Rechargeable Battery Cathode Layer Surface Roughness
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rechargeable batteries face challenges with large and heavy power supplies due to insufficient battery capacity, and they often contain flammable and toxic materials, with issues in cathode material surface roughness and deposition processes limiting performance.
Innovation Solution
A high-capacity rechargeable battery design featuring a cathode material layer with improved surface roughness, composed of nanoparticles and larger particles, and a conformal dielectric layer, which enhances smoothness and increases charge storage capacity, potentially using a bilayer structure or entirely nanoparticles, with a thin solid-state electrolyte for faster charging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If battery capacity is increased to power portable electronic devices for longer periods, then the battery can provide sufficient energy storage, but the power supply becomes heavy and large in size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the battery system by transitioning from conventional liquid electrolytes to solid-state electrolytes, and from conventional cathode materials to high-capacity materials like lithium cobalt oxide and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide. This parameter change enables higher energy density without proportionally increasing weight
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials in the cathode structure, combining multiple oxide materials (cobalt oxide, nickel manganese cobalt oxide) to create a composite cathode material that achieves higher capacity while managing weight. The solid-state electrolyte also represents a composite material approach, combining ceramic and polymer components
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional slurry-based deposition processes are used to form cathode material layers, then the deposition process is simple and cost-effective, but the cathode material layer exhibits rough morphology with surface roughness greater than 2 μm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional slurry-based mechanical deposition process with a thin-film deposition process. This substitution transforms the manufacturing approach from a simple but imprecise mechanical method to a more sophisticated physical vapor deposition or sputtering process that achieves smooth surfaces with roughness of 2 μm or less
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the deposition parameters by controlling the thin-film deposition process to achieve specific surface roughness characteristics. By adjusting deposition conditions such as temperature, pressure, and deposition rate, the process produces cathode material layers with controlled smooth surfaces suitable for solid-state battery requirements
3Manufacturing precision
If thin-film deposition processes are used to form cathode material layers, then the cathode material layer achieves smooth surface morphology, but the process has low throughput and high cost ownership
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cathode material layer formation into a controlled thin-film deposition process that can be applied in stages. This segmentation allows for precise control of surface morphology while the overall battery manufacturing process is optimized for throughput by integrating the deposition step into a streamlined production workflow
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional rechargeable batteries are designed with standard battery components, then the battery structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the battery contains flammable and toxic materials that may leak and are subject to governmental regulations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the physical state parameter of the electrolyte from liquid to solid. This parameter change eliminates the leakage issue inherent in liquid electrolytes while maintaining the essential ionic conduction function. The solid-state electrolyte also removes flammability concerns associated with conventional liquid electrolytes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of liquid electrolyte leakage and flammability into a benefit by using solid-state materials that are inherently safer. The rigid structure of solid-state components prevents leakage while their thermal stability eliminates fire hazards, transforming a vulnerable system into a safe one
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design results in a smaller, lighter, safer, and more efficient battery with improved charge capacity and faster charging times, addressing the limitations of conventional batteries in size, weight, and material safety.
Implementation Method 1
a conformal layer of dielectric material can be disposed on a topmost surface of the upper portion of the cathode material layer
Data Source
AI summary
High-capacity and high-performance rechargeable batteries containing a cathode material layer having an improved surface roughness is provided. A cathode material layer is provided in which at least an upper portion of the cathode material layer is composed of nanoparticles (i.e., particles having a particle size less than 0.1 μm). In some embodiments, a lower (or base) portion of the cathode material layer is composed of particles whose particle size is greater than the nanoparticles that form the upper portion of the cathode material layer. In other embodiments, the entirety of the cathode material layer is composed of the nanoparticles. In either embodiment, a conformal layer of a dielectric material can be disposed on a topmost surface of the upper portion of the cathode material layer. The presence of the conformal layer of dielectric material can further improve the smoothness of the cathode material layer.