Ultra-thin Ceramic Coating on Battery Separator

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current separators in high-capacity energy storage devices like Li-ion batteries are prone to electrical shorts due to lithium dendrite growth, are costly, and have complex manufacturing methods, limiting their size, weight, and charging efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A separator with a polymer substrate and dual ceramic layers, one thick and one ultra-thin, is used, where the thick ceramic layer provides mechanical stability and the ultra-thin layer suppresses thermal shrinkage, deposited using PVD and wet-coating techniques to maintain ionic conductivity and prevent dendrite growth.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If high porosity separators are used to increase ionic conductivity, then ion transport is improved, but electrical shorts occur due to lithium dendrite growth

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveionic conductivityVSAvoidelectrical shorts from dendrites
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The separator incorporates ceramic coatings at specific locations (on the porous substrate) to provide localized dendrite resistance while preserving the overall high porosity and ionic conductivity of the separator structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The separator combines porous polymer substrate material with ceramic coating material to create a composite structure that exhibits both high ionic conductivity (from the porous substrate) and dendrite resistance (from the ceramic coating)

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If complex manufacturing methods are used to produce current separators, then separator performance is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseparator performanceVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the separator substrate formation and ceramic coating deposition into an integrated manufacturing process, where the ceramic coating is deposited directly onto the porous substrate in a continuous process, reducing the number of separate manufacturing steps

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If thick ceramic layers are used to prevent dendrite growth, then dendrite resistance is improved, but ionic conductivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedendrite growth preventionVSAvoidionic conductivity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the ceramic layer thickness parameter to a specific range (1-10 micrometers) and controls the porosity parameter of the ceramic coating to balance dendrite prevention capability with ionic conductivity, achieving both goals simultaneously

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 solution reduces thermal shrinkage and improves mechanical stability while maintaining ionic conductivity, enabling faster charging, higher capacity, and more cost-effective manufacturing of energy storage devices with reduced size and weight.

Implementation Method 1

deposited using PVD and wet-coating techniques

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhysical Vapour Deposition: Physical Vapour Deposition

Implementation Method 2

exposing a material to be deposited on a microporous ion-conducting polymeric layer positioned in a processing region to an evaporation process

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 3

reacting the evaporated material with a reactive gas and/or plasma to deposit a second ceramic-containing layer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlasma: Plasma

Data Source

PatentUS20230170581A1Ultra-thin ceramic coating on separator for batteries
Publication Date: 2023.06.01 ELEVATED MATERIALS US LLC
  • US20230170581A1 patent drawing
  • US20230170581A1 patent drawing
  • US20230170581A1 patent drawing

AI summary

Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to separators, high performance electrochemical devices, such as, batteries and capacitors, including the aforementioned separators, systems and methods for fabricating the same. In one implementation, a separator is provided. The separator comprises a polymer substrate, capable of conducting ions, having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface. The separator further comprises a first ceramic-containing layer, capable of conducting ions, formed on the first surface. The first ceramic-containing layer has a thickness in a range from about 1,000 nanometers to about 5,000 nanometers. The separator further comprises a second ceramic-containing layer, capable of conducting ions, formed on the second surface. The second ceramic-containing layer is a binder-free ceramic-containing layer and has a thickness in a range from about 1 nanometer to about 1,000 nanometers.