US20040109940A1 - Method of producing negative electrode for lithium secondary cell - Google Patents
Method of producing negative electrode for lithium secondary cell Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20040109940A1 US20040109940A1 US10/725,860 US72586003A US2004109940A1 US 20040109940 A1 US20040109940 A1 US 20040109940A1 US 72586003 A US72586003 A US 72586003A US 2004109940 A1 US2004109940 A1 US 2004109940A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- chamber space
- thin film
- negative electrode
- air
- solid electrolyte
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 229910052744 lithium Inorganic materials 0.000 title claims abstract description 119
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 108
- WHXSMMKQMYFTQS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Lithium Chemical compound [Li] WHXSMMKQMYFTQS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 title claims abstract description 72
- 239000010409 thin film Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 165
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 137
- 229910003480 inorganic solid Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 99
- 239000007784 solid electrolyte Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 98
- 239000010408 film Substances 0.000 claims description 57
- XKRFYHLGVUSROY-UHFFFAOYSA-N Argon Chemical compound [Ar] XKRFYHLGVUSROY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 40
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 39
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims description 33
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 28
- 238000004544 sputter deposition Methods 0.000 claims description 28
- 238000001704 evaporation Methods 0.000 claims description 27
- 230000008020 evaporation Effects 0.000 claims description 27
- 229910000733 Li alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 25
- 239000001989 lithium alloy Substances 0.000 claims description 25
- 229910052786 argon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 20
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 14
- 238000007733 ion plating Methods 0.000 claims description 13
- 239000001307 helium Substances 0.000 claims description 10
- 229910052734 helium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 10
- SWQJXJOGLNCZEY-UHFFFAOYSA-N helium atom Chemical compound [He] SWQJXJOGLNCZEY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 10
- 229910052743 krypton Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 10
- DNNSSWSSYDEUBZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N krypton atom Chemical compound [Kr] DNNSSWSSYDEUBZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 10
- 238000000608 laser ablation Methods 0.000 claims description 10
- 229910052754 neon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 10
- GKAOGPIIYCISHV-UHFFFAOYSA-N neon atom Chemical compound [Ne] GKAOGPIIYCISHV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 10
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- ZOXJGFHDIHLPTG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Boron Chemical compound [B] ZOXJGFHDIHLPTG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- GYHNNYVSQQEPJS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Gallium Chemical compound [Ga] GYHNNYVSQQEPJS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- NINIDFKCEFEMDL-UHFFFAOYSA-N Sulfur Chemical compound [S] NINIDFKCEFEMDL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910052796 boron Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910052733 gallium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910052732 germanium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 4
- GNPVGFCGXDBREM-UHFFFAOYSA-N germanium atom Chemical compound [Ge] GNPVGFCGXDBREM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910052717 sulfur Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000011593 sulfur Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000005019 vapor deposition process Methods 0.000 claims 6
- BHEPBYXIRTUNPN-UHFFFAOYSA-N hydridophosphorus(.) (triplet) Chemical compound [PH] BHEPBYXIRTUNPN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims 3
- 238000000427 thin-film deposition Methods 0.000 abstract description 33
- UCKMPCXJQFINFW-UHFFFAOYSA-N Sulphide Chemical compound [S-2] UCKMPCXJQFINFW-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 abstract description 5
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 48
- 229920003266 Leaf® Polymers 0.000 description 18
- 238000000151 deposition Methods 0.000 description 17
- 230000008021 deposition Effects 0.000 description 16
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 10
- 239000011888 foil Substances 0.000 description 10
- 229910008512 Li2O-P2O5 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 9
- 229910008671 Li2O—P2O5 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 9
- 230000004913 activation Effects 0.000 description 9
- 229910052909 inorganic silicate Inorganic materials 0.000 description 9
- 238000007740 vapor deposition Methods 0.000 description 9
- KMTRUDSVKNLOMY-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ethylene carbonate Chemical compound O=C1OCCO1 KMTRUDSVKNLOMY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 8
- 238000002679 ablation Methods 0.000 description 8
- 239000011889 copper foil Substances 0.000 description 8
- 239000003792 electrolyte Substances 0.000 description 8
- 229920002239 polyacrylonitrile Polymers 0.000 description 8
- RUOJZAUFBMNUDX-UHFFFAOYSA-N propylene carbonate Chemical compound CC1COC(=O)O1 RUOJZAUFBMNUDX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 8
- 238000007738 vacuum evaporation Methods 0.000 description 8
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 7
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 7
- OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon Chemical compound [C] OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 6
- 229910001290 LiPF6 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 6
- 229910007297 Li2S—SiS2—P2O5 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000002001 electrolyte material Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000010935 stainless steel Substances 0.000 description 5
- 229910001220 stainless steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Iron Chemical compound [Fe] XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 229910001216 Li2S Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nickel Chemical compound [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 229910052799 carbon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 230000015556 catabolic process Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000006731 degradation reaction Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 4
- 229910052738 indium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- -1 oxides Chemical class 0.000 description 4
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 4
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 4
- BASFCYQUMIYNBI-UHFFFAOYSA-N platinum Chemical compound [Pt] BASFCYQUMIYNBI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 238000002360 preparation method Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 4
- XOLBLPGZBRYERU-UHFFFAOYSA-N tin dioxide Chemical compound O=[Sn]=O XOLBLPGZBRYERU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 239000010936 titanium Substances 0.000 description 4
- 229910052719 titanium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 3
- 230000009477 glass transition Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 229920006254 polymer film Polymers 0.000 description 3
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 241000555268 Dendroides Species 0.000 description 2
- 229910007286 Li2S—SiS2—Li2O—P2O5 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229910032387 LiCoO2 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- FYYHWMGAXLPEAU-UHFFFAOYSA-N Magnesium Chemical compound [Mg] FYYHWMGAXLPEAU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- ZOKXTWBITQBERF-UHFFFAOYSA-N Molybdenum Chemical compound [Mo] ZOKXTWBITQBERF-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silver Chemical compound [Ag] BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- RTAQQCXQSZGOHL-UHFFFAOYSA-N Titanium Chemical compound [Ti] RTAQQCXQSZGOHL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000011149 active material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000654 additive Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000000996 additive effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 2
- 229910052797 bismuth Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 description 2
- PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N gold Chemical compound [Au] PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910052737 gold Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010931 gold Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910002804 graphite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010439 graphite Substances 0.000 description 2
- APFVFJFRJDLVQX-UHFFFAOYSA-N indium atom Chemical compound [In] APFVFJFRJDLVQX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910052742 iron Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000011777 magnesium Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052749 magnesium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 230000008018 melting Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000002844 melting Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000007769 metal material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910044991 metal oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 150000004706 metal oxides Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 229910052750 molybdenum Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000011733 molybdenum Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052759 nickel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010955 niobium Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052758 niobium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- GUCVJGMIXFAOAE-UHFFFAOYSA-N niobium atom Chemical compound [Nb] GUCVJGMIXFAOAE-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910052697 platinum Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 150000003839 salts Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 229910052709 silver Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000004332 silver Substances 0.000 description 2
- 150000004763 sulfides Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 229910052718 tin Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- WFKWXMTUELFFGS-UHFFFAOYSA-N tungsten Chemical compound [W] WFKWXMTUELFFGS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910052721 tungsten Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010937 tungsten Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052725 zinc Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229910005228 Ga2S3 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910005833 GeO4 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910005842 GeS2 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910008538 Li2O—Al2O3 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- OAICVXFJPJFONN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Phosphorus Chemical compound [P] OAICVXFJPJFONN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910020343 SiS2 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000002441 X-ray diffraction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004458 analytical method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005137 deposition process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007599 discharging Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004880 explosion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010295 mobile communication Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000004767 nitrides Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 230000003647 oxidation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007254 oxidation reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052698 phosphorus Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000011574 phosphorus Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 230000005855 radiation Effects 0.000 description 1
- XTQHKBHJIVJGKJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N sulfur monoxide Chemical class S=O XTQHKBHJIVJGKJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000007736 thin film deposition technique Methods 0.000 description 1
- CFJRPNFOLVDFMJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N titanium disulfide Chemical compound S=[Ti]=S CFJRPNFOLVDFMJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M4/00—Electrodes
- H01M4/02—Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material
- H01M4/13—Electrodes for accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte, e.g. for lithium-accumulators; Processes of manufacture thereof
- H01M4/139—Processes of manufacture
- H01M4/1395—Processes of manufacture of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M10/05—Accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte
- H01M10/056—Accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte characterised by the materials used as electrolytes, e.g. mixed inorganic/organic electrolytes
- H01M10/0561—Accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte characterised by the materials used as electrolytes, e.g. mixed inorganic/organic electrolytes the electrolyte being constituted of inorganic materials only
- H01M10/0562—Solid materials
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M10/05—Accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte
- H01M10/052—Li-accumulators
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M10/05—Accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte
- H01M10/052—Li-accumulators
- H01M10/0525—Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M4/00—Electrodes
- H01M4/02—Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material
- H01M4/04—Processes of manufacture in general
- H01M4/0402—Methods of deposition of the material
- H01M4/0421—Methods of deposition of the material involving vapour deposition
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M4/00—Electrodes
- H01M4/02—Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material
- H01M4/13—Electrodes for accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte, e.g. for lithium-accumulators; Processes of manufacture thereof
- H01M4/134—Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M4/00—Electrodes
- H01M4/02—Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material
- H01M2004/021—Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M4/00—Electrodes
- H01M4/02—Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material
- H01M2004/026—Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material characterised by the polarity
- H01M2004/027—Negative electrodes
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M2300/00—Electrolytes
- H01M2300/0017—Non-aqueous electrolytes
- H01M2300/0065—Solid electrolytes
- H01M2300/0068—Solid electrolytes inorganic
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T29/00—Metal working
- Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
- Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
- Y10T29/49108—Electric battery cell making
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T29/00—Metal working
- Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
- Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
- Y10T29/49108—Electric battery cell making
- Y10T29/49115—Electric battery cell making including coating or impregnating
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a method of producing a negative electrode for use in a lithium secondary cell.
- Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 62-44960 discloses a method for manufacturing such a solid cell. The method includes successively forming a thin film of titanium disulfide as a positive electrode, a thin film of Li 2 O—Al 2 O 3 as an electrolyte, and a thin film of Li as a negative electrode on a substrate placed in an ionized cluster beam evaporation system.
- Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-48582 discloses an electrolytic material for such a solid cell.
- Lithium secondary cells are characterized by having a high-energy output per unit area or per unit weight as compared with other cells. Lithium secondary cells have been developed for practical use as a power source in mobile communications equipment, notebook computers, electric vehicles and the like.
- the lithium metal, the thin film of the sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolyte, and the source materials therefor are highly reactive to water, so that they cause the problem of degradation when exposed to the air.
- the above-mentioned publications related to the solid cell do not suggest a technique for independently producing a lithium-containing negative electrode itself. The problem of the degradation described above must be resolved for the production of such a freestanding negative electrode containing lithium and the sulfide-based solid electrolyte.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing a negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell, in which lithium metal, a source material for a thin film of a sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolyte, and a negative electrode having the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte formed thereon can be prevented from being degraded by air.
- the present invention is directed to a method of producing a negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell having a thin film made of an inorganic solid electrolyte.
- the method includes using a negative electrode base material placed in a dosed container and an inorganic solid electrolyte source material placed in a dosed container.
- the negative electrode base material has a surface made of a material selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys.
- the negative electrode base material placed in the closed container and the inorganic solid electrolyte source material placed in the dosed container are placed into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from air and provided adjacent to an apparatus for forming a thin film.
- the negative electrode base material and the source material are respectively taken out from the dosed containers. Then, the negative electrode base material and the source material taken out are transferred into the apparatus for forming a thin film without being exposed to the air.
- the materials are used, and a thin film made of an inorganic solid electrolyte is formed on the negative electrode base material.
- the negative electrode base material having the thin film formed thereon is then transferred without being exposed to the air into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from the air and provided adjacent to the apparatus.
- the negative electrode base material having the thin film is placed into a closed container. The negative electrode having the thin film placed in the closed container can be taken out from the chamber into the air without being degraded.
- the negative electrode base material for use in the method may be prepared by forming a thin film made of a material selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys on a base material by vapor deposition.
- the thin film made of the material selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys preferably has a thickness of 20 ⁇ m or less.
- the thickness of the thin film is typically in the range of 0.1 ⁇ m to 20 ⁇ m, and preferably in the range of 1 ⁇ m to 10 ⁇ m.
- the present invention is directed to another method of producing a negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell having a thin film made of an inorganic solid electrolyte.
- the method includes using a first source material placed in a closed container and a second source material placed in a closed container.
- the first source material is selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys.
- the second source material is for use in forming the inorganic solid electrolyte.
- the first and second source materials respectively placed in the closed containers are placed into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from air and provided adjacent to an apparatus for forming a thin film. In the chamber space, the first and second source materials are respectively taken out from the closed containers.
- the first and second source materials taken out are transferred into the apparatus without being exposed to the air.
- the first and second materials are used, and a first thin film made of the first source material and a second thin film made of the second source material are formed on a base material.
- the base material having the first and second thin films formed thereon is then transferred without being exposed to the air into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from the air and provided adjacent to the apparatus.
- the base material having the first and second thin films is placed into a closed container.
- the negative electrode having the thin films placed in the closed container can be taken out from the chamber into the air without being degraded.
- the first thin film may be formed by a vapor deposition method.
- the first thin film preferably has a thickness of 20 ⁇ m or less.
- the thickness of the thin film formed is typically in the range of 0.1 ⁇ m to 20 ⁇ m, and preferably in the range of 1 ⁇ m to 10 ⁇ m.
- the present invention is directed to a further method of producing a negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell having a thin film made of an inorganic solid electrolyte.
- a first source material selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys is placed in a dosed container, and the first source material placed in the container is placed into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from air and provided adjacent to a first apparatus for forming a thin film.
- the first source material is taken out from the dosed container. Then, the first source material taken out is transferred into the first apparatus without being exposed to the air.
- the first source material is used, and a first thin film made of the first source material is formed on a base material.
- the base material having the first thin film formed thereon is transferred from the first apparatus without being exposed to the air into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from the air and provided adjacent to the first apparatus.
- the base material having the first thin film formed thereon is placed into a closed container.
- the base material having the first thin film formed thereon and being placed in the closed container, and a second source material for forming an inorganic solid electrolyte and being placed in a closed container are placed into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from the air and provided adjacent to a second apparatus for forming a thin film.
- the base material having the first thin film formed thereon and the second source material are respectively taken out from the dosed containers.
- the base material having the first thin film formed thereon and the second source material taken out are transferred into the second apparatus without being exposed to the air.
- the second source material is used, and a second thin film made of the second source material is formed on the first thin film.
- the base material having the first and second thin films formed thereon is transferred from the second apparatus without being exposed to the air into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from the air and provided adjacent to the second apparatus. In the chamber space, the base material is placed into a closed container.
- the first thin film may be formed by a vapor deposition method.
- the first thin film preferably has a thickness of 20 ⁇ m or less.
- the thickness of the thin film formed is typically in the range of 0.1 ⁇ m to 20 ⁇ m, and preferably in the range of 1 ⁇ m to 10 ⁇ m.
- the source materials, the base materials, and the base materials having the thin film can be handled without being exposed to air, so that a negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell can be prepared without being degraded by air.
- the chamber space and the apparatus are preferably filled with a gas selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton, a mixture gas of two or more from the foregoing, and dry air having a dew point of ⁇ 50° C. or below.
- the chamber space and the apparatus are also preferably filled with a gas selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton, a mixture gas of two or more from the foregoing, and dry air having a dew point of ⁇ 50° C. or below.
- the inorganic solid electrolytes may include sulfides, oxides, nitrides, and mixtures thereof such as oxynitrides and oxysulfides.
- the sulfides may include Li 2 S, a compound of Li 2 S and SiS 2 , a compound of Li 2 S and GeS 2 , and a compound of Li 2 S and Ga 2 S 3 .
- the oxynitrides may include Li 3 PO 4-x N 2x/3 , Li 4 SiO 4-x N 2x/3 , Li 4 GeO 4-x N 2x/3 (0 ⁇ x ⁇ 4), and Li 3 BO 3-x N 2x/3 (0 ⁇ x ⁇ 3).
- the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte specifically contains components A to C as follows:
- B one or more elements selected from the group consisting of phosphorus, silicon, boron, germanium, and gallium;
- the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte may further contain at least one of oxygen and nitrogen.
- the content of element B is typically 0.1% to 30% by atomic percent.
- the content of element C is typically 20% to 60% by atomic percent.
- the content of one or both of oxygen and nitrogen is typically 0.1% to 10%.
- the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be amorphous.
- the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte preferably has an ionic conductance (conductivity) of at least 1 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 4 S/cm at 25° C.
- the ionic conductance of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte at 25° C. may be typically in the range of 1 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 4 S/cm to 2.5 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 3 S/cm, and preferably in the range of 5 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 4 S/cm to 2.5 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 3 S/cm.
- the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte formed in the present invention may have an activation energy of 40 kJ/mol or below.
- the activation energy of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be in the range of 30 kJ/mol to 40 kJ/mol.
- the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be formed by a vapor deposition method, and typically, is formed by any one method selected from the group consisting of sputtering, vapor evaporation, laser ablation, and ion plating.
- the thin film made of lithium metal or a lithium alloy may also be formed by a vapor deposition method, and typically, is formed by any one method selected from the group consisting of sputtering, vapor evaporation, laser ablation, and ion plating.
- the negative electrode produced by the present invention may be used to form a lithium secondary cell together with other necessary components such as a separator of porous polymer, a positive electrode, and an organic solution of electrolytes.
- the thin film made of the organic solid electrolyte is formed on the base material having a surface made of lithium metal or a lithium alloy, or the thin film made of lithium metal or a lithium alloy is formed on the negative electrode base material and then the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte is formed thereon.
- the additive elements of the lithium alloys may include In, Ti, Zn, Bi, and Sn.
- the base material having a surface made of lithium or a lithium alloy may be composed of a base material made of a metal or an alloy and a thin film made of lithium or a lithium alloy formed thereon.
- the base material may be composed of a metal material (typically a metal foil or leaf) of at least one selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, aluminum, iron, niobium, titanium, tungsten, indium, molybdenum, magnesium, gold, silver, platinum, alloys of two or more metals from the foregoing, and stainless steel, and a thin film made of lithium or a lithium alloy formed on the metal material.
- the base material for use in the process may be composed of a metal oxide such as SnO 2 or an electrically conductive carbon such as graphite, and a thin film made of lithium or a lithium alloy formed thereon.
- the thin film made of lithium or a lithium alloy typically has a thickness of 0.1 ⁇ m to 20 ⁇ m, and preferably a thickness of 1 ⁇ m to 10 ⁇ m.
- a foil or leaf made of lithium or a lithium alloy may be used as the base material.
- the base material used in the present invention may have a thickness of 1 ⁇ m to 100 ⁇ m from the viewpoint of application to the lithium cell and may have a thickness of 1 ⁇ m to 20 ⁇ m to give a compact product.
- the negative electrode base material for use in depositing the thin lithium metal or lithium alloy film may be made of a metal, an alloy, a metal oxide such as SnO 2 , an electrically conductive carbon such as graphite, or the like.
- the metal and the alloy used for the base material may include at least one of copper, nickel, aluminum, iron, niobium, titanium, tungsten, indium, molybdenum, magnesium, gold, silver, platinum, or an alloy of two or more metals from the foregoing, or stainless steel.
- the negative electrode base material preferably has a thickness of not more than 100 ⁇ m in order to reduce the size of the lithium cell, and preferably has a thickness of not less than 1 ⁇ m in order to keep an enough strength of the base material. Therefore, the thickness of the negative electrode base material may be 1 ⁇ m to 100 ⁇ m, and may be 1 ⁇ m to 20 ⁇ m for compactness.
- the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be formed on a heated base material by a vapor deposition method, or the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be formed on a base material at room temperature or at a temperature below 40° C. and then the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be subjected to heat treatment.
- heat treatment allows the thin film to have a relatively high ionic conductance.
- a heater may be used for the heat treatment.
- the heater employed may be attached to a holder for holding the base material or may be a radiation heater. The heater heats the base material or the thin film formed on the base material.
- the heating may be effected through a temperature rise caused by plasma or the like during the film deposition.
- plasma or the like can heat the base material, so that the thin film can be formed on the base material having a increased temperature.
- the heat treatment can effectively be carried out at a temperature higher than room temperature (5° C. to 35° C.) or at a temperature of 40° C. or higher.
- a temperature higher than room temperature such as a temperature of 40° C. or higher, preferably 100° C. or higher may be used as the base material temperature in the case that the thin film is heated through the heating of the base material, or as the temperature for the heat treatment of the formed thin film.
- the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is generally amorphous, and specifically glassy. Therefore, when the heating temperature is too high and close to the glass transition temperature of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte, the amorphous structure of the obtained thin film may be degraded, and its ionic conductance may be lowered.
- the heating temperature is preferably below the glass transition temperature of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte. Based on this point, a temperature of 200° C. or below is preferably used as the temperature of the substrate in the case that the thin film is heated through the heating of the substrate, or as the temperature for the heat treatment of the formed thin film.
- the heating temperature is preferably lower than 179° C. which is the melting point of metal lithium.
- the heating temperature is preferably lower than a temperature at which the texture of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte changes (for instance, the glass transition temperature of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte) and lower than a temperature at which the structure of the base material can no longer be maintained (for instance, the melting point of the base material).
- the heating temperature is preferably 40° C. to 200° C., and more preferably not lower than 100° C. and lower than 179° C.
- the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte formed in the present invention typically has a thickness of 0.01 ⁇ m to 10 ⁇ m, and preferably a thickness of 0.1 ⁇ m to 2 ⁇ m.
- the degree of vacuum of the background in the vapor deposition method is preferably not higher than 1.33 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 4 Pa (1 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 6 Torr).
- a low vacuum degree may induce oxidation or degradation of the lithium by water.
- the atmosphere under which the thin film is formed by the vapor deposition method may comprise a gas inactive to lithium, such as helium, neon, argon, krypton, or a mixture gas of two or more from the foregoing.
- the purity of the gas constituting the atmosphere is preferably at least 99.99% so that no degradation of the lithium due to the water may occur when the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is formed on lithium metal or a lithium alloy.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the entire formation of an apparatus used for the present invention.
- a thin film deposition system is denoted by a reference numeral 1 , an inlet of the thin film deposition system by 2 , an outlet of the thin film deposition system by 3 , and chambers by 4 and 5 .
- a copper foil or leaf having a size of 100 mm ⁇ 50 mm and a thickness of 10 ⁇ m was bonded to a lithium metal foil or leaf having the same size and a thickness of 50 ⁇ m to produce a negative electrode base material.
- a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte having a thickness of 1 ⁇ m was formed by the sputtering of a Li 2 S—SiS 2 —P 2 O 5 -based target at room temperature under an Ar gas atmosphere to produce a negative electrode.
- FIG. 1 shows the entire formation of the apparatus used for the production of the negative electrode.
- the negative electrode base material and the target contained in a closed container of glass, plastic or the like is introduced into a chamber 4 attached to an inlet 2 of a thin film deposition system 1 , and then, air is evacuated from chamber 4 .
- chamber 4 is filled with argon gas having a purity of 99.99%.
- Thin film deposition system 1 is also filled with argon gas of 99.99% purity.
- Gloves are attached to chamber 4 so that one may insert the hands into the gloves to perform operations within chamber 4 .
- the closed container is opened in chamber 4 , and the negative electrode base material having the lithium metal foil or leaf and the target are taken out.
- a door at inlet 2 of the thin film deposition system is opened, the negative electrode base material and the target are placed into thin film deposition system 1 , and the door at inlet 2 is closed. In this manner, the negative electrode base material and the target are placed into thin film deposition system 1 without being exposed to air.
- thin film deposition system 1 the target is used and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is formed on the negative electrode base material by the sputtering to produce a negative electrode. Then, thin film deposition system 1 is filled with argon gas having a purity of 99.99%. Then, air is evacuated from a chamber 5 attached to an outlet 3 of thin film deposition system 1 , and thereafter, chamber 5 is filled with argon gas of 99.99% purity. Like chamber 4 , chamber 5 also has gloves so that one may insert the hands into the gloves to perform operations within chamber 5 .
- a door at outlet 3 of the thin film deposition system is opened, the negative electrode having the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is taken out from thin film deposition system 1 and is placed into chamber 5 , and the door at outlet 3 is closed.
- a closed container of glass, plastic or the like was placed into chamber 5 in advance.
- the negative electrode having the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is placed into the container and the container is closed, and the dosed container is taken out into the air. In this manner, the negative electrode having the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte can be transferred from thin film deposition system 1 to another place without being exposed to the air.
- any one of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, and krypton, or a mixture gas of two or more from the foregoing, or dry air having a dew point of ⁇ 50° C. or below can be used without a problem.
- the gases used in the respective chambers and the thin film deposition system may be the same or different as required.
- the apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 has both of inlet 2 and outlet 3 for the thin film deposition system.
- one passage may double as the inlet and the outlet, and one chamber may be provided though which the base member and the source material are introduced into the thin film deposition system and the negative electrode is taken out from the thin film deposition system.
- An X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the formed thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was in an amorphous state.
- the ionic conductance of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was 3 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 4 S/cm at 25° C.
- a composition analysis revealed that the thin film had a composition of Li (0.42):Si (0.13):S (0.44):P (0.002):O (0.008) by atomic ratio.
- a mixture solution of ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) was heated, and then LiPF 6 was dissolved in the solution.
- Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was dissolved in the mixture solution in a high concentration.
- the solution was cooled to give a PAN preparation containing large amounts of EC and PC with LiPF 6 dissolved.
- LiCoO 2 particles as an active material and carbon particles for providing electron conductivity were added to the PAN preparation.
- the resulting mixture was applied in a thickness of 300 ⁇ m onto a 20 ⁇ m-thick aluminum foil or leaf (a collector member for a positive electrode) to produce a positive electrode.
- the negative electrode having the thin film of the solid electrolyte, a separator (porous polymer film) and the positive electrode were stacked and then placed into a stainless steel container to be sealed.
- An organic solution of an electrolyte containing 1 mole % LiPF 6 as the electrolytic salt in a mixture solution of ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate was added dropwise to the container.
- a lithium secondary cell was prepared under an argon gas atmosphere having a dew point of ⁇ 60° C. or below.
- the prepared cell was examined for the charge and discharge characteristics. In the examination, the cell was charged at a voltage of 4.2 V and maintained a capacity of 0.5 Ah (ampere-hour) until a constant discharge at 100 mA allowed the voltage to drop to 3.5 V. The energy density of the cell was 490 Wh (watt-hour)/l (liter). The cell also remained stable after one hundred cycles of charge and discharge under the same conditions.
- Example 1 Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by vacuum evaporation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 1. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- Example 1 Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by laser ablation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 1.
- the composition of the formed thin film was found to be Li (0.40):Si (0.13):S (0.46):P (0.003):O (0.007) by atomic ratio. Except for the composition, the obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- Example 1 Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by ion plating, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 1. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- a copper foil or leaf having a size of 100 mm ⁇ 50 mm and a thickness of 10 ⁇ m was placed in a thin film deposition system.
- a thin film of lithium metal having a thickness of 5 ⁇ m was formed by the sputtering of a lithium metal target, and thereon, a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte having a thickness of 1 ⁇ m was formed by the sputtering of a Li 2 S—SiS 2 —P 2 O 5 -based target.
- the sputtering was carried out at room temperature under an Ar gas atmosphere.
- the lithium metal target and the Li 2 S—SiS 2 —P 2 O 5 -based target were introduced into a thin film deposition system and the negative electrode having the thin films of lithium metal and the inorganic solid electrolyte were taken out.
- the apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 was used to produce a negative electrode. After the copper foil or leaf was placed into thin film deposition system 1 , closed containers of glass, plastic or the like respectively containing the two targets were placed into chamber 4 attached to inlet 2 of thin film deposition system 1 , and then, air was evacuated from chamber 4 . Then, chamber 4 was filled with argon gas having a purity of 99.99%. Thin film deposition system 1 was also filled with argon gas of 99.99% purity.
- the closed containers were opened in chamber 4 and the two targets were respectively taken out from the closed containers. Then, a door at inlet 2 of the thin film deposition system was opened, the two targets were placed into thin film deposition system 1 , and the door at inlet 2 was closed. In this manner, the two targets were placed into thin film deposition system 1 without being exposed to the air.
- thin film deposition system 1 a lithium metal thin film was formed on the copper foil or leaf by the sputtering of the lithium metal target, and thereon, a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by the sputtering of the Li 2 S—SiS 2 —P 2 O 5 -based target.
- Example 4 Except that the thin film of lithium metal and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte were formed by vacuum evaporation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 4. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- Example 5 Except that the thin film of lithium metal and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte were formed by laser ablation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary were produced and evaluated as in Example 5. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 4.
- Example 1 Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by ion plating, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 1. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- Example 1 Except that Li 2 S—SiS 2 —Li 2 O—P 2 O 5 was used to form the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte, a negative electrode and a secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 1.
- the composition of the thin film was Li (0.43):Si (0.12):S (0.44):P (0.002):O (0.008) by atomic ratio. Except for the composition, the obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- Example 9 Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by vacuum evaporation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 9. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 9.
- Example 9 Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by laser ablation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 9. As a result, the composition of the thin film was found to be Li (0.41):Si (0.13):S (0.45):P (0.002):O (0.008) by atomic ratio. Except for the composition, the obtained results were the same as those in Example 9.
- Example 9 Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by ion plating, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 9. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 9.
- Example 9 Except that Li 2 S—SiS 2 —Li 2 O—P 2 O 5 was used to form the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte and the thin film of lithium metal was formed by vacuum evaporation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 9. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 9.
- Example 13 Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by vacuum evaporation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 13. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 9.
- Example 13 Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by laser ablation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 13. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 11.
- Example 13 Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by ion plating, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 13. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 9.
- a lithium metal thin film having a thickness of 10 ⁇ m was formed on a copper foil or leaf having a size of 100 mm ⁇ 50 mm and a thickness of 10 ⁇ m by vacuum evaporation.
- a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte was formed to have a thickness of 1 ⁇ m.
- two lithium metal foils or leafs each having the same size as the copper foil or leaf and each having a thickness of 30 ⁇ m were bonded to each other. The bonded lithium foils or leafs were used in place of the copper foil or leaf.
- the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte could be formed in a similar manner on the bonded lithium metal foils or leafs.
- the lithium metal target and the electrolyte target were placed into the thin film deposition system and the negative electrode having the lithium metal thin film and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte were taken out.
- the apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 was used to produce the negative electrode.
- the conditions as shown in Tables 1 to 5 were used to form thin films of inorganic solid electrolytes.
- Tables 1 to 5 also show the ionic conductance at 25° C. of the thin films of the inorganic solid electrolytes, and the activation energy of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolytes. The activation energy was obtained by the measurement of the temperature dependency of the ionic conductance at raised temperatures.
- Each base material having the thin film of lithium metal and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte formed thereon was used as a negative electrode to produce a lithium secondary cell.
- Each negative electrode, a separator of porous polymer film, a positive electrode, an organic solution of electrolytes, and other conventionally required components were assembled into a lithium secondary cell. The outline of the process of the cell and the results of examining the cell are as follows.
- a mixture solution of ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) was heated, and then LiPF 6 was dissolved in the solution.
- Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was dissolved in the mixture solution in a high concentration.
- the solution was cooled to give a PAN preparation containing large amounts of EC and PC with LiPF 6 dissolved.
- LiCoO 2 particles as an active material and carbon particles for providing electron conductivity were added to the PAN preparation.
- the resulting mixture was applied in a thickness of 300 ⁇ m onto a 20 ⁇ m-thick aluminum foil or leaf (a collector member for a positive electrode) to produce a positive electrode.
- Each negative electrode having the thin film of the solid electrolyte, a separator (porous polymer film), and the positive electrode were stacked and then placed into a stainless steel container.
- An organic solution of an electrolyte containing 1 mole % LiPF 6 as the electrolytic salt in a mixture solution EC and PC was added dropwise to the container.
- the stainless steel container was sealed under an argon gas atmosphere having a dew point of ⁇ 60° C. or below to give a lithium secondary cell.
- each cell was charged at a voltage of 4.2 V and maintained a capacity of 0.5 Ah (ampere-hour) until a constant discharge at 100 mA allowed the voltage to drop to 3.5 V.
- the energy density of each cell was in the range of 500 to 550 Wh (watt-hour)/l (liter). Each cell also remained stable after one hundred cycles of charge and discharge under the same conditions.
- the thin lithium metal film and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be formed by the same method, or by different methods. In the latter case, an apparatus available for two or more kinds of thin film deposition methods may be used, and for example, the thin lithium metal film may be formed by vacuum evaporation and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte by sputtering.
- the thin lithium metal film and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte were formed in the same apparatus.
- the thin lithium metal film may only be formed, and then, the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be formed on the lithium film by a similar process in another apparatus.
- the following process may be employed.
- the thin lithium metal film is formed on the base member by a process similar to that in the Examples, and the product may be placed into a closed container without being exposed to the air.
- the base member having the thin lithium metal film is taken out from the closed container into another apparatus without being exposed to the air.
- the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is formed in the different apparatus.
- the obtained negative electrode is placed into a closed container without being exposed to the air.
- lithium alloys may be used.
- the additive elements that can constitute the lithium alloys may include In, Ti, Zn, Bi, and Sn.
- the lithium alloys may be deposited on the base material by a common vapor deposition method such as sputtering, vacuum evaporation, or laser ablation.
- the negative electrode produced according to the present invention can offer the lithium secondary cell a high energy density, excellent charge and discharge cycle characteristics, and high stability.
Abstract
A method of independently producing a negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell having thin films of lithium and a sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolyte begins with a negative electrode base material and an inorganic solid electrolyte source material being removed from closed containers in a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and insulated from air. The materials are transferred into an adjacent thin film deposition system without being exposed to the air. In the system, the source material is used to form a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte on the base material, to make the electrode. The electrode is transferred, without being exposed to the air, into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium, where the electrode is placed into a closed container. Thus, a negative electrode can be produced without being degraded by air.
Description
- This application is a Continuation of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/884,633 filed Jun. 18, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, and relates to U.S. application Ser. No. 09/884,632 filed Jun. 18, 2001.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a method of producing a negative electrode for use in a lithium secondary cell.
- 2. Description of the Background Art
- A solid secondary cell with a thin lithium film has been proposed. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 62-44960 discloses a method for manufacturing such a solid cell. The method includes successively forming a thin film of titanium disulfide as a positive electrode, a thin film of Li2O—Al2O3 as an electrolyte, and a thin film of Li as a negative electrode on a substrate placed in an ionized cluster beam evaporation system. Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-48582 discloses an electrolytic material for such a solid cell.
- On the other hand, advances have been made in commercialization of lithium secondary cells containing an organic solution of electrolytes. Lithium secondary cells are characterized by having a high-energy output per unit area or per unit weight as compared with other cells. Lithium secondary cells have been developed for practical use as a power source in mobile communications equipment, notebook computers, electric vehicles and the like.
- An attempt has been made to use lithium metal for a negative electrode for the purpose of improving the performance of the lithium secondary cell containing an organic solution of electrolytes. Such an attempt, however, involves the risk of a dendroid growth of the lithium metal during charging and discharging. The dendroid growth may form an internal short-circuit to a positive electrode and finally result in an explosion. As a technique for avoiding the risk, an attempt can be made to form a thin film of a sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolyte on the lithium metal.
- The lithium metal, the thin film of the sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolyte, and the source materials therefor, however, are highly reactive to water, so that they cause the problem of degradation when exposed to the air. The above-mentioned publications related to the solid cell, however, do not suggest a technique for independently producing a lithium-containing negative electrode itself. The problem of the degradation described above must be resolved for the production of such a freestanding negative electrode containing lithium and the sulfide-based solid electrolyte.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing a negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell, in which lithium metal, a source material for a thin film of a sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolyte, and a negative electrode having the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte formed thereon can be prevented from being degraded by air.
- The present invention is directed to a method of producing a negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell having a thin film made of an inorganic solid electrolyte. The method includes using a negative electrode base material placed in a dosed container and an inorganic solid electrolyte source material placed in a dosed container. The negative electrode base material has a surface made of a material selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys. In the method, the negative electrode base material placed in the closed container and the inorganic solid electrolyte source material placed in the dosed container are placed into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from air and provided adjacent to an apparatus for forming a thin film. In the chamber space, the negative electrode base material and the source material are respectively taken out from the dosed containers. Then, the negative electrode base material and the source material taken out are transferred into the apparatus for forming a thin film without being exposed to the air. In the apparatus, the materials are used, and a thin film made of an inorganic solid electrolyte is formed on the negative electrode base material. The negative electrode base material having the thin film formed thereon is then transferred without being exposed to the air into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from the air and provided adjacent to the apparatus. In the chamber space, the negative electrode base material having the thin film is placed into a closed container. The negative electrode having the thin film placed in the closed container can be taken out from the chamber into the air without being degraded.
- The negative electrode base material for use in the method may be prepared by forming a thin film made of a material selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys on a base material by vapor deposition. The thin film made of the material selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys preferably has a thickness of 20 μm or less. The thickness of the thin film is typically in the range of 0.1 μm to 20 μm, and preferably in the range of 1 μm to 10 μm.
- The present invention is directed to another method of producing a negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell having a thin film made of an inorganic solid electrolyte. The method includes using a first source material placed in a closed container and a second source material placed in a closed container. The first source material is selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys. The second source material is for use in forming the inorganic solid electrolyte. The first and second source materials respectively placed in the closed containers are placed into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from air and provided adjacent to an apparatus for forming a thin film. In the chamber space, the first and second source materials are respectively taken out from the closed containers. Then, the first and second source materials taken out are transferred into the apparatus without being exposed to the air. In the apparatus, the first and second materials are used, and a first thin film made of the first source material and a second thin film made of the second source material are formed on a base material. The base material having the first and second thin films formed thereon is then transferred without being exposed to the air into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from the air and provided adjacent to the apparatus. In the chamber space, the base material having the first and second thin films is placed into a closed container. The negative electrode having the thin films placed in the closed container can be taken out from the chamber into the air without being degraded.
- In the method, the first thin film may be formed by a vapor deposition method. The first thin film preferably has a thickness of 20 μm or less. The thickness of the thin film formed is typically in the range of 0.1 μm to 20 μm, and preferably in the range of 1 μm to 10 μm.
- The present invention is directed to a further method of producing a negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell having a thin film made of an inorganic solid electrolyte. In the method, a first source material selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys is placed in a dosed container, and the first source material placed in the container is placed into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from air and provided adjacent to a first apparatus for forming a thin film. In the chamber space, the first source material is taken out from the dosed container. Then, the first source material taken out is transferred into the first apparatus without being exposed to the air. In the first apparatus, the first source material is used, and a first thin film made of the first source material is formed on a base material. The base material having the first thin film formed thereon is transferred from the first apparatus without being exposed to the air into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from the air and provided adjacent to the first apparatus. In the chamber space, the base material having the first thin film formed thereon is placed into a closed container. Then, the base material having the first thin film formed thereon and being placed in the closed container, and a second source material for forming an inorganic solid electrolyte and being placed in a closed container are placed into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from the air and provided adjacent to a second apparatus for forming a thin film. In the chamber space, the base material having the first thin film formed thereon and the second source material are respectively taken out from the dosed containers. Then, the base material having the first thin film formed thereon and the second source material taken out are transferred into the second apparatus without being exposed to the air. In the second apparatus, the second source material is used, and a second thin film made of the second source material is formed on the first thin film. The base material having the first and second thin films formed thereon is transferred from the second apparatus without being exposed to the air into a chamber space, which is substantially inactive to lithium and which is insulated from the air and provided adjacent to the second apparatus. In the chamber space, the base material is placed into a closed container.
- In the method, the first thin film may be formed by a vapor deposition method. The first thin film preferably has a thickness of 20 μm or less. The thickness of the thin film formed is typically in the range of 0.1 μm to 20 μm, and preferably in the range of 1 μm to 10 μm.
- As described above, the source materials, the base materials, and the base materials having the thin film can be handled without being exposed to air, so that a negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell can be prepared without being degraded by air.
- In the above-described methods, when the source material is taken out and transferred into the apparatus, the chamber space and the apparatus are preferably filled with a gas selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton, a mixture gas of two or more from the foregoing, and dry air having a dew point of −50° C. or below. When the base material having the thin film formed thereon is taken out from the apparatus and transferred into the chamber space to be placed into the closed container, the chamber space and the apparatus are also preferably filled with a gas selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton, a mixture gas of two or more from the foregoing, and dry air having a dew point of −50° C. or below.
- The inorganic solid electrolytes may include sulfides, oxides, nitrides, and mixtures thereof such as oxynitrides and oxysulfides. The sulfides may include Li2S, a compound of Li2S and SiS2, a compound of Li2S and GeS2, and a compound of Li2S and Ga2S3. The oxynitrides may include Li3PO4-xN2x/3, Li4SiO4-xN2x/3, Li4GeO4-xN2x/3 (0<x<4), and Li3BO3-xN2x/3 (0<x<3).
- In the present invention, the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte specifically contains components A to C as follows:
- A: lithium, the content of which is in the range of 30% to 65% by atomic percent;
- B: one or more elements selected from the group consisting of phosphorus, silicon, boron, germanium, and gallium; and
- C: sulfur.
- The thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte may further contain at least one of oxygen and nitrogen. The content of element B is typically 0.1% to 30% by atomic percent. The content of element C is typically 20% to 60% by atomic percent. The content of one or both of oxygen and nitrogen is typically 0.1% to 10%.
- In the present invention, the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be amorphous. The thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte preferably has an ionic conductance (conductivity) of at least 1×10−4 S/cm at 25° C. The ionic conductance of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte at 25° C. may be typically in the range of 1×10−4 S/cm to 2.5×10−3 S/cm, and preferably in the range of 5×10−4 S/cm to 2.5×10−3 S/cm. The thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte formed in the present invention may have an activation energy of 40 kJ/mol or below. The activation energy of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be in the range of 30 kJ/mol to 40 kJ/mol.
- In the present invention, the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be formed by a vapor deposition method, and typically, is formed by any one method selected from the group consisting of sputtering, vapor evaporation, laser ablation, and ion plating. In the present invention, the thin film made of lithium metal or a lithium alloy may also be formed by a vapor deposition method, and typically, is formed by any one method selected from the group consisting of sputtering, vapor evaporation, laser ablation, and ion plating.
- The negative electrode produced by the present invention may be used to form a lithium secondary cell together with other necessary components such as a separator of porous polymer, a positive electrode, and an organic solution of electrolytes.
- According to the present invention, the thin film made of the organic solid electrolyte is formed on the base material having a surface made of lithium metal or a lithium alloy, or the thin film made of lithium metal or a lithium alloy is formed on the negative electrode base material and then the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte is formed thereon. The additive elements of the lithium alloys may include In, Ti, Zn, Bi, and Sn.
- The base material having a surface made of lithium or a lithium alloy may be composed of a base material made of a metal or an alloy and a thin film made of lithium or a lithium alloy formed thereon. Specifically, the base material may be composed of a metal material (typically a metal foil or leaf) of at least one selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, aluminum, iron, niobium, titanium, tungsten, indium, molybdenum, magnesium, gold, silver, platinum, alloys of two or more metals from the foregoing, and stainless steel, and a thin film made of lithium or a lithium alloy formed on the metal material. Alternatively, the base material for use in the process may be composed of a metal oxide such as SnO2 or an electrically conductive carbon such as graphite, and a thin film made of lithium or a lithium alloy formed thereon. In the above-described base materials, the thin film made of lithium or a lithium alloy typically has a thickness of 0.1 μm to 20 μm, and preferably a thickness of 1 μm to 10 μm. On the other hand, a foil or leaf made of lithium or a lithium alloy may be used as the base material. The base material used in the present invention may have a thickness of 1 μm to 100 μm from the viewpoint of application to the lithium cell and may have a thickness of 1 μm to 20 μm to give a compact product.
- In the present invention, the negative electrode base material for use in depositing the thin lithium metal or lithium alloy film may be made of a metal, an alloy, a metal oxide such as SnO2, an electrically conductive carbon such as graphite, or the like. The metal and the alloy used for the base material may include at least one of copper, nickel, aluminum, iron, niobium, titanium, tungsten, indium, molybdenum, magnesium, gold, silver, platinum, or an alloy of two or more metals from the foregoing, or stainless steel. The negative electrode base material preferably has a thickness of not more than 100 μm in order to reduce the size of the lithium cell, and preferably has a thickness of not less than 1 μm in order to keep an enough strength of the base material. Therefore, the thickness of the negative electrode base material may be 1 μm to 100 μm, and may be 1 μm to 20 μm for compactness.
- In the step of forming the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte, the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be formed on a heated base material by a vapor deposition method, or the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be formed on a base material at room temperature or at a temperature below 40° C. and then the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be subjected to heat treatment. Such heat treatment allows the thin film to have a relatively high ionic conductance. Generally, a heater may be used for the heat treatment. The heater employed may be attached to a holder for holding the base material or may be a radiation heater. The heater heats the base material or the thin film formed on the base material. On the other hand, the heating may be effected through a temperature rise caused by plasma or the like during the film deposition. In the film deposition process, plasma or the like can heat the base material, so that the thin film can be formed on the base material having a increased temperature. The heat treatment can effectively be carried out at a temperature higher than room temperature (5° C. to 35° C.) or at a temperature of 40° C. or higher. Thus, a temperature higher than room temperature such as a temperature of 40° C. or higher, preferably 100° C. or higher may be used as the base material temperature in the case that the thin film is heated through the heating of the base material, or as the temperature for the heat treatment of the formed thin film. The thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is generally amorphous, and specifically glassy. Therefore, when the heating temperature is too high and close to the glass transition temperature of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte, the amorphous structure of the obtained thin film may be degraded, and its ionic conductance may be lowered. Thus, the heating temperature is preferably below the glass transition temperature of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte. Based on this point, a temperature of 200° C. or below is preferably used as the temperature of the substrate in the case that the thin film is heated through the heating of the substrate, or as the temperature for the heat treatment of the formed thin film. In addition, when the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is formed on lithium metal, the heating temperature is preferably lower than 179° C. which is the melting point of metal lithium. Thus, the heating temperature is preferably lower than a temperature at which the texture of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte changes (for instance, the glass transition temperature of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte) and lower than a temperature at which the structure of the base material can no longer be maintained (for instance, the melting point of the base material). Specifically, the heating temperature is preferably 40° C. to 200° C., and more preferably not lower than 100° C. and lower than 179° C.
- The thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte formed in the present invention typically has a thickness of 0.01 μm to 10 μm, and preferably a thickness of 0.1 μm to 2 μm.
- In the present invention, the degree of vacuum of the background in the vapor deposition method is preferably not higher than 1.33×10−4 Pa (1×10−6 Torr). When the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is formed on lithium metal or a lithium alloy, a low vacuum degree may induce oxidation or degradation of the lithium by water. The atmosphere under which the thin film is formed by the vapor deposition method may comprise a gas inactive to lithium, such as helium, neon, argon, krypton, or a mixture gas of two or more from the foregoing. The purity of the gas constituting the atmosphere is preferably at least 99.99% so that no degradation of the lithium due to the water may occur when the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is formed on lithium metal or a lithium alloy.
- The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the entire formation of an apparatus used for the present invention.
- In the drawing, a thin film deposition system is denoted by a reference numeral1, an inlet of the thin film deposition system by 2, an outlet of the thin film deposition system by 3, and chambers by 4 and 5.
- A copper foil or leaf having a size of 100 mm×50 mm and a thickness of 10 μm was bonded to a lithium metal foil or leaf having the same size and a thickness of 50 μm to produce a negative electrode base material. On the lithium metal foil or leaf of the produced base material, a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte having a thickness of 1 μm was formed by the sputtering of a Li2S—SiS2—P2O5-based target at room temperature under an Ar gas atmosphere to produce a negative electrode.
- As described below, the negative electrode base material and the Li2S—SiS2—P2O5-based target is placed into a thin film deposition system and the negative electrode having the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is taken out. FIG. 1 shows the entire formation of the apparatus used for the production of the negative electrode. First, the negative electrode base material and the target contained in a closed container of glass, plastic or the like is introduced into a
chamber 4 attached to aninlet 2 of a thin film deposition system 1, and then, air is evacuated fromchamber 4. Then,chamber 4 is filled with argon gas having a purity of 99.99%. Thin film deposition system 1 is also filled with argon gas of 99.99% purity. Gloves are attached tochamber 4 so that one may insert the hands into the gloves to perform operations withinchamber 4. The closed container is opened inchamber 4, and the negative electrode base material having the lithium metal foil or leaf and the target are taken out. Then, a door atinlet 2 of the thin film deposition system is opened, the negative electrode base material and the target are placed into thin film deposition system 1, and the door atinlet 2 is closed. In this manner, the negative electrode base material and the target are placed into thin film deposition system 1 without being exposed to air. - In thin film deposition system1, the target is used and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is formed on the negative electrode base material by the sputtering to produce a negative electrode. Then, thin film deposition system 1 is filled with argon gas having a purity of 99.99%. Then, air is evacuated from a
chamber 5 attached to anoutlet 3 of thin film deposition system 1, and thereafter,chamber 5 is filled with argon gas of 99.99% purity. Likechamber 4,chamber 5 also has gloves so that one may insert the hands into the gloves to perform operations withinchamber 5. A door atoutlet 3 of the thin film deposition system is opened, the negative electrode having the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is taken out from thin film deposition system 1 and is placed intochamber 5, and the door atoutlet 3 is closed. A closed container of glass, plastic or the like was placed intochamber 5 in advance. The negative electrode having the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is placed into the container and the container is closed, and the dosed container is taken out into the air. In this manner, the negative electrode having the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte can be transferred from thin film deposition system 1 to another place without being exposed to the air. - In this process, any one of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, and krypton, or a mixture gas of two or more from the foregoing, or dry air having a dew point of −50° C. or below can be used without a problem. The gases used in the respective chambers and the thin film deposition system may be the same or different as required.
- The apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 has both of
inlet 2 andoutlet 3 for the thin film deposition system. Alternatively, one passage may double as the inlet and the outlet, and one chamber may be provided though which the base member and the source material are introduced into the thin film deposition system and the negative electrode is taken out from the thin film deposition system. - An X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the formed thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was in an amorphous state. The ionic conductance of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was 3×10−4 S/cm at 25° C. A composition analysis revealed that the thin film had a composition of Li (0.42):Si (0.13):S (0.44):P (0.002):O (0.008) by atomic ratio.
- A mixture solution of ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) was heated, and then LiPF6 was dissolved in the solution. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was dissolved in the mixture solution in a high concentration. The solution was cooled to give a PAN preparation containing large amounts of EC and PC with LiPF6 dissolved. LiCoO2 particles as an active material and carbon particles for providing electron conductivity were added to the PAN preparation. The resulting mixture was applied in a thickness of 300 μm onto a 20 μm-thick aluminum foil or leaf (a collector member for a positive electrode) to produce a positive electrode.
- The negative electrode having the thin film of the solid electrolyte, a separator (porous polymer film) and the positive electrode were stacked and then placed into a stainless steel container to be sealed. An organic solution of an electrolyte containing 1 mole % LiPF6 as the electrolytic salt in a mixture solution of ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate was added dropwise to the container. In such a process, a lithium secondary cell was prepared under an argon gas atmosphere having a dew point of −60° C. or below.
- The prepared cell was examined for the charge and discharge characteristics. In the examination, the cell was charged at a voltage of 4.2 V and maintained a capacity of 0.5 Ah (ampere-hour) until a constant discharge at 100 mA allowed the voltage to drop to 3.5 V. The energy density of the cell was 490 Wh (watt-hour)/l (liter). The cell also remained stable after one hundred cycles of charge and discharge under the same conditions.
- Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by vacuum evaporation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 1. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by laser ablation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 1. The composition of the formed thin film was found to be Li (0.40):Si (0.13):S (0.46):P (0.003):O (0.007) by atomic ratio. Except for the composition, the obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by ion plating, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 1. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- A copper foil or leaf having a size of 100 mm×50 mm and a thickness of 10 μm was placed in a thin film deposition system. On the copper foil or leaf, a thin film of lithium metal having a thickness of 5 μm was formed by the sputtering of a lithium metal target, and thereon, a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte having a thickness of 1 μm was formed by the sputtering of a Li2S—SiS2—P2O5-based target. The sputtering was carried out at room temperature under an Ar gas atmosphere. As in the case of Example 1, the lithium metal target and the Li2S—SiS2—P2O5-based target were introduced into a thin film deposition system and the negative electrode having the thin films of lithium metal and the inorganic solid electrolyte were taken out. The apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 was used to produce a negative electrode. After the copper foil or leaf was placed into thin film deposition system 1, closed containers of glass, plastic or the like respectively containing the two targets were placed into
chamber 4 attached toinlet 2 of thin film deposition system 1, and then, air was evacuated fromchamber 4. Then,chamber 4 was filled with argon gas having a purity of 99.99%. Thin film deposition system 1 was also filled with argon gas of 99.99% purity. By the hands inserted into the gloves attached tochamber 4, the closed containers were opened inchamber 4 and the two targets were respectively taken out from the closed containers. Then, a door atinlet 2 of the thin film deposition system was opened, the two targets were placed into thin film deposition system 1, and the door atinlet 2 was closed. In this manner, the two targets were placed into thin film deposition system 1 without being exposed to the air. In thin film deposition system 1, a lithium metal thin film was formed on the copper foil or leaf by the sputtering of the lithium metal target, and thereon, a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by the sputtering of the Li2S—SiS2—P2O5-based target. Thereafter, air was evacuated fromchamber 5 attached tooutlet 3 of thin film deposition system 1 filled with argon gas of 99.99% purity.Chamber 5 was then filled with argon gas of 99.99% purity. By the hands inserted into the gloves attached tochamber 5, a door atoutlet 3 of the thin film deposition system was opened, the negative electrode having the two kinds of thin films was taken out from thin film deposition system 1 and then placed intochamber 5, and the door atoutlet 3 was dosed. A closed container of glass, plastic or the like was provided inchamber 5 in advance, and the negative electrode having the thin films was placed into the container. The container was closed, and the closed container was taken out into the air. - The obtained negative electrode was examined as in the case of Example 1. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- Except that the thin film of lithium metal and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte were formed by vacuum evaporation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 4. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- Except that the thin film of lithium metal and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte were formed by laser ablation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary were produced and evaluated as in Example 5. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 4.
- Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by ion plating, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 1. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- Except that Li2S—SiS2—Li2O—P2O5 was used to form the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte, a negative electrode and a secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 1. The composition of the thin film was Li (0.43):Si (0.12):S (0.44):P (0.002):O (0.008) by atomic ratio. Except for the composition, the obtained results were the same as those in Example 1.
- Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by vacuum evaporation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 9. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 9.
- Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by laser ablation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 9. As a result, the composition of the thin film was found to be Li (0.41):Si (0.13):S (0.45):P (0.002):O (0.008) by atomic ratio. Except for the composition, the obtained results were the same as those in Example 9.
- Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by ion plating, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 9. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 9.
- Except that Li2S—SiS2—Li2O—P2O5 was used to form the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte and the thin film of lithium metal was formed by vacuum evaporation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 9. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 9.
- Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by vacuum evaporation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 13. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 9.
- Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by laser ablation, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 13. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 11.
- Except that the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte was formed by ion plating, a negative electrode and a lithium secondary cell were produced and evaluated as in Example 13. The obtained results were the same as those in Example 9.
- A lithium metal thin film having a thickness of 10 μm was formed on a copper foil or leaf having a size of 100 mm×50 mm and a thickness of 10 μm by vacuum evaporation. On the thin film of lithium metal, a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte was formed to have a thickness of 1 μm. On the other hand, two lithium metal foils or leafs each having the same size as the copper foil or leaf and each having a thickness of 30 μm were bonded to each other. The bonded lithium foils or leafs were used in place of the copper foil or leaf. The thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte could be formed in a similar manner on the bonded lithium metal foils or leafs. As in the case of Example 1, the lithium metal target and the electrolyte target were placed into the thin film deposition system and the negative electrode having the lithium metal thin film and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte were taken out. The apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 was used to produce the negative electrode. The conditions as shown in Tables 1 to 5 were used to form thin films of inorganic solid electrolytes. Tables 1 to 5 also show the ionic conductance at 25° C. of the thin films of the inorganic solid electrolytes, and the activation energy of the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolytes. The activation energy was obtained by the measurement of the temperature dependency of the ionic conductance at raised temperatures.
TABLE 1 Method of Temperature of heat Ionic Activation Sample film Inorganic solid Film deposition treatment after film conductance energy No. deposition electrolyte material temperature (° C.) deposition (° C.) (S/cm) (kJ/mol) 1 Sputtering 57Li2S—38SiS2—5(Li2O—P2O5) 50 No heat treatment 7.0 × 10−4 36 2 Sputtering 57Li2S—38SiS2—5(Li2O—P2O5) 100 No heat treatment 1.8 × 10−3 32 3 Sputtering 57Li2S—38SiS2—5(Li2O—P2O5) 130 No heat treatment 2.0 × 10−3 32 4 Sputtering 57Li2S—38SiS2—5(Li2O—P2O5) Room temperature 50 6.0 × 10−4 37 (25° C.) 5 Sputtering 57Li2S—38SiS2—5(Li2O—P2O5) Room temperature 100 1.6 × 10−3 33 (25° C.) 6 Sputtering 57Li2S—38SiS2—5(Li2O—P2O5) Room temperature 130 1.7 × 10−3 32 (25° C.) 7 Sputtering 60Li2S—40SiS2 100 No heat treatment 1.5 × 10−3 34 8 Sputtering 60Li2S—40SiS2 150 No heat treatment 1.5 × 10−3 33 -
TABLE 2 Method of Temperature of heat Ionic Activation Sample film Inorganic solid Film deposition treatment after film conductance energy No. deposition electrolyte material temperature (° C.) deposition (° C.) (S/cm) (kJ/mol) 9 Sputtering 60Li2S—40SiS2 Room temperature 150 1.5 × 10−3 32 (25° C.) 10 Sputtering 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li3PO4 130 No heat treatment 1.7 × 10−3 34 11 Sputtering 59.5Li2S—40SiS2—0.5Li3PO4 130 No heat treatment 1.6 × 10−3 34 12 Sputtering 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li4SiO4 130 No heat treatment 1.8 × 10−3 33 13 Sputtering 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li3PO3.9N0.1 130 No heat treatment 1.8 × 10−3 34 14 Sputtering 65Li2S—34.5SiS2—0.5Li3PO4 130 No heat treatment 1.7 × 10−3 34 15 Laser 60Li2S—40SiS2 120 No heat treatment 1.9 × 10−3 33 ablation 16 Laser 57Li2S—38SiS2—5(Li2O—P2O5) 120 No heat treatment 2.0 × 10−3 32 ablation 17 Laser 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li3PO4 120 No heat treatment 2.0 × 10−3 33 ablation 18 Laser 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li4SiO4 120 No heat treatment 2.1 × 10−3 34 ablation -
TABLE 3 Method of Temperature of heat Ionic Activation Sample film Inorganic solid Film deposition treatment after film conductance energy No. deposition electrolyte material temperature (° C.) deposition (° C.) (S/cm) (kJ/mol) 19 Laser 60Li2S—40SiS2 Room temperature 140 1.7 × 10−3 33 ablation (25° C.) 20 Laser 57Li2S—38SiS2—5(Li2O—P2O5) Room temperature 140 2.0 × 10−3 32 ablation (25° C.) 21 Laser 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li3PO4 Room temperature 140 1.8 × 10−3 34 ablation (25° C.) 22 Laser 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li4SiO4 Room temperature 140 1.7 × 10−3 34 ablation (25° C.) 23 Vacuum 60Li2S—40SiS2 120 No heat treatment 1.7 × 10−3 33 eva- poration 24 Vacuum 60Li2S—40SiS2 150 No heat treatment 1.8 × 10−3 32 eva- poration 25 Vacuum 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li3PO4 100 No heat treatment 1.8 × 10−3 33 eva- poration 26 Vacuum 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li3PO4 120 No heat treatment 2.0 × 10−3 32 eva- poration 27 Vacuum 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li3PO4 160 No heat treatment 2.1 × 10−3 31 eva- poration -
TABLE 4 Method of Temperature of heat Ionic Activation Sample Film Inorganic solid Film deposition treatment after film conductance energy No. deposition electrolyte material temperature (° C.) deposition (° C.) (S/cm) (kJ/mol) 28 Vacuum 60Li2S—39.5SiS2—0.5Li3PO4 120 No heat treatment 1.8 × 10−3 33 evaporation 29 Vacuum 57Li2S—38SiS2—5(Li2O—P2O5) 120 No heat treatment 2.0 × 10−3 32 evaporation 30 Vacuum 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li4SiO4 120 No heat treatment 2.0 × 10−3 34 evaporation 31 Vacuum 60Li2S—39.5SiS2—0.5Li4SiO4 120 No heat treatment 2.1 × 10−3 33 evaporation 32 Vacuum 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li3BO3 120 No heat treatment 1.8 × 10−3 34 evaporation 33 Vacuum 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li4GeO4 120 No heat treatment 1.7 × 10−3 33 evaporation 34 Vacuum 60Li2S—39.5GeS2—0.5Li4SiO4 120 No heat treatment 1.5 × 10−3 33 evaporation 35 Vacuum 60Li2S—39.5Ga2S3-0.5Li4SiO4 120 No heat treatment 1.8 × 10−3 32 evaporation 36 Vacuum 60Li2S—39.5P2S5-0.5Li4SiO4 120 No heat treatment 1.7 × 10−3 34 evaporation 37 Vacuum 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li3PO4 Room temperature 120 1.9 × 10−3 34 evaporation (25° C.) -
TABLE 5 Method of Temperature of heat Ionic Activation Sample Film Inorganic solid Film deposition treatment after film conductance energy No. deposition electrolyte material temperature (° C.) deposition (° C.) (S/cm) (kJ/mol) 38 Vacuum 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li4SiO4 Room temperature 160 1.8 × 10−3 33 evaporation (25° C.) 39 Vacuum 60Li2S—40SiS2 Room temperature 120 1.7 × 10−3 32 evaporation (25° C.) 40 Vacuum 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li3PO3.9N0.1 120 No heat treatment 1.9 × 10−3 33 evaporation 41 Vacuum 60Li2S—39.5SiS2—0.5Li3PO4 120 No heat treatment 2.0 × 10−3 32 evaporation 42 Vacuum 65Li2S—34.5SiS2—0.5Li3PO4 130 No heat treatment 1.9 × 10−3 34 evaporation 43 Vacuum 55Li2S—44.5SiS2—0.5Li3PO4 130 No heat treatment 1.8 × 10−3 33 evaporation 44 Ion plating 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li3PO4 120 No heat treatment 1.8 × 10−3 33 45 Ion plating 60Li2S—39.5SiS2—0.5Li3PO4 120 No heat treatment 2.0 × 10−3 32 46 Ion plating 57Li2S—38SiS2—5Li3PO4 Room temperature 120 1.7 × 10−3 34 (25° C.) 47 Ion plating 60Li2S—39.5SiS2—0.5Li3PO4 Room temperature 120 1.9 × 10−3 32 (25° C.) - Each base material having the thin film of lithium metal and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte formed thereon was used as a negative electrode to produce a lithium secondary cell. Each negative electrode, a separator of porous polymer film, a positive electrode, an organic solution of electrolytes, and other conventionally required components were assembled into a lithium secondary cell. The outline of the process of the cell and the results of examining the cell are as follows.
- A mixture solution of ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) was heated, and then LiPF6 was dissolved in the solution. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was dissolved in the mixture solution in a high concentration. The solution was cooled to give a PAN preparation containing large amounts of EC and PC with LiPF6 dissolved. LiCoO2 particles as an active material and carbon particles for providing electron conductivity were added to the PAN preparation. The resulting mixture was applied in a thickness of 300 μm onto a 20 μm-thick aluminum foil or leaf (a collector member for a positive electrode) to produce a positive electrode.
- Each negative electrode having the thin film of the solid electrolyte, a separator (porous polymer film), and the positive electrode were stacked and then placed into a stainless steel container. An organic solution of an electrolyte containing 1 mole % LiPF6 as the electrolytic salt in a mixture solution EC and PC was added dropwise to the container. The stainless steel container was sealed under an argon gas atmosphere having a dew point of −60° C. or below to give a lithium secondary cell.
- The prepared cells were examined for the charge and discharge characteristics. In the examination, each cell was charged at a voltage of 4.2 V and maintained a capacity of 0.5 Ah (ampere-hour) until a constant discharge at 100 mA allowed the voltage to drop to 3.5 V. The energy density of each cell was in the range of 500 to 550 Wh (watt-hour)/l (liter). Each cell also remained stable after one hundred cycles of charge and discharge under the same conditions.
- In Examples 5 to 8 and 13 to 16, the thin lithium metal film and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be formed by the same method, or by different methods. In the latter case, an apparatus available for two or more kinds of thin film deposition methods may be used, and for example, the thin lithium metal film may be formed by vacuum evaporation and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte by sputtering.
- In Examples 5 to 8, the thin lithium metal film and the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte were formed in the same apparatus. Alternatively, first, the thin lithium metal film may only be formed, and then, the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte may be formed on the lithium film by a similar process in another apparatus. Specifically, the following process may be employed. The thin lithium metal film is formed on the base member by a process similar to that in the Examples, and the product may be placed into a closed container without being exposed to the air. By a process similar to that in the Examples, the base member having the thin lithium metal film is taken out from the closed container into another apparatus without being exposed to the air. The thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte is formed in the different apparatus. In a similar manner, the obtained negative electrode is placed into a closed container without being exposed to the air.
- Instead of the lithium metal, lithium alloys may be used. The additive elements that can constitute the lithium alloys may include In, Ti, Zn, Bi, and Sn. The lithium alloys may be deposited on the base material by a common vapor deposition method such as sputtering, vacuum evaporation, or laser ablation.
- As seen from the above, the negative electrode produced according to the present invention can offer the lithium secondary cell a high energy density, excellent charge and discharge cycle characteristics, and high stability.
- Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims.
Claims (48)
1. A method of independently producing an independent negative electrode by itself, wherein said negative electrode includes a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte and is suitable for use in a lithium secondary cell, wherein said method comprises the following steps in sequence:
a) providing a plurality of containers including at least one closed container containing a source material for said inorganic solid electrolyte and containing a negative electrode base material having a surface made of at least one of lithium metal and lithium alloys;
b) placing said at least one closed container into at least one inlet chamber space insulated from air;
c) opening said at least one closed container in said at least one inlet chamber space, and taking out said base material and said source material from said at least one container in said at least one inlet chamber space;
d) transferring said base material and said source material, without exposure to air, from said at least one inlet chamber space into a film forming apparatus that is adjacent and connected in an airtight manner to said at least one inlet chamber space;
e) in said apparatus, carrying out a film forming process using said source material to form said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte on said base material, to thereby make said independent negative electrode including said base material with said thin film formed thereon;
f) transferring said independent negative electrode, without exposure to air, from said film forming apparatus into an outlet chamber space that is insulated from air and is adjacent and connected in an airtight manner to said film forming apparatus;
g) in said outlet chamber space, without exposing said independent negative electrode to air, placing said independent negative electrode into a storage container selected from among said plurality of containers, and closing said storage container; and
h) removing said storage container, with said independent negative electrode closed therein, from said outlet chamber space into an environment of atmospheric air.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one inlet chamber space and said outlet chamber space is respectively substantially inactive to lithium.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said outlet chamber space is separate and distinct from said at least one inlet chamber space.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said outlet chamber space is the same chamber space as one of said at least one inlet chamber space.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said storage container is separate and distinct from said at least one closed container.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said storage container is the same container as one of said at least one closed container being reused as said storage container.
7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, after said step h), taking said independent negative electrode out of said storage container, and assembling said independent negative electrode with other components to make a lithium secondary cell.
8. The method according to claim 1 , before said step a) further comprising a preliminary step of making said negative electrode base material by forming a thin film of said at least one of lithium metal and lithium alloys to form said surface on a substrate material by a vapor deposition process.
9. The method according to claim 8 , comprising carrying out said vapor deposition process so as to form said thin film with a thickness of at most 20 μm on said substrate material.
10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, during said steps c) and d), filling said at least one inlet chamber space and said film forming apparatus with a gas selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton, a mixture gas of at least two of the foregoing gases, and dry air having a dew point of −50° C. or below.
11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, during said steps f) and g), filling said outlet chamber space and said film forming apparatus with a gas selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton, a mixture gas of at least two of the foregoing gases, and dry air having a dew point of −50° C. or below.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte has a composition containing: 30 to 65 atomic percent of lithium; sulfur; and at least one element selected from the group consisting of phosphorous, silicon, boron, germanium, and gallium.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said composition further contains at least one of oxygen and nitrogen.
14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte is amorphous.
15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte has an ionic conductance of at least 1×10−4 S/cm at 25° C.
16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said film forming process is a process selected from the group consisting of sputtering, vapor evaporation, laser ablation, and ion plating.
17. A method of independently producing an independent negative electrode by itself, wherein said negative electrode includes a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte and is suitable for use in a lithium secondary cell, wherein said method comprises the following steps in sequence:
a) providing a plurality of containers including at least one closed container containing a first source material of at least one of lithium metal and lithium alloys, and containing a second source material for use in forming said inorganic solid electrolyte;
b) placing said at least one closed container into at least one inlet chamber space insulated from air;
c) opening said at least one closed container in said at least one inlet chamber space, and taking out said first source material and said second source material from said at least one container in said at least one inlet chamber space;
d) transferring said first source material and said second source material, without exposure to air, from said at least one inlet chamber space into a film forming apparatus that is adjacent and connected in an airtight manner to said at least one inlet chamber space;
e) in said apparatus, carrying out a first film forming process using said first source material to form a base thin film of said first source material on a base material, and carrying out a second film forming process using said second source material to form said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte on said base thin film on said base material, to thereby make said independent negative electrode including said base material with said thin film formed thereon;
f) transferring said independent negative electrode, without exposure to air, from said film forming apparatus into an outlet chamber space that is insulated from air and is adjacent and connected in an airtight manner to said film forming apparatus;
g) in said outlet chamber space, without exposing said independent negative electrode to air, placing said independent negative electrode into a storage container selected from among said plurality of containers, and closing said storage container; and
h) removing said storage container, with said independent negative electrode closed therein, from said outlet chamber space into an environment of atmospheric air.
18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein said at least one inlet chamber space and said outlet chamber space is respectively substantially inactive to lithium.
19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein said outlet chamber space is separate and distinct from said at least one inlet chamber space.
20. The method according to claim 17 , wherein said outlet chamber space is the same chamber space as one of said at least one inlet chamber space.
21. The method according to claim 17 , wherein said storage container is separate and distinct from said at least one closed container.
22. The method according to claim 17 , wherein said storage container is the same container as one of said at least one closed container being reused as said storage container.
23. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising, after said step h), taking said independent negative electrode out of said storage container, and assembling said independent negative electrode with other components to make a lithium secondary cell.
24. The method according to claim 17 , wherein said first film forming process is a vapor deposition process.
25. The method according to claim 24 , comprising carrying out said vapor deposition process so as to form said base thin film with a thickness of at most 20 μm on said base material.
26. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising, during said steps c) and d), filling said at least one inlet chamber space and said film forming apparatus with a gas selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton, a mixture gas of at least two of the foregoing gases, and dry air having a dew point of −50° C. or below.
27. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising, during said steps f) and g), filling said outlet chamber space and said film forming apparatus with a gas selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton, a mixture gas of at least two of the foregoing gases, and dry air having a dew point of −50° C. or below.
28. The method according to claim 17 , wherein said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte has a composition containing: 30 to 65 atomic percent of lithium; sulfur; and at least one element selected from the group consisting of phosphorous, silicon, boron, germanium, and gallium.
29. The method according to claim 28 , wherein said composition further contains at least one of oxygen and nitrogen.
30. The method according to claim 28 , wherein said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte is amorphous.
31. The method according to claim 28 , wherein said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte has an ionic conductance of at least 1×10−4 S/cm at 25° C.
32. The method according to claim 28 , wherein said second film forming process is a process selected from the group consisting of sputtering, vapor evaporation, laser ablation, and ion plating.
33. A method of independently producing an independent negative electrode by itself, wherein said negative electrode includes a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte and is suitable for use in a lithium secondary cell, wherein said method comprises the following steps:
a) providing a first closed container containing a first source material selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys;
b) placing said first closed container into a first inlet chamber space insulated from air;
c) opening said first closed container in said first inlet chamber space, and taking out said first source material from said first closed container in said first inlet chamber space;
d) transferring said first source material, without exposure to air, from said first inlet chamber space into a first film forming apparatus that is adjacent and connected in an airtight manner to said first inlet chamber space;
e) in said first film forming apparatus, carrying out a first film forming process using said first source material to form a first thin film of said first source material on a base material provided in said first film forming apparatus, to make an intermediate component including said first thin film on said base material;
f) transferring said intermediate component, without exposure to air, from said first film forming apparatus into a first outlet chamber space that is insulated from air and is adjacent and connected in an airtight manner to said first film forming apparatus;
g) in said first outlet chamber space, without exposure to air, placing said intermediate component into a temporary storage container, and closing said temporary storage container;
h) providing a second closed container containing a second source material for use in forming said inorganic solid electrolyte;
i) placing said temporary storage container and said second closed container into a second inlet chamber space insulated from air;
j) opening said temporary storage container and said second closed container in said second inlet chamber space, and taking out said intermediate component and said second source material from said temporary storage container and said second container in said second inlet chamber space;
k) transferring said intermediate component and said second source material, without exposure to air, from said second inlet chamber space into a second film forming apparatus that is adjacent and connected in an airtight manner to said second inlet chamber space;
l) in said second film forming apparatus, carrying out a second film forming process using said second source material to form said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte on said intermediate component, to thereby make said independent negative electrode including said base material with said first thin film and said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte formed thereon;
m) transferring said independent negative electrode, without exposure to air, from said second film forming apparatus into a second outlet chamber space that is insulated from air and is adjacent and connected in an airtight manner to said second film forming apparatus;
n) in said second outlet chamber space, without exposing said independent negative electrode to air, placing said independent negative electrode into a storage container and closing said storage container; and
o) removing said storage container, with said independent negative electrode closed therein, from said second outlet chamber space into an environment of atmospheric air.
34. The method according to claim 33 , wherein all of said chamber spaces are substantially inactive to lithium.
35. The method according to claim 33 , wherein said first outlet chamber space is separate and distinct from said first inlet chamber space, and said second outlet chamber space is separate and distinct from said second inlet chamber space.
36. The method according to claim 33 , wherein said first outlet chamber space is the same chamber space as said first inlet chamber space, and said second outlet chamber space is the same chamber space as said second inlet chamber space.
37. The method according to claim 33 , wherein said storage container is separate and distinct from said temporary storage container.
38. The method according to claim 33 , wherein said storage container is the same container as said temporary storage container being reused as said storage container.
39. The method according to claim 33 , further comprising, after said step o), taking said independent negative electrode out of said storage container, and assembling said independent negative electrode with other components to make a lithium secondary cell.
40. The method according to claim 33 , wherein said first film forming process is a vapor deposition process.
41. The method according to claim 40 , comprising carrying out said vapor deposition process so as to form said first thin film with a thickness of at most 20 μm on said base material.
42. The method according to claim 33 , further comprising, during said steps c) and d) and during said steps j) and k), respectively filling said first and second inlet chamber spaces and said first and second film forming apparatuses with a gas selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton, a mixture gas of at least two of the foregoing gases, and dry air having a dew point of −50° C. or below.
43. The method according to claim 33 , further comprising, during said steps f) and g) and during said steps m) and n), respectively filling said first and second outlet chamber spaces and said first and second film forming apparatuses with a gas selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, neon, argon, krypton, a mixture gas of at least two of the foregoing gases, and dry air having a dew point of −50° C. or below.
44. The method according to claim 33 , wherein said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte has a composition containing: 30 to 65 atomic percent of lithium; sulfur; and at least one element selected from the group consisting of phosphorous, silicon, boron, germanium, and gallium.
45. The method according to claim 44 , wherein said composition further contains at least one of oxygen and nitrogen.
46. The method according to claim 44 , wherein said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte is amorphous.
47. The method according to claim 44 , wherein said thin film of said inorganic solid electrolyte has an ionic conductance of at least 1×10−4 S/cm at 25° C.
48. The method according to claim 44 , wherein said second film forming process is a process selected from the group consisting of sputtering, vapor evaporation, laser ablation, and ion plating.
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US10/725,860 US20040109940A1 (en) | 2000-07-19 | 2003-12-01 | Method of producing negative electrode for lithium secondary cell |
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US10/725,860 US20040109940A1 (en) | 2000-07-19 | 2003-12-01 | Method of producing negative electrode for lithium secondary cell |
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EP1174934A3 (en) | 2006-08-30 |
CA2350455A1 (en) | 2002-01-19 |
US20020036131A1 (en) | 2002-03-28 |
EP1174934B1 (en) | 2012-05-02 |
JP2002100346A (en) | 2002-04-05 |
KR20020017951A (en) | 2002-03-07 |
CN100337348C (en) | 2007-09-12 |
US6656233B2 (en) | 2003-12-02 |
CN1333575A (en) | 2002-01-30 |
KR100661039B1 (en) | 2006-12-26 |
EP1174934A2 (en) | 2002-01-23 |
CA2350455C (en) | 2010-04-13 |
JP3412616B2 (en) | 2003-06-03 |
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