Selective coating via surface roughness modulation on battery anodes

Abstract

A process is described to selectively coat an alkali metal or alkali metal alloy onto a battery electrode substrate. The process includes roughening at least a first portion of a substrate to a first average roughness range that prevents adherence of a coating comprising a molten lithium or other alkali metal or alkali metal alloy. The coating is adhered to a portion of the substrate that is not roughened to the first average roughness range and is not adhered to the first portion of the anode substate. The portion to which the coating does not adhere has an average roughness range that is between 0.3 microns and 10 microns.

Description

Docket No. 1710.00074WOSELECTIVE COATING VIA SURFACE ROUGHNESS MODULATION ON BATTERY ANODESCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 730,056 filed December 10, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This disclosure relates to new economical and practical process technology for selective coating of alkali metals and their alloys on metal and metal alloy substrates via surface roughness modification in battery anode manufacturing.BACKGROUND

[0003] Rechargeable lithium (Li) batteries have demonstrated a significant role in a wide range of applications from portable devices to electric vehicles. New generations of alkali batteries are required with high capacity as well as high energy density to meet increased market demand. For example, a lithium metal anode is a promising technology for battery applications. In particular, ultrathin Li metal / Li alloy film less than 50 pm thick is a preferred technology.

[0004] Traditional rolling manufacturing processes for ultrathin Li metal / Li alloy film is complicated, expensive, and requires multiple operational steps. The metal / alloy film is most commonly extruded, rolled, and laminated. These processes require a large amount of capital and operational expenses to achieve ultrathin Li metal / Li alloy films. Other manufacturing processes have the potential to be more suitable for ultrathin Li metal / Li alloy films, including physical vapor deposition (PVD), electrodeposition, and dip coating.

[0005] Conventional manufacturing process methods of these coatings of alkali metals cover the entire substrate when applied. For example, when dip coated, a substrate of untreated foil is completely coated with the molten Li, fully covering the surface of the foil. This fully covered foil is not suitable for some battery anode applications. Often, battery needs require that certain portions of the substrate remain uncoated, such as to leave portions uncoated for tab welding. Having design control of where to leave substrate portions uncoated for tab welding is desirable.

[0006] Thus, there is an ongoing need to develop product and process advances that can address one or more of these and related challenges.Docket No. 1710.00074WGNON-LIMITING SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0007] This summary lists several embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter, and in many cases lists variations and permutations of these embodiments. This summary is merely exemplary of the numerous and varied embodiments. The mention of one or more representative features of a given embodiment is likewise exemplary. Such an embodiment can typically exist with or without the feature(s) mentioned; likewise, those features can be applied to other embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter, whether listed in this summary or not. To avoid excessive repetition, this Summary does not list or suggest all possible combinations of such features.

[0008] A process is described to selectively coat an alkali metal or alkali metal alloy on a non-alkali metal or metal alloy substrate. The process includes roughening at least a first portion of a metal substrate to a first average roughness range that prevents adherence of an alkali metal or alkali metal alloy coating, such as a molten lithium coating. The molten lithium coating contacts the substrate and is adhered to a portion of the metal substrate that is not roughened to the first average roughness range. The molten lithium is not adhered to the first portion of the substate. The first portion to which the molten lithium does not adhere has an average roughness range that is between 0.3 microns and 10 microns.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the first average roughness range is between 0.3 microns and 10 microns. In another embodiment, the anode substrate comprises a copper foil, nickel foil, aluminum foil, and / or stainless-steel foil. In an alternate embodiment, the coating for the substrate is an alkali metal or an alkali metal alloy such as sodium, potassium, or an alloy of sodium or potassium. In another embodiment, the alkali metal is lithium. In another embodiment, the anode substate is comprised of one or more of copper foil, nickel foil, and stainless-steel foil.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the first average roughness range is achieved by roughening the portion of the substrate by one or more of mechanical abrasion, chemical etching, electrochemical etching, laser texturing, and plasma etching. In another embodiment, the contacting of the substrate with the molten lithium is performed via one or more of a dip coating, physical vapor deposition, or slot-die coating.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, a substrate is provided that is selectively coated with an alkali metal alloy coating, wherein the coating is adhered to a selected pattern on the substrate. The provided substrate has a first average roughness range that is between 0.3 microns and 10 microns to prevent adherence of the coating. In another embodiment, the portion to which the alkali metal or alkali metal alloy coating does not adhere is roughened by one or moreDocket No. 1710.00074WO methods comprising mechanical abrasion, chemical etching, electrochemical etching, laser texturing, and plasma etching. In another embodiment, the selected pattern to which the coating is adhered has an average roughness that is less than 0.3 microns or greater than 10 microns.

[0012] In another embodiment, the selectively coated substrate comprises metal foil or a metal alloy foil, such as a Cu foil, Ni foil, Al foil, and / or stainless-steel foil. In another embodiment, the anode substrate is a metal foil or a metal alloy foil that is affixed to a substrate base. In another embodiment, the alkali metal or alloy coating is comprised of Li, Na, K, In, Sn, and their alloys. In another embodiment, the alkali metal or alkali metal alloy coating comprises a solidification process.

[0013] These and other steps will be discussed in detail below. Thus, the conduct of one or more additional steps beyond those described herein in performing a multi-step process of the disclosure falls within the scope of the claim coverage of this disclosure.

[0014] The above and other embodiments, objectives, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become still further apparent from the ensuing description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The presently disclosed subject matter can be better understood by referring to the following example figures. The components in the figure are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the presently disclosed subject matter (often schematically). Tn the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. A further understanding of the presently disclosed subject matter can be obtained by reference to an embodiment set forth in the illustrations of the accompanying drawing. Although the illustrated embodiment is merely for purposes of example of systems for carrying out the presently disclosed subject matter, both the organization and method of operation of the presently disclosed subject matter, in general, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, may be more easily understood by reference to the drawings and the following description. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of this presently disclosed subject matter, which is set forth with particularity in the claims as appended or as subsequently amended, but merely to clarify and provide examples of the presently disclosed subject matter.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a block flow diagram of a method to selectively coat an alkali metal or alkali metal alloy on a substrate in accordance with one embodiment.Docket No. 1710.00074WO

[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a substrate with surfaces that are roughened in a pattern before and after a coating is applied in accordance with one embodiment.

[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates a continuous dip coating process of a substrate in accordance with one embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates a slot-die coating process in accordance with one embodiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Following the Definitions provided below, illustrative aspects of the subject matter claimed even further below will be disclosed. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve one of ordinary skill in the art’s specific goals, such as compliance with application-related, system-related and / or business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort, even if complex and time-consuming, would be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.Definitions

[0021] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the presently disclosed subject matter.

[0022] While the following terms are believed to be well understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the following definitions are set forth to facilitate explanation of the presently disclosed subject matter.

[0023] All technical and scientific terms used herein, unless otherwise defined below, are intended to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. References to techniques employed herein are intended to refer to the techniques as commonly understood in the art, including variations on those techniques or substitutions of equivalent techniques that would be apparent to one of skill in the art. While the following terms are believed to be well understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the following definitions are set forth to facilitate explanation of the presently disclosed subject matter.

[0024] Components referred to by chemical name or formula anywhere in the specification or claims hereof, whether referred to in the singular or plural, arc identified as they exist prior to coming into contact with another substance referred to by chemical name or chemical type (e.g., another component, a solvent, or etc.). It matters not what chemical changes, transformations and / or reactions, if any, take place in the resulting mixture or solution as suchDocket No. 1710.00074WG changes, transformations, and / or reactions are the natural result of bringing the specified components together under the conditions called for pursuant to this disclosure. Thus, the components are identified as ingredients to be brought together in connection with performing a desired operation or in forming a desired composition. Also, even though the claims hereinafter may refer to substances, components and / or ingredients in the present tense ("comprises," “is,” etc.), the reference is to the substance, component or ingredient as it existed at the time just before it was first contacted, blended or mixed with one or more other substances, components and / or ingredients in accordance with the present disclosure. The fact that a substance, component or ingredient may have lost its original identity through a chemical reaction or transformation during the course of contacting, blending or mixing operations, if conducted in accordance with this disclosure and with ordinary skill of a chemist, is thus of no practical concern.

[0025] In describing the presently disclosed subject matter, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques.

[0026] Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the disclosure and the claims.

[0027] Following long-standing patent law convention, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” refer to “one or more” when used in this application, including the claims. Thus, for example, reference to "a cell" includes a plurality of such cells, and so forth.

[0028] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, reaction conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in this specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the presently disclosed subject matter.

[0029] As used herein, the term “about,” when referring to a value or to an amount of a composition, dose, mass, weight, temperature, time, volume, concentration, percentage, etc., is meant to encompass variations of in some embodiments ±20%, in some embodiments ±10%, in some embodiments ±5%, in some embodiments ±1%, in some embodiments ±0.5%,Docket No. 1710.00074WO and in some embodiments ±0.1% from the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate to perform the disclosed methods or employ the disclosed compositions.

[0030] The term “comprising,” which is synonymous with “including,” “containing,” or “characterized by,” is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. “Comprising” is a term of art used in claim language which means that the named elements are essential, but other elements can be added and still form a construct within the scope of the claim.

[0031] As used herein, the phrase “consisting of’ excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim. When the phrase “consists of’ appears in a clause of the body of a claim, rather than immediately following the preamble, it limits only the element set forth in that clause; other elements are not excluded from the claim as a whole.

[0032] As used herein, the phrase “consisting essentially of’ limits the scope of a claim to the specified materials or steps, plus those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s) of the claimed subject matter.

[0033] With respect to the terms “comprising,” “consisting of,” and “consisting essentially of," where one of these three terms is used herein, the presently disclosed and claimed subject matter can include the use of either of the other two terms.

[0034] As used herein, the term “and / or” when used in the context of a listing of entities, refers to the entities being present singly or in combination. Thus, for example, the phrase “A, B, C, and / or D” includes A, B, C, and D individually, but also includes any and all combinations and subcombinations of A, B, C, and D.

[0035] As used herein, the term “concentrated” when used in connection with a solution or in connection with a brine is meant to include a solution or brine that is saturated.General Procedure

[0036] FIG. l is a block flow diagram of a method 100 to selectively coat an alkali metal or alkali metal alloy on a substrate in accordance with one embodiment.

[0037] In block 102 of the method 100 determines areas of a substrate to be coated.The Coating

[0038] The coating metal or mixture to be applied to the substrate may include one or more alkali metals or alkali metal alloys. In some examples, the substrate may be predominantly or exclusively molten lithium metal or a lithium metal alloy. Examples of suitable lithium alloys include Li-Al, Li-Mg and Li-Sn alloys, and the like. In other examples, other alkaliDocket No. 1710.00074WO metal compounds may be used, such as compounds that include Na, K, In, Sn, and their alloys, including binary, ternary, and higher alloys.

[0039] The substrate onto which the coating is applied may be a foil, such as one or more of Cu foil, Ni foil, Al foil, and / or stainless-steel foil. The physical dimensions of the foil can vary, but typically will have an average thickness in the range of about 1 to about 1000 microns. For example, the foil may be 1, 10, 20, 40, 50, or 100 microns.

[0040] In the examples, users may desire that only certain portions of the substrate are to receive the coating. A patterned coating may be desired, or certain portions of the substate may have contact with other compounds for which a coating is not desired. For example, a portion of the substrate may be left uncoated for functions such as tab welding. Targeting the coating for only the desired portion of the substrate reduces material usage and avoids the waste associated with conventional full-coverage methods, providing an efficient and customizable solution for producing high-performance electrodes with intricate and customized designs.

[0041] In conventional systems, when substrates are coated using processes such as dip coating, slot-die coating, or physical vapor deposition, the coating is often applied to the entire substrate subjected to the coating process. For example, if an entire substrate is dipped into a coating mixture, the entire substrate receives the coating. The technology described herein allows only certain portions to retain the coating.

[0042] The pattern to be coated may be determined using any suitable process. For example, the pattern may be created on a computer modeling process, drawn via a template, or configured in any other suitable manner.Preparation of the Substrate

[0043] Returning to FIG. 1, in block 104, the method 100 modifies an average surface roughness of the substrate to differentiate an adhering area from a non-adhering area.

[0044] Different surface measurement techniques may be used in the industry. One common surface roughness measurement is designated as “Ra.” Ra is a measure of the average roughness of a surface that is calculated as the average of a distance each point on a surface deviates in height from a mean height of the surface. That is, an arithmetic average of the peaks and valleys of the surface is measured. In many examples, Ra is measured with a profilometer such as a device using a stylus tip that is dragged across the surface of the substrate while a deflection of the stylus tip is measured. Other profilometers may use optical techniques, such as interferometry-based methods. In other examples, a laser scanner is used. In examples herein, a laser microscope was used to measure Ra.Docket No. 1710.00074WG

[0045] The surface may be etched via any suitable process to create a roughened surface of the desired Ra. Suitable methods may include mechanical abrasion, chemical etching, laser texturing, electrochemical etching, plasma etching, or any combination of these methods. The roughened surface may be created in a desired pattern. That is, a patterned area of the substrate may be roughened to one Ra, while other portions of the substrate are roughened to a different Ra. The technologies described herein to roughen the surface allow intricate patterns to be roughened in the substrate.

[0046] When a region of a substrate as described herein is roughened to an Ra of 0.3 microns to 10 microns, the coating described herein will not adhere to the substrate in that region. Tn other examples, a Ra of 2-8 microns or 4-6 microns is etched into the substrate to prevent adherence of the coating. When using coatings as described herein, portions of the substrate that have an average roughness outside of this range will allow the coating to adhere. In some examples, two areas of the substrate may each have an average roughness that differs from one another but still be within a range that is non-adhering. For example, one portion of the substrate may have an average roughness of 1 micron, while another portion of the substrate may have an average roughness of 7 microns. Both of these portions will be non-adhering because both have an average roughness within the non-adhering range.

[0047] In the example, a portion of the surface may be roughened to a level greater than 10 microns to allow adherence of the coating. In another example, an average roughness below 0.3 microns is provided to allow adherence of the coating. In other examples, a surface of the substrate may be smoothed, such as by polishing, to change the Ra to a level below 0.3 microns. For other coating types, different Ra ranges may be used to selectively prevent or accept the coating. For example, for an alternative coating material, a different average roughness range, such as 10 to 20 microns, may cause the substrate to be non-adhering.

[0048] A substrate 200 with roughened surfaces to create a non-adhering area 202 on a substrate are illustrated in FIG. 2. As illustrated, substrate 200 has a selected pattern on which coating is to be applied. The substrate 200 may be a foil, such as a copper foil described herein.

[0049] The substrate 200 has been roughened such that two different average roughness levels are achieved, a non-adhering area 202 and an adhering area 204. In the example, a non-adhering area 202 has an average roughness between 0.3 microns to 10 microns. The non-adhering area 202 is lithiophobic because a coating with lithium as described will not adhere in this region. The adhering area 204 has an average roughness that is either belowDocket No. 1710.00074WG0.3 microns or above 10 microns. The adhering area 204 is lithiophilic because the coating with lithium will adhere to this region.

[0050] The coating, when applied to the substrate 200, adheres to the adhering area 204 to create a coated area 206. In this way, a pattern for the coating is applied to the substrate 200. The non-adhering area 202 is not coated and becomes a non-coated area 208.Application of the Coating

[0051] Returning to FIG. 1, in block 106, the method 100 forms a metal or alloy electrode by applying an alkali metal or alkali metal alloy coating.

[0052] The coating metal or alloy is applied to a substrate 200, such as a metal or metal alloy foil (itself or as part of a laminate of the foil and a substrate). In an example, the substrate 200 may be one or more of copper foil, nickel foil, and stainless-steel foil. The coating metal or alloy may be at one or more temperatures in the range of about 20°C to about 1000°C so as to form a coated lithium metal or alloy anode. The composition and dimensional characteristics of the substrate 200 may vary, but in at least some aspects of the disclosure, the planar dimensions of the substrate 200 will depend upon the process employed for coating the substrate 200. Average thickness for the substrate 200typically will be in the range of about 1 to about 1000 microns. In other examples, the foil average thickness of the substrate 200 is between 1 and 100 microns. In another example, the average thickness is between 4 and 20 microns.

[0053] The coating process of the substrate 200 will typically involve applying the metal or alloy to the metal or alloy substrate 200 material and then naturally allowing the metal or alloy to solidify. The coating on the substrate 200 has a thickness between 1 nanometer and 500 microns thick. In other examples, the thickness is between 1 nm and 200 microns thick, 1 to 200 microns thick, or 1 to 50 microns thick.

[0054] In block 108, the coating is solidified. A substrate 200 to which a coating has been applied may be removed from the dip coating process or a continuous coating process. The coating is allowed to solidify. In some alternate examples, external equipment may be used to aid in the solidification process. For example, a fan or blower may direct argon or another compatible gas across the coating to encourage solidification.

[0055] Two coating processes of block 106 are generally illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

[0056] FIG. 3 illustrates a continuous dip coating process of a substrate 200 in accordance with one embodiment.

[0057] In the example, the dip coating may be carried out using a rolling process. The substrate 200 may be rolled onto one or more spools 304 of a size that can vary dependingDocket No. 1710.00074WG upon the needs and capabilities of the available equipment, and substrate 200 material. The substrate 200 has adhering areas 204 and non-adhering areas 202 as described in FIG. 2.

[0058] In one example, the substrate 200 is fed from a spool into a bath or tank of molten Li 302 or other coating metal or alloy where the substrate 200 will be processed for a desired time period determined by the configuration of the submersion equipment, molten Li tank and rolling system, and the speed of the roller conveyance. Once the substrate 200 emerges from the molten Li 302 bath, the substrate 200 preferably will be provided with an amount of time needed for the molten Li to solidify on the coated areas 206 of the substrate 200. The areas to which the coating does not adhere become the non-coated area 208. In some alternate examples, external equipment may be used to aid in the solidification process. In an example, a fan or blower may direct air across the coating to encourage solidification. The substrate 200 may then be fed onto a rolling finished (coated) product spool to provide a continuous coating and spooling process.

[0059] FIG. 4 illustrates a slot-die coating process in accordance with one embodiment.

[0060] In a similar manner as in FIG. 3, the substrate 200 is fed from spool 304. The substrate 200 is configured with adhering areas 204 and non-adhering areas 204 (not shown) as described in FIG. 2. The substrate 200, when leaving the first spool 304, is fed into a slotdie coating zone where the molten Li 302 or other metal or alloy coating is deposited onto the substrate 200 as the substrate 200 proceeds under a vessel of molten Li 302. In an example, the molten Li 302 is gravity fed or pumped through a precise slot at the bottom of the vessel that applies a thin film of the molten Li 302 to the surface of the substrate 200.

[0061] The substrate 200 with the thin film coating of molten Li 302 proceeds through a solidification zone in order to allow the molten Li 302 coating to solidify before being rolled onto a spool of finished (coated) anode material or provided to any other process equipment. The molten Li 302 coating adheres to the coated area 206 and does not adhere to the noncoated area 208.Secondary Batteries with Selectively Coated Anodes

[0062] The secondary battery of this disclosure will comprise a cathode, an electrolyte, and an alkali metal anode, such as an anode comprised of a lithium metal or lithium metal alloy coating, in accordance with the teaching set forth herein.

[0063] The cathode may be one of any material suitable for a lithium secondary battery, such as, for example, nickel-contained layered oxide cathode, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) or lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP), sulfur, or the like.Docket No. 1710.00074WO

[0064] The electrolyte can be any one suitable for use in secondary lithium batteries. Nonlimiting examples of such electrolytes include liquid (carbonate based, ether based, etc.) electrolyte and solid (sulfides based, oxides based, polymer-salt complexes,) electrolyte.

[0065] In some aspects of the disclosure, the battery’s lithium metal or lithium metal alloy coating on a foil is part of a laminate comprised of the foil and a substrate, and the laminate is what is coated according to the process of this disclosure.

[0066] When employed, the substrate to which the foil is laminated may comprise any suitable material or metal. The substrate may be laminated to the foil by any lamination technique that can provide an anode suitable for the secondary battery’s intended use and applications.

[0067] While the present disclosure has been described in terms of one or more preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure, which is set forth in the claims below.

Claims

Docket No. 1710.00074WOCLAIMSThat which is claimed is:

1. A process to selectively coat a substrate comprising: roughening at least a first portion of a substrate to a first average roughness range that prevents adherence of an alkali metal coating or an alkali metal alloy coating; and contacting the substrate with a liquid comprising the alkali metal coating or the alkali metal alloy coating; wherein the alkali metal coating or the alkali metal alloy coating is adhered to a portion of the substrate that is not roughened to the first average roughness range and is not adhered to the first portion of the substate.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the first average roughness range is between 0.3 microns and 10 microns.

3. The process of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the portion that is not roughened to the first average roughness range has an average roughness less than 0.3 microns or greater than 10 microns.

4. The process of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the substrate is a metal foil, an alloy foil, or a foil that is affixed to a substrate base.

5. The process of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the alkali metal or the alkali metal alloy in the coating comprises lithium or a lithium alloy.

6. The process of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the alkali metal or the alkali metal alloy that comprises the coating is one or more of sodium, potassium, and alloys of sodium or potassium.

7. The process of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the substate is comprised of one or more of copper foil, nickel foil, aluminum foil, and stainless-steel foil.

8. The process of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first average roughness range is achieved by roughening the first portion of the substrate by one or more of mechanical abrasion, chemical etching, electrochemical etching, laser texturing, and plasma etching.Docket No. 1710.00074WO9. The process of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the contacting of the substrate with the coating is performed via one or more of a dip coating, slot-die coating, and physical vapor deposition.

10. The process of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the coating is a molten alkali metal or the alkali metal alloy.

11. The process of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first portion that is roughened to a first average roughness range is lithiophobic and the portion that is not roughened to a first average roughness range is lithiophilic.

12. The process of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein roughening the at least the first portion of a substrate to the first average roughness range comprises roughening a first section of the first portion to a first average roughness and a second section of the first portion to a second average roughness, wherein the first average roughness and the second average roughness are within the first average roughness range.

13. A substrate selectively coated with an alkali metal coating or an alkali metal alloy coating, wherein the coating is not adhered to a portion of the substrate that is roughened to a first average roughness range that is between 0.3 microns and 10 microns.

14. The selectively coated substrate of claim 13, wherein the portion to which the coating does not adhere is roughened by one or more methods comprising mechanical abrasion, chemical etching, electrochemical etching, laser texturing, plasma etching.

15. The selectively coated substrate of claim 13 to 14, wherein the selected pattern to which the coating is adhered has an average roughness that is less than 0.3 microns or greater than 10 microns.

16. The selectively coated substrate of any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the substrate is a metal foil or a foil that is affixed to a substrate base.

17. The selectively coated substrate of any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the coating comprises lithium or a lithium alloy.

18. The selectively coated substrate of any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the coating comprises one or more of sodium, potassium, and alloys of sodium or potassium.Docket No. 1710.00074WG19. The selectively coated substrate of any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the substate is comprised of one or more of copper foil, nickel foil, and stainless-steel foil.

20. The selectively coated substrate of claim 13, wherein the portion that is roughened to a first average roughness range is lithiophobic and a portion that is not roughened to a first average roughness range is lithiophilic.

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