Heat treatment of whole cell structures

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for heat treatment of whole cell structures. A battery may be formed based on applying of heat treatment to a whole cell composition that includes, at least, both anode material and cathode material, such that the anode material and the cathode material are heat treated at the same time. The heat treatment may include pyrolysis. The whole cell composition, and the corresponding cell formed based thereon, may include solid state electrolyte.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for forming a battery, the method comprising:
 applying heat treatment to a whole cell composition; wherein
 the whole cell composition comprises both anode material and cathode material; and 
 the heat treatment is configured to modify at least one component or material in the whole cell composition. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising controlling the heat treatment based on at least one of: a type of the heat treatment, and content of the whole cell composition. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein controlling the heat treatment comprises separately setting or adjusting one or more heat treatment related parameters or conditions in at least two different areas within the whole cell composition. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein controlling the heat treatment comprises setting a temperature of the heat treatment based on the type of the heat treatment. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the type of the heat treatment comprises one of direct coating based heat treatment and lamination based heat treatment, and comprising:
 setting temperature of the heat treatment less than 800° C. when the type of the heat treatment is direct coating based heat treatment; and   setting temperature of the heat treatment less than 1200° C. when the type of the heat treatment is lamination based heat treatment.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein controlling the heat treatment comprises setting a temperature of the heat treatment based on the content of the whole cell composition. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising setting the temperature of the heat treatment based on a melting temperature of at least one component or material in the whole cell composition. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein controlling the heat treatment comprises controlling atmosphere conditions of the heat treatment. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein controlling the atmosphere conditions comprises flowing different gases through or between different areas within the whole cell composition, the different areas comprising at least areas corresponding to the anode material and the cathode material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 combining, after the heat treatment, the whole cell composition with an anode current collector and a cathode current collector, to create a complete whole cell composition; and   forming the battery based on the complete whole cell composition.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , comprising coating an adhesive layer on each of the anode material current collector and the cathode material current collector before combining with the whole cell composition. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein forming the battery comprising laminating the complete whole cell composition, the laminating comprising applying at least one of heat press, roll press, and flat press. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the whole cell composition further comprises separator material. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the whole cell composition further comprises at least one of an anode current collector and a cathode current collector. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the whole cell composition comprises precursor material, and wherein the modifying comprises converting the precursor material into active material. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the whole cell composition comprises a solid state electrolyte that is or becomes porous after the heat treatment, and further comprising injecting a liquid electrolyte into the battery. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the solid state electrolyte is or becomes porous after the heat treatment, and further comprising injecting a liquid electrolyte into the battery during formation or after it is formed.