410, each of the current collector tabs 420 may be welded to the bus bar 410 at one or more weld locations. In other embodiments, an adhesive may be used to secure each current collector tab 420 to the bus bar 410. It has been found that under certain abuse conditions, such as being dropped, hit, or impacted, one or more welds of the current collector tab 420 to the bus bar 410 can fail completely or partially, causing an electrical disconnect between the current collector tab 420 with the failed weld and the bus bar 410.

[0083] In some embodiments, the current collector tabs 420 have a height CT that is less than the height of the electrode subunits 402. H Thus, the first margin 415 and the second margin 417 of the electrode subunit 402 are defined as extending from the outer edge of the battery assembly 400 to the outer edge of the current collector tab 420. Each of the first margin 415 and the second margin 417 has a margin height M H has.

[0084] 5-7, in order to facilitate reducing or eliminating the possibility that abusive conditions may cause weld failure, in some embodiments, a reinforcing structure 590 may be utilized. FIG. 5 illustrates the battery assembly 400 shown in FIG. 4 to which an embodiment of the reinforcing structure 590 is applied. The reinforcing structure 590 extends in the Z-axis direction by a height DSR H In one embodiment, the height DSR H is the height BA of the battery assembly 400 measured in the Z-axis direction H (FIG. 4). In this embodiment, the reinforcing structure 590 has a height DSR spanning the first margin 415, the second margin 417, and the current collector tab 420. H The reinforcing structure, in one embodiment, includes a busbar cutout 560 that defines an opening through which a portion of the busbar 410 can be exposed and folded from the YZ plane to the XZ plane. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the reinforcing structure 590 has a current collector tab height CT H (Fig. 4) with substantially equal height DSR H , extending along the Y-axis extent of the electrode subunit 402 but leaving the folded end portion 611 of the bus bar 410 exposed.

[0085] In one embodiment, the reinforcing structure is a rigid structure comprising an electrically non-conductive material, while in another embodiment, the reinforcing structure is a flexible or semi-flexible structure comprising one or more of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethylene (PE), ethylene acrylic acid (EAA), ethylene methacrylic acid (EMAA), or functional derivatives or copolymers or combinations thereof.

[0086] In one preferred embodiment, the reinforcing structure 590 comprises a polymer film. The polymer film is adhered to the battery assembly using hot melt techniques. By applying sufficient heat to the polymer material, the material will flow back around any gaps and edges of the current collector tabs 420 and bus bars 410. In one embodiment, the polymer film is heat treated after being applied to the desired portion of the battery assembly 400 as described herein. In this embodiment, the polymer film is heat treated to a temperature in the range of 80° C. to 130° C., such as 80° C., 85° C., 90° C., 95° C., 100° C., 105° C., 110° C., 115° C., 120° C., 125° C., and 130° C. In one embodiment, when heated to this temperature range, the polymer crosslinks and significantly hardens into a rigid structure, thus forming the reinforcing structure 590. In other embodiments, when heated to the above temperature range, the polymer adheres to the battery assembly 400 but retains its flexible or semi-flexible properties. In one embodiment, the reinforcing structure 590 has a length DSR measured in the X-axis direction of 25 μm to 500 μm, e.g., 25 μm, 50 μm, 75 μm, 100 μm, 125 μm, 150 μm, 175 μm, 200 μm, 225 μm, 250 μm, 275 μm, 300 μm, 325 μm, 350 μm, 375 μm, 400 μm, 425 μm, 450 μm, 475 μm, or 500 μm. L In one embodiment, the film forming the reinforcing structure is attached and has a length DSR after heat treatment. L decreases by 15% to 40%.

[0087] 8, a photograph of two exemplary battery assemblies 800A and 800B (which may be the same as or similar to battery assembly 400) is shown after reinforcing structures 890A and 890B (which may be the same as or similar to reinforcing structure 590) have been attached and heat treated. As shown, reinforcing structures 890A and 890B are each attached such that no portion of reinforcing structures 890A and 890B extends beyond the Z axis extent of the respective battery assemblies 800A and 800B (as shown between arrows [1]). Reinforcing structures 890A and 890B are also substantially flat and smooth along the YZ plane without any significant breaks or protrusions, as shown by box [2]. Also, as shown in box [3], reinforcing structures 890A and 890B each cover the entire Z-axis and Y-axis extent of current collector tabs 820A and 820B (which may be the same as or similar to current collector tabs 420), respectively, and cover openings or D-slots 425 ( FIG. 4 ) in current collector tabs 820A and 820B, respectively. Additionally, in the embodiment of FIG. 8 , reinforcing structures 890A and 890B each include notches 860A and 860B (which may be the same as or similar to busbar cutouts 560), respectively (also shown in box [4]), such that busbars 810A and 810B are not covered by reinforcing structures 890A and 890B.

[0088] Reference is now made to Figures 9-11. In one embodiment, following attachment of the reinforcing structure 590, the battery assembly 400 is placed into the battery package 1100 to form a complete battery 1160. In an embodiment, the battery package comprises a first housing layer 900 and a second housing layer 1000. Each of the first and second housing layers 900, 1000 may comprise a flexible or semi-flexible material, such as, for example, aluminum, or a polymer. In one embodiment, one or more of the first and second housing layers 900, 1000 comprises a multi-layer aluminum polymer material, or plastic, or the like. In one embodiment, one or more of the first and second housing layers 900, 1000 comprises a polymer material laminated onto a metal substrate, such as aluminum.

[0089] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the battery assembly 400 is disposed on the first housing layer 900 such that the lower surface F6 of the constraint 416 contacts the first housing layer 900. The battery assembly is shown with six mutually perpendicular faces, F1-F6. In one embodiment, the battery assembly 400 is disposed in a recess 902 formed in the first housing layer 900. The recess 902 is sized and shaped to match the exterior size and shape of the battery assembly 400. In one embodiment, the second housing layer 1000 (FIG. 10) is disposed on top of the battery assembly 400 such that the major surface F5 of the constraint 416 contacts the second housing layer 1000. The second housing layer 1000 can be positioned (e.g., by movement in the placement direction P1) to cover the entirety of the major surface F5 and the recess 902. The conductive terminals 905 and 907 remain uncovered by the first and second housing layers 900, 1000. After the second housing layer 1000 is properly positioned, the first and second housing layers 900, 1000 are sealed along the sealing edge S1 (shown by the dotted line in FIG. 11). In one embodiment, excess material of the first and second housing layers 900, 1000 may be trimmed before or after sealing. The first and second housing layers may be sealed along the sealing edge S1, such as by welding, heat sealing, adhesive, or a combination thereof. In another embodiment, the first and second housing layers 900, 1000 may be sealed along three sides of the sealing edge S1 to create a pocket therein. In such an embodiment, the battery assembly 400 may be placed in the pocket, and the final edge of the sealing edge S1 is then sealed. In one embodiment, the sealing edge S1 is sealed using a heat press, which applies controlled temperature and pressure to the sealing edge S1 to bond or fuse the first and second housing layers 900, 1000 together along the sealing edge S1. In another embodiment, a vacuum is applied to the battery assembly 400 during the sealing process to evacuate any excess volume occupied by air or other gases. The amount of time the sealed edges are exposed to the hot press can be controlled and depends on the materials selected for the first and second housing layers 900, 1000.When sealed onto the battery assembly 400, the sealed first and second housing layers 900, 1000 form the battery package 1100. When sealed, the battery package 1100 is liquid-tight and / or air-tight depending on the desired application. The terminals 905, 907 are left exposed and uncovered by the battery package 1100 to allow a user to connect the terminals to a powered device or a battery charger.

[0090] A method of the present disclosure (e.g., method 1200 shown in FIG. 12) will be described with reference to FIGS. 1-12. Initially, at 1202, a battery assembly, such as battery assembly 400, including a fabricated electrode assembly 401 is provided. At 1204, a constraint, such as constraint 316, is provided on the electrode assembly 401, as previously described herein. At 1206, a bus bar 410 is bonded through a current collector tab 420 and secured thereto, such as via welding, such that the electrode assembly 401 is electrically connected to the bus bar 410 and the current collector tab 420. To facilitate reducing or eliminating the possibility that abusive conditions may cause weld failure, a reinforcing structure 590 may be utilized in some embodiments. In this embodiment, the reinforcing structure 590 is attached to the battery assembly 400 at 1208, such as over the current collector 420, after being electrically connected to the bus bar 410. In one embodiment, a height DSR H is the height BA of the battery assembly 400 measured in the Z-axis direction H In this embodiment, the reinforcing structure 590 has a height DSR spanning the first margin 415, the second margin 417, and the current collector tab 420. H In one embodiment, the reinforcement structure 590 is fabricated, such as by cutting or laser machining, to include a busbar notch 560 that defines an opening through which a portion of the busbar 410 can be exposed and folded from the YZ plane to the XZ plane.

[0091] In another embodiment of the method 1200, as shown in FIG. 6, at 1208, the reinforcing structure 590 is HHeight DSR substantially equal to H 611 of the busbar 410. The busbar 410 has a folded end portion 611 that extends along the Y-axis extent of the electrode subunit 402 but is attached in a manner that leaves the folded end portion 611 of the busbar 410 exposed.

[0092] In one preferred embodiment of the method 1200, at 1208, the method 1200 includes applying the reinforcing structure 590 as a polymer film. In this embodiment, the polymer film is adhered to the battery assembly 400 using a hot melt technique. In one embodiment, the polymer film is directly heated and the battery assembly 400 can be heated due to heat conducted from the polymer to the battery assembly 400. By applying sufficient heat to the polymer material, the material will backflow around any gaps and edges of the current collector tabs 420 and bus bars 410. In one embodiment of the method 1200, the polymer film is heat treated after being applied to the desired portion of the battery assembly 400 as described herein. In this embodiment, the polymer film is heat treated to a temperature in the range of 80°C to 130°C, for example, 80°C, 85°C, 90°C, 95°C, 100°C, 105°C, 110°C, 115°C, 120°C, 125°C, and 130°C. In one embodiment, when heated to this temperature range in this embodiment of the method, the polymer crosslinks and significantly hardens into a rigid structure, thus forming the reinforcement structure 590. In other embodiments of the method 1200, when heated to the temperature ranges mentioned above, the polymer adheres to the battery assembly 400 but retains its flexible or semi-flexible characteristics. In one embodiment of the method 1200, the reinforcement structure 590 has a length DSR measured in the X-axis direction of 25 μm to 500 μm, e.g., 25 μm, 50 μm, 75 μm, 100 μm, 125 μm, 150 μm, 175 μm, 200 μm, 225 μm, 250 μm, 275 μm, 300 μm, 325 μm, 350 μm, 375 μm, 400 μm, 425 μm, 450 μm, 475 μm, or 500 μm. L In one embodiment of the method 1200, the film forming the reinforcing structure is attached and has a post-heat treatment length DSR L decreases by 15% to 40%.

[0093] In one embodiment of the method 1200, following attachment of the reinforcing structure 590, the battery assembly 400 is placed in the battery package 1100 at 1210 to form a complete battery 1160. In an embodiment, the battery package 1100 includes a first housing layer 900 and a second housing layer 1000. Each of the first and second housing layers may include a flexible or semi-flexible material, such as, for example, aluminum, or a polymer. In one embodiment of the method 1200, one or more of the first and second housing layers 900, 1000 include a multi-layer aluminum polymer material, plastic, or the like. In one embodiment of the method 1200, one or more of the first housing layer 900 and the second housing layer 1000 include a polymer material laminated on a metal substrate, such as aluminum.

[0094] In an embodiment of the method 1200, the battery assembly 400 is placed on the first housing layer 900 at 1210 such that the lower surface F6 of the constraint 416 contacts the first housing layer 900. In one embodiment of the method 1200, the battery assembly 400 is placed in a recess 902 formed in the first housing layer 900. The recess 902 is sized and shaped to match the exterior size and shape of the battery assembly 400. In one embodiment of the method 1200, the second housing layer 1000 ( FIG. 10 ) is placed on top of the battery assembly 400 such that the major surface F5 of the constraint 416 contacts the second housing layer 1000. The second housing layer 1000 can be positioned (e.g., by movement in the placement direction P1) to cover the entirety of the major surface F5 and the recess 902. The housing is positioned such that the conductive terminals 905 and 907 remain uncovered by the first and second housing layers 900 , 1000 .

[0095] In one embodiment of the method 1200, after proper placement of the second housing layer 1000, the first and second housing layers 900, 1000 are sealed along the sealing edge S1 (shown by the dotted line in FIG. 11). In one embodiment of the method 1200, the excess material of the first and second housing layers 900, 1000 is trimmed, such as by mechanical cutting or laser cutting, before or after the sealing operation. The first and second housing layers 900, 1000 may be sealed along the sealing edge S1 by welding, heat sealing, adhesives, or combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the first and second housing layers 900, 1000 may be sealed along three sides of the sealing edge S1 to create a pocket therein. In such an embodiment, the battery assembly 400 may be placed in the pocket, and the final edge of the sealing edge S1 is then sealed. In one embodiment of the method 1200, the sealing edge S1 is sealed using a hot press by applying controlled temperature and pressure to the sealing edge S1 to bond or fuse the first and second housing layers 900, 1000 together along the sealing edge S1. In another embodiment of the method, a vacuum is applied to the battery assembly 400 during the sealing process to evacuate any excess volume occupied by air or other gases. The time that the sealing edge is exposed to the hot press can be controlled and depends on the materials selected for the first and second housing layers 900, 1000. When sealed onto the battery assembly 400, the sealed first and second housing layers 900, 1000 form the battery package 1100. When sealed, the battery package 1100 is liquid-tight and / or air-tight depending on the desired application. The terminals 905, 907 remain exposed and are not covered by the battery package 1100 to allow a user to connect the terminals to a powered device or a battery charger.

[0096] The following embodiments are provided to illustrate aspects of the disclosure, but the embodiments are not intended to be limiting and other aspects and / or embodiments may be provided.

[0097] Embodiment 1. A secondary battery assembly comprising: an electrode assembly having mutually perpendicular lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding respectively to the X, Y, and Z axes of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the electrode assembly defining a group of planes, each plane being defined by two of the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes; a group of first current collector tabs electrically coupled to a first bus bar extending along a first surface of the electrode assembly, the first surface extending in at least one of a ZX plane defined by the Z and X axes, or a ZY plane defined by the Z and Y axes; and a reinforcing structure disposed on at least a portion of the first current collector tabs, the current collector tabs extending along the first surface, the reinforcing structure comprising a polymer.

[0098] Example 2. The secondary battery assembly of embodiment 1, wherein the electrode assembly comprises a rectangular prism shape.

[0099] Embodiment 3. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly is enclosed within a volume defined by a constraint.

[0100] Embodiment 4. A secondary battery assembly as in any preceding embodiment, further comprising a group of second current collector tabs electrically coupled to a second bus bar disposed along a second face of the group of faces, the second face being parallel or perpendicular to the first face.

[0101] Embodiment 5. A secondary battery assembly as in any preceding embodiment, wherein a reinforcing structure is disposed on each of the first bus bar and the second bus bar.

[0102] Embodiment 6. The secondary battery assembly of any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure comprises a polymer.

[0103] Embodiment 7. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly comprises a rectangular prism shape having at least four equal sides.

[0104] Embodiment 8. A secondary battery assembly as in any preceding embodiment, wherein each of the first current collector tabs includes an opening, and a bus bar is disposed through each opening of the first current collector tabs.

[0105] Embodiment 9. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure is configured to extend into each opening of the first current collector tab.

[0106] Embodiment 10. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure comprises a rigid crosslinked polymer structure.

[0107] Embodiment 11. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcement structure includes a notch for exposing a portion of the first bus bar.

[0108] Embodiment 12. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure includes a polymer configured to adhere to the first current collector tab upon the application of heat.

[0109] Embodiment 13. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure is heat staked to the electrode assembly.

[0110] Embodiment 14. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly comprises a first margin and a second margin adjacent the first group of current collector tabs, and a reinforcing structure is disposed on each of the first margin, the second margin, and the first current collector tabs.

[0111] Embodiment 15. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly includes a first margin and a second margin adjacent to the first group of current collector tabs, and the reinforcing structure is disposed on the first current collector tabs but not on each of the first margin and the second margin.

[0112] Embodiment 16. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, further comprising a housing enclosing the electrode assembly and the reinforcing structure.

[0113] Embodiment 17. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the housing is at least one of liquid-tight or airtight.

[0114] Embodiment 18. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein each of the first current collector tabs is welded to a first bus bar.

[0115] Embodiment 19. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure has a height measured perpendicular to the first surface of between 25 μm and 500 μm.

[0116] Embodiment 20. A secondary battery comprising: an electrode assembly having mutually perpendicular lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding respectively to the X-, Y-, and Z-axes of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the electrode assembly defining a group of planes, each plane being defined by two of the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes; a group of first current collector tabs electrically coupled to a first bus bar extending along a first surface of the electrode assembly, the first surface extending in one of a ZX plane defined by the Z-axis and the X-axis, or a ZY plane defined by the Z-axis and the Y-axis; a reinforcing structure disposed on at least a portion of the first current collector tabs, the current collector tabs extending along the first surface, the reinforcing structure comprising a polymer; and a battery housing encapsulating the electrode assembly and the reinforcing structure.

[0117] Embodiment 21. The secondary battery of claim 20, further comprising a constraint defining a volume, the constraint being disposed on an outer surface of the electrode assembly, the electrode assembly being housed within the volume.

[0118] Embodiment 22. The secondary battery assembly of claim 20, further comprising: a group of second current collector tabs electrically coupled to a second bus bar disposed along a second face of the group of faces, the second face being parallel or perpendicular to the first face; and a second reinforcing structure disposed on at least a portion of the second current collector tabs.

[0119] Embodiment 23. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the constraint includes a first primary growth constraint in contact with a surface of an electrode or counter-electrode of the electrode assembly.

[0120] Embodiment 24. A secondary battery assembly as in any preceding embodiment, further comprising a second group of current collector tabs electrically coupled to a second bus bar disposed along a second face of the group of faces.

[0121] Embodiment 25. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein a reinforcing structure is disposed on each of the first bus bar and the second bus bar.

[0122] Embodiment 26. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure comprises a polymer.

[0123] Embodiment 27. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly has a rectangular prism shape.

[0124] Embodiment 28. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein each of the first current collector tabs includes an opening, and a bus bar is disposed through each opening of the first current collector tabs.

[0125] Embodiment 29. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure is configured to extend into each opening of the first current collector tab.

[0126] Embodiment 30. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure comprises a rigid crosslinked polymer structure.

[0127] Embodiment 31. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure includes a notch for exposing a portion of the first bus bar.

[0128] Embodiment 32. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure includes a polymer configured to adhere to the first current collector tab upon the application of heat.

[0129] Embodiment 33. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure is heat staked to the electrode assembly.

[0130] Embodiment 34. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly comprises a first margin and a second margin adjacent the first group of current collector tabs, and a reinforcing structure is disposed on each of the first margin, the second margin, and the first current collector tabs.

[0131] Embodiment 35. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly includes a first margin and a second margin adjacent to the first group of current collector tabs, and the reinforcing structure is disposed on the first current collector tabs but not on each of the first margin and the second margin.

[0132] Embodiment 36. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, further comprising packaging encapsulating the electrode assembly and the reinforcing structure.

[0133] Embodiment 37. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the packaging is at least one of liquid-tight or airtight.

[0134] Embodiment 38. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein each of the first current collector tabs is welded to a first bus bar.

[0135] Embodiment 39. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure has a height measured perpendicular to the first surface of between 25 μm and 500 μm.

[0136] Embodiment 40. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the battery housing comprises aluminum.

[0137] Embodiment 41. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the height of the reinforcing structure is substantially equal to the height of the electrode assembly.

[0138] Embodiment 42. An electrode assembly comprising: (a) silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and cadmium (Cd); (b) an alloy or intermetallic compound of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ti, Ni, Co, or Cd with other elements; and (c) an oxide of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ti, Fe, Ni, Co, V, or Cd. (d) salts and hydroxides of Sn; (e) lithium titanate, lithium manganate, lithium aluminate, lithium-containing titanium oxide, lithium transition metal oxide, ZnCo2O4; (f) particles of graphite and carbon; (g) lithium metal; and (h) combinations thereof.

[0139] Embodiment 43. The secondary battery assembly of any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly comprises an anode active material selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and cadmium (Cd).

[0140] Embodiment 44. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly comprises an anode active material selected from the group consisting of alloys and intermetallic compounds of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ti, Ni, Co, or Cd with other elements.

[0141] Embodiment 45. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly comprises an anode active material selected from the group consisting of oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, and tellurides of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ti, Fe, Ni, Co, V, and Cd.

[0142] Embodiment 46. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly comprises an anode active material selected from the group consisting of oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, and tellurides of Si.

[0143] Embodiment 47. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly comprises an anode active material selected from the group consisting of silicon and oxides and carbides of silicon.

[0144] Embodiment 48. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly comprises an anode active material comprising metallic lithium.

[0145] Embodiment 49. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly comprises an anode active material selected from the group consisting of graphite and carbon.

[0146] Embodiment 50. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein the secondary battery further comprises a non-aqueous organic electrolyte within the housing.

[0147] Embodiment 51. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein within the housing, the secondary battery further comprises a non-aqueous electrolyte comprising a mixture of a lithium salt and an organic solvent.

[0148] Embodiment 52. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the secondary battery further comprises a polymer electrolyte within the housing.

[0149] Embodiment 53. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the secondary battery further comprises a solid electrolyte within the housing.

[0150] Embodiment 54. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein within the housing, the secondary battery further comprises a solid electrolyte selected from the group consisting of sulfide-based electrolytes.

[0151] Embodiment 55. A secondary battery is provided in the housing, the secondary battery being made of lithium tin phosphorus sulfide (Li 10 SnP2S 12 ), lithium phosphorus sulfide (β-Li3PS4), and lithium phosphorus sulfur chloroiodide (Li6PS5Cl 0.9 I 0.1 4. The secondary battery assembly of any preceding embodiment, further comprising a solid electrolyte selected from the group consisting of:

[0152] Embodiment 56. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein the secondary battery further comprises a polymer-based electrolyte within the housing.

[0153] Embodiment 57. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein the secondary battery further comprises within the housing a polymer electrolyte selected from the group consisting of a PEO-based polymer electrolyte, a polymer ceramic composite electrolyte (solid), a polymer ceramic composite electrolyte, and a polymer ceramic composite electrolyte.

[0154] Embodiment 58. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein within the housing, the secondary battery further comprises a solid electrolyte selected from the group consisting of oxide-based electrolytes.

[0155] Embodiment 59. A secondary battery is disposed in the housing, and lithium lanthanum titanate (Li 0.34 La 0.56 TiO3), Al-doped lithium lanthanum zirconate (Li 6.24La3Zr2Al 0.24 O 11.98 ), Ta-doped lithium lanthanum zirconate (Li 6.4 La3Zr 1.4 Ta 0.6 O 12 ), and lithium titanium aluminum phosphate (Li 1.4 Al 0.4 Ti 1.6 3. The secondary battery assembly of any preceding embodiment, further comprising a solid electrolyte selected from the group consisting of: (PO4)3).

[0156] Embodiment 60. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein one of the electrode active material and counter electrode material of the electrode assembly is a cathode active material selected from the group consisting of intercalation chemistry positive electrodes and conversion chemistry positive electrodes.

[0157] Embodiment 61. A secondary battery assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein one of the electrode active material and counter electrode material of the electrode assembly is a cathode active material comprising an intercalation chemistry positive electrode material.

[0158] Embodiment 62. A secondary battery assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein one of the electrode active material and counter electrode material of the electrode assembly is a cathode active material comprising a conversion chemistry positive electrode active material.

[0159] Embodiment 63. One of the electrode active material and counter electrode material of the electrode assembly is S (or Li2S in the lithiated state), LiF, Fe, Cu, Ni, FeF2, FeO d F 3.2d , FeF3, CoF3, CoF2, CuF2, NiF2, where 0≦d≦0.5.

[0160] Embodiment 64. A method for manufacturing a secondary battery, comprising: creating an electrode assembly having mutually perpendicular lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding, respectively, to the X-, Y-, and Z-axes of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the electrode assembly defining a group of faces, each face being defined by two of the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes; electrically coupling a first group of current collector tabs to a first bus bar extending along a first face of the electrode assembly; adhering a reinforcing structure over at least a portion of the first current collector tabs, the reinforcing structure comprising a polymer; encapsulating the electrode assembly and the reinforcing structure within a battery housing such that the reinforcing structure is between the battery housing and the electrode assembly; and vacuum sealing the housing.

[0161] Embodiment 65. A method of making a battery assembly for use with a secondary battery, the method comprising: making an electrode assembly having mutually perpendicular lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding, respectively, to the X-, Y-, and Z-axes of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the electrode assembly defining a group of faces, each face being defined by two of the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes; electrically coupling a first group of current collector tabs to a first bus bar extending along a first face of the electrode assembly; adhering a reinforcing structure over at least a portion of the first current collector tabs, the reinforcing structure comprising a polymer; and encapsulating the electrode assembly and reinforcing structure within a battery housing.

[0162] Embodiment 66. The method of embodiment 65, wherein bonding comprises applying heat and pressure to the reinforcing structure.

[0163] Embodiment 67. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the bonding includes at least partially filling the opening in the first current collector tab with the reinforcing structure.

[0164] Embodiment 68. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the reinforcing structure extends throughout the first current collector tab.

[0165] Embodiment 69. An electrode assembly for cycling between a charged state and a discharged state, the electrode assembly comprising a group of unit cells, an electrode bus bar, and a counter electrode bus bar, the constituent units of the group of unit cells comprising an electrode structure, a separator structure, and a counter electrode structure, (a) the electrode structure comprises an electrode tab reinforcement structure including an electrode active material layer, an electrode current collector having a tab, and a first polymer disposed on at least a portion of the electrode current collector tab, (b) the counter electrode current collector comprises a counter electrode tab reinforcement structure including a counter electrode active material layer, a counter electrode current collector having a tab, and a second polymer disposed on at least a portion of the counter electrode current collector tab, the electrode structure being electrically connected in parallel to the electrode bus bar via the electrode current collector tab, and the counter electrode structure being electrically connected in parallel to the counter electrode bus bar via the counter electrode current collector tab.

[0166] Embodiment 70 An electrode assembly as described in embodiment 69, wherein the first and second polymers are the same polymer.

[0167] Embodiment 71. An electrode assembly having mutually perpendicular lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding to the x-, y-, and z-axes, respectively, of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, a first longitudinal end surface and a second longitudinal end surface separated from each other in the longitudinal direction, and an electrode assembly longitudinal axis A. EA and a side surface surrounding the first and second longitudinal end faces and connecting the first and second longitudinal end faces, wherein the groups of unit cells are stacked in series in the longitudinal direction.

[0168] Embodiment 72. An electrode assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly is a polyhedron.

[0169] Embodiment 73. An electrode assembly according to any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly has a prism shape.

[0170] Embodiment 74. An electrode assembly as described in any preceding embodiment, wherein the electrode assembly has mutually perpendicular lateral, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding, respectively, to the x-, y-, and z-axes of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the electrode assembly being enclosed within a volume defined by a constraint system comprising (i) first and second primary growth constraints separated in the longitudinal direction, and (ii) first and second secondary growth constraints separated in the vertical direction and connecting the first and second primary growth constraints, (iii) the first secondary growth constraint being further connected to an upper end surface of an electrode or counter electrode structure of a subset of the unit cells, and (iv) the second secondary growth constraint being further connected to a lower end surface of an electrode or counter electrode structure of a subset of the unit cells.

[0171] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also enables any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any device or system, and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal words of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with differences that do not substantially differ from the literal words of the claims.

Claims

1. A device for energy storage, comprising: A bus bar, an electrode assembly having a plurality of faces constituting a surface, the electrode assembly including a plurality of tabs, the plurality of tabs being electrically coupled to the bus bar, each tab of the plurality of tabs being of a current collector of the electrode assembly, the plurality of tabs being folded along the surface, each of the plurality of tabs having an opening sized and shaped to allow the bus bar to pass therethrough, at least a portion of the bus bar extending along the surface, at least a portion of the bus bar passing through the opening of each of the plurality of tabs; a reinforcement structure disposed over the plurality of tabs, the reinforcement structure comprising a polymer that bonds the plurality of tabs to the bus bar such that the bus bar is electrically connected to the electrode assembly.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrode assembly comprises a prismatic shape.

3. 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the electrode assembly is enclosed within a volume defined by a constraint, the constraint configured to constrain growth of the electrode assembly, and at least a portion of the constraint contacts an electrode surface of an electrode of the electrode assembly.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the surface is a first surface, the electrode assembly has a second surface perpendicular to the first surface, and the constraint contacts the electrode assembly at the second surface.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the constraint has holes configured to promote diffusion of carrier ions.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the holes (i) have a curved portion and / or (ii) are evenly spaced.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tabs is a first plurality of tabs, the busbar is a first busbar, the face is a first face, the device comprises a second busbar, and the electrode assembly comprises a second plurality of tabs electrically coupled to the second busbar arranged along a second face of the plurality of faces, the second face being parallel or perpendicular to the first face.

8. The device described in claim 7, wherein the reinforcing structure is disposed on top of the first bus bar and on top of the second bus bar.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing structure is configured to extend at least partially within each opening of the plurality of tabs.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly comprises a microporous separator separating an anode from a cathode of the electrode assembly.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly is configured for use with an organic electrolyte.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing structure comprises a heat-treated polymer structure.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing structure is configured to be at least partially adhered to the plurality of tabs by the use of heat.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a housing enclosing the electrode assembly, the bus bar, and the reinforcing structure, the housing being sealed, and (i) the seal is (i) a vacuum seal, and / or (ii) a liquid-tight seal, and / or (iii) an air-tight seal.

15. The device of claim 1, further comprising a housing enclosing (a) the electrode assembly and (b) the reinforcing structure.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the housing is (i) liquid-tight, (ii) air-tight, and / or (iii) gas-tight, and the busbar is operably coupled to terminals extending from an interior of the housing to an exterior of the housing.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the housing comprises a layer.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein each tab of the plurality of tabs is welded to the bus bar.

19. The device described in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing structure has a height measured perpendicular to the surface, the height being between 25 μm and 500 μm.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein no portion of the plurality of tabs penetrates or crosses the reinforcing structure.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly comprises an anode active material having Si.

22. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly includes an anode active material comprising a composite material having Si and carbon.

23. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly comprises an active material having carbon nanotubes.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly comprises an active material comprising soft carbon and hard carbon.

25. The device described in claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly is configured to be used as a secondary battery.

26. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly is configured for use with lithium ions.

27. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly comprises a group of anodes and a group of cathodes, each cathode in the group of cathodes and each anode in the group of anodes having a height of 0.05 mm to 25 mm, a length of 5 mm to 500 mm and a width of 0.01 mm to 2.5 mm, a subunit of the electrode assembly comprising the cathode and the anode, and the electrode assembly comprising 1 to 200 or more of the subunits.

28. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode assembly comprises a group of anodes and a group of cathodes, (i) each anode in the group of anodes and each cathode in the group of cathodes has a height-to-width aspect ratio of at least 0.4:1 or more, and (ii) each of the anodes and each of the cathodes has respective width and height aspect ratios of at least 5:1, and wherein subunits of the electrode assembly comprise the anodes and cathodes, and the electrode assembly has 1 to 200 or more of the subunits.

29. A method relating to a device for energy storage as described in any of claims 1 to 28, comprising: (a) manufacturing the device; (b) pre-lithiating the device; and / or (c) using the device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein manufacturing the device comprises machining, stamping, cutting, gluing, separating, sealing, vacuum, folding, laser, heating, pressing, or any combination thereof.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein manufacturing includes applying heat and pressure to the reinforcing structure.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein manufacturing includes at least partially filling the opening of each of the plurality of tabs with the reinforcing structure.

33. The method of claim 29, comprising extending the reinforcing structure across the tab.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the electrode assembly includes a housing that encloses (a) the electrode assembly and (b) the reinforcing structure, and manufacturing includes at least partially sealing the housing using a vacuum.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein manufacturing includes applying heat and pressure to the reinforcing structure during manufacturing.

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