Setter plates for solid electrolyte fabrication and methods of using the same to prepare dense solid electrolytes

Abstract

Setter plates are fabricated from Li-stuffed garnet materials having the same, or substantially similar, compositions as a garnet Li-stuffed solid electrolyte. The Li-stuffed garnet setter plates, set forth herein, reduce the evaporation of Li during a sintering treatment step and/or reduce the loss of Li caused by diffusion qui of the sintering electrolyte, Li-stuffed garnet seller plates, set forth herein, maintain compositional control over the solid electrolyte during sintering when, upon heating, lithium is prone to diffuse out of the solid electrolyte.

1 . A setter plate for fabricating solid electrolytes of a rechargeable battery, the setter plate comprising:
 a Li-stuffed garnet compound characterized by the formula Li x La y Zr z O t .qAl 2 O 3 , wherein 4<x<10, 1<y<4, 1<z<3, 6<t<14, 0≦q≦1;   a surface defined by a first lateral dimension from 2 cm to 30 cm and a second lateral dimension from 2 cm to 30 cm; and   a thickness from 0.1 mm to 100 mm.   
     
     
         2 .- 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The setter plate of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness is from 0.1 mm to 10 mm. 
     
     
         5 .- 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The setter plate of  claim 1 , wherein the surface has a surface roughness from 1.0 μm Ra to 4 μm Ra, wherein Ra is an arithmetic average of absolute values of sampled surface roughness amplitudes. 
     
     
         11 .- 116 . (canceled) 
     
     
         117 . The setter plate of  claim 1  having a flatness of between 0.1 μm and 100 μm. 
     
     
         118 . The setter plate of  claim 1  having a flatness of between 0.5 μm and 20 μm.