Solid state battery fabrication

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to solid state battery structures, such as Li-ion batteries, methods of fabrication and tools for fabricating the batteries. One or more electrodes and the separator may each be cast using a green tape approach wherein a mixture of active material, conductive additive, polymer binder and/or solid electrolyte are molded or extruded in a roll to roll or segmented sheet/disk process to make green tape, green disks or green sheets. A method of fabricating a solid state battery may include: preparing and/or providing a green sheet of positive electrode material; preparing and/or providing a green sheet of separator material; laminating together the green sheet of positive electrode material and the green sheet of separator material to form a laminated green stack; and sintering the laminated green stack to form a sintered stack comprising a positive electrode and a separator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An in-line process system for fabricating a solid state battery comprising:
 a first lamination system configured to laminate together a green sheet of positive electrode material and a green sheet of separator material to form a laminated green stack;   a sintering system configured to sinter said laminated green stack to form a sintered stack comprising a positive electrode and a separator; and   a first deposition system configured to deposit a positive current collector on the surface of said positive electrode.   
     
     
         2 . The in-line process system as in  claim 1 , further comprising a second lamination system for laminating a negative electrode to said separator. 
     
     
         3 . The in-line process system as in  claim 1 , wherein said process system is a roll-to-roll process system. 
     
     
         4 . The in-line process system as in  claim 1 , further comprising a second deposition system configured to deposit a negative current collector on the surface of said negative electrode. 
     
     
         5 . The in-line process system as in  claim 1 , wherein said first lamination system is configured to laminate together said green sheet of positive electrode material, a green sheet of negative electrode material and said green sheet of separator material, wherein said green sheet of separator material is in between said green sheet of negative electrode material and said green sheet of positive electrode material. 
     
     
         6 . The in-line process system as in  claim 1 , wherein said green sheet of positive electrode material is a segmented sheet, and wherein said green sheet of separator material is a segmented sheet. 
     
     
         7 . The in-line process system as in  claim 1 , wherein said second lamination system comprises pinch rollers for laminating said negative electrode to said sintered stack. 
     
     
         8 . The in-line process system as in  claim 1 , wherein said layer of silicon or copper nitride is a layer of silicon. 
     
     
         9 . The in-line process system as in  claim 1 , wherein said layer of silicon or copper nitride is a layer of copper nitride. 
     
     
         10 . An in-line process system for fabricating a solid state battery comprising:
 a first lamination system configured to laminate together a green sheet of positive electrode material and a green sheet of separator material to form a laminated green stack;   a sintering system configured to sinter said laminated green stack to form a sintered stack comprising a positive electrode and a separator;   a first deposition system configured to deposit a positive current collector on the surface of said positive electrode; and   a second lamination system for laminating a negative electrode to said separator;   wherein said green sheet of separator material comprises a sulphide based solid electrolyte Li 10 GeP 2 S 12 .   
     
     
         11 . The in-line process system as in  claim 10 , wherein said process system is a roll-to-roll process system. 
     
     
         12 . The in-line process system as in  claim 10 , further comprising a second deposition system configured to deposit a negative current collector on the surface of said negative electrode. 
     
     
         13 . The in-line process system as in  claim 10 , wherein said green sheet of positive electrode material is a segmented sheet, and wherein said green sheet of separator material is a segmented sheet. 
     
     
         14 . The in-line process system as in  claim 10 , wherein said second lamination system comprises pinch rollers for laminating said negative electrode to said sintered stack.