US 12,206,106 B2
Electrode assembly and secondary battery
Robert S. Busacca, San Francisco, CA (US); Ashok Lahiri, Cupertino, CA (US); Murali Ramasubramanian, Fremont, CA (US); Bruno A. Valdes, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Gardner Cameron Dales, Los Gatos, CA (US); Christopher J. Spindt, Menlo Park, CA (US); Geoffrey Matthew Ho, San Ramon, CA (US); Harrold J. Rust, III, Alamo, CA (US); James D. Wilcox, Pleasanton, CA (US); John F. Varni, Los Gatos, CA (US); Kim Han Lee, Pleasanton, CA (US); Nirav S. Shah, Pleasanton, CA (US); Richard J. Contreras, Campbell, CA (US); Lynn Van Erden, Pollock Pines, CA (US); Ken S. Matsubayashi, Fremont, CA (US); Jeremie J. Dalton, San Jose, CA (US); Jason Newton Howard, Alpharetta, CA (US); Robert Keith Rosen, Rocklin, CA (US); Jonathan C. Doan, Pleasanton, CA (US); Michael J. Armstrong, Danville, CA (US); Anthony Calcaterra, Milpitas, CA (US); Benjamin L. Cardozo, Palo Alto, CA (US); Joshua David Winans, Mountain View, CA (US); Neelam Singh, Fremont, CA (US); Jeffrey Glenn Buck, Salinas, CA (US); Thomas John Schuerlein, Pleasanton, CA (US); Kim Lester Fortunati, Pleasanton, CA (US); and Neal Sarswat, Pleasanton, CA (US)
Assigned to Enovix Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed by Enovix Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/674,133.
Application 17/674,133 is a continuation of application No. 16/763,110, granted, now 11,264,680, previously published as PCT/US2018/061254, filed on Nov. 15, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/715,233, filed on Aug. 6, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/586,737, filed on Nov. 15, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0173485 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01M 4/525 (2010.01); H01M 4/02 (2006.01); H01M 4/134 (2010.01); H01M 4/38 (2006.01); H01M 4/48 (2010.01); H01M 4/66 (2006.01); H01M 10/04 (2006.01); H01M 10/0525 (2010.01); H01M 10/054 (2010.01); H01M 10/0565 (2010.01); H01M 10/0585 (2010.01); H01M 50/103 (2021.01); H01M 50/46 (2021.01); H01M 50/54 (2021.01)
CPC H01M 4/525 (2013.01) [H01M 4/134 (2013.01); H01M 4/386 (2013.01); H01M 4/483 (2013.01); H01M 4/661 (2013.01); H01M 4/669 (2013.01); H01M 10/0436 (2013.01); H01M 10/0525 (2013.01); H01M 10/054 (2013.01); H01M 10/0565 (2013.01); H01M 10/0585 (2013.01); H01M 50/103 (2021.01); H01M 50/46 (2021.01); H01M 50/54 (2021.01); H01M 2004/027 (2013.01); H01M 2004/028 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A secondary battery for cycling between a charged and a discharged state, the secondary battery comprising a battery enclosure, an electrode assembly, and lithium ions within the battery enclosure, and a set of electrode constraints, wherein
(a) the electrode assembly has mutually perpendicular transverse, longitudinal and vertical axes corresponding to the x, y and z axes, respectively, of an imaginary three-dimensional cartesian coordinate system, a first longitudinal end surface and a second longitudinal end surface separated from each other in the longitudinal direction, and a lateral surface surrounding an electrode assembly longitudinal axis AEA and connecting the first and second longitudinal end surfaces, the lateral surface having opposing first and second regions on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and separated in a first direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the electrode assembly having a maximum width WEA measured in the longitudinal direction, a maximum length LEA bounded by the lateral surface and measured in the transverse direction, and a maximum height HEA bounded by the lateral surface and measured in the vertical direction, wherein a ratio of the maximum length LEA and the maximum width WEA to the maximum height HEA is at least 2:1
(b) the electrode assembly comprises a series of layers stacked in a stacking direction that parallels the longitudinal axis within the electrode assembly wherein the stacked series of layers comprises a population of negative electrode active material layers, a population of negative electrode current collector layers, a population of separator material layers, a population of positive electrode active material layers, and a population of positive electrode current collector material layers, wherein
(i) each member of the population of negative electrode active material layers has a length LE that corresponds to the Feret diameter of the negative electrode active material layer as measured in the transverse direction between first and second opposing transverse end surfaces of the negative electrode active material layer, and a height HE that corresponds to the Feret diameter of the negative electrode active material layer as measured in the vertical direction between first and second opposing vertical end surfaces of the negative electrode active material layer, and a width WE that corresponds to the Feret diameter of the negative electrode active material layer as measured in the longitudinal direction between first and second opposing surfaces of the negative electrode active material layer, wherein a ratio of LE to HE and WE is at least 5:1;
(ii) each member of the population of positive electrode active material layers has a length LC that corresponds to the Feret diameter of the positive electrode active material layer as measured in the transverse direction between first and second opposing transverse end surfaces of the positive electrode active material layer, and a height HC that corresponds to the Feret diameter of the positive electrode active material layer as measured in the vertical direction between first and second opposing vertical end surfaces of the positive electrode active material layer, and a width WC that corresponds to the Feret diameter of the positive electrode active material layer as measured in the longitudinal direction between first and second opposing surfaces of the positive electrode active material layer, wherein a ratio of LC to HC and WC is at least 5:1
(iii) members of the negative electrode active material layer population comprise a particulate material having at least 60 wt % of negative electrode active material, less than 20 wt % conductive aid, and binder material, and where the negative electrode active material comprises a silicon-containing material,
(c) the set of electrode constraints comprises a primary constraint system and a secondary constraint system wherein
(i) the primary constraint system comprises first and second growth constraints and at least one primary connecting member, the first and second primary growth constraints separated from each other in the longitudinal direction, and the at least one primary connecting member connecting the first and second primary growth constraints to at least partially restrain growth of the electrode assembly in the longitudinal direction, and
(ii) the secondary constraint system comprises first and second secondary growth constraints separated in a second direction and connected by members of the stacked series of layers wherein the secondary constraint system at least partially restrains growth of the electrode assembly in the second direction upon cycling of the secondary battery, the second direction being orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and,
(iii) the primary constraint system maintains a pressure on the electrode assembly in the stacking direction that exceeds the pressure maintained on the electrode assembly in each of two directions that are mutually perpendicular and perpendicular to the stacking direction, and
(d) the electrode assembly comprises a population of unit cells, wherein each unit cell comprises a unit cell portion of a first member of the electrode current collector layer population, a member of the separator population that is ionically permeable to the carrier ions, a first member of the electrode active material layer population, a unit cell portion of first member of the counter-electrode current collector population and a first member of the counter-electrode active material layer population, wherein (aa) the first member of the electrode active material layer population is proximate a first side of the separator and the first member of the counter-electrode material layer population is proximate an opposing second side of the separator, (bb) the separator electrically isolates the first member of the electrode active material layer population from the first member of the counter-electrode active material layer population and carrier ions are primarily exchanged between the first member of the electrode active material layer population and the first member of the counter-electrode active material layer population via the separator of each such unit cell during cycling of the battery between the charged and discharged state, and (cc) within each unit cell,
a. the first vertical end surfaces of the electrode and the counter-electrode active material layers are on the same side of the electrode assembly, a 2D map of the median vertical position of the first opposing vertical end surface of the electrode active material in the X-Z plane, along the length LE of the electrode active material layer, traces a first vertical end surface plot, EVP1, a 2D map of the median vertical position of the first opposing vertical end surface of the counter-electrode active material layer in the X-Z plane, along the length LC of the counter-electrode active material layer, traces a first vertical end surface plot, CEVP1, wherein for at least 60% of the length LC of the first counter-electrode active material layer (i) the absolute value of a separation distance, SZ1, between the plots EVP1 and CEVP1 measured in the vertical direction is 1000 μm≥|SZ1|≥5 μm, and (ii) as between the first vertical end surfaces of the electrode and counter-electrode active material layers, the first vertical end surface of the counter-electrode active material layer is inwardly disposed with respect to the first vertical end surface of the electrode active material layer,
b. the second vertical end surfaces of the electrode and counter-electrode active material layer are on the same side of the electrode assembly, and oppose the first vertical end surfaces of the electrode and counter-electrode active material layers, respectively, a 2D map of the median vertical position of the second opposing vertical end surface of the electrode active material layer in the X-Z plane, along the length LE of the electrode active material layer, traces a second vertical end surface plot, EVP2, a 2D map of the median vertical position of the second opposing vertical end surface of the counter-electrode active material layer in the X-Z plane, along the length LC of the counter-electrode active material layer, traces a second vertical end surface plot, CEVP3, wherein for at least 60% of the length LC of the counter-electrode active material layer (i) the absolute value of a separation distance, SZ2, between the plots EVP2 and CEVP2 as measured in the vertical direction is 1000 μm≥|SZ2|≥5 μm, and (ii) as between the second vertical end surfaces of the electrode and counter-electrode active material layers, the second vertical end surface of the counter-electrode active material layer is inwardly disposed with respect to the second vertical end surface of the electrode active material layer.