US 11,811,051 B2
Electrochemical cell design with lithium metal anode
Alan A. Ritchie, Menlo Park, CA (US); Karl M. Brown, Los Gatos, CA (US); Lin Ma, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Korhan Demirkan, Santa Clara, CA (US); Andrew Basile, Santa Clara, CA (US); Richard M. Mank, Cupertino, CA (US); and Bernd Jurgen Neudecker, Los Gatos, CA (US)
Assigned to APPLE INC., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/028,278.
Prior Publication US 2022/0093908 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01M 4/134 (2010.01); H01M 4/38 (2006.01); H01M 4/40 (2006.01); H01M 10/052 (2010.01); H01M 10/0565 (2010.01); H01M 10/0568 (2010.01); H01M 4/36 (2006.01); H01M 50/414 (2021.01); H01M 50/46 (2021.01); H01M 50/449 (2021.01); H01M 4/02 (2006.01)
CPC H01M 4/134 (2013.01) [H01M 4/366 (2013.01); H01M 4/382 (2013.01); H01M 4/405 (2013.01); H01M 10/052 (2013.01); H01M 10/0565 (2013.01); H01M 10/0568 (2013.01); H01M 50/414 (2021.01); H01M 50/449 (2021.01); H01M 50/46 (2021.01); H01M 2004/027 (2013.01); H01M 2300/0082 (2013.01); H01M 2300/0094 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
a cathode having a cathode current collector and a cathode active material;
an anode comprising:
an anode current collector;
lithium metal on the anode current collector; and
an anode cap consisting of a lithium alloy as a layer on the lithium metal opposite the anode current collector;
a separator between the cathode active material and the anode cap;
a polymer electrolyte lamination layer bonding the anode cap to the separator, the polymer electrolyte lamination layer comprising:
a crosslinked polymer having a molecular weight of between 400,000 g/mol and 900,000 g/mol;
a first lithium salt having a concentration of 3M or greater;
a plasticizer; and
0 wt % to 15 wt % of an anode additive; and
a liquid electrolyte comprising a solvent and a second lithium salt having a concentration less than the concentration of the first lithium salt, wherein the polymer electrolyte lamination layer prevents the liquid electrolyte from contacting the anode, and
wherein the crosslinked polymer is crosslinked PVDF-HFP with a molar ratio of PVDF:HFP of 15-40:1, the plasticizer is an ionic liquid, a lithium salt concentration is greater than 3.8 M, and the anode additive is LiBOB.