Description:DESCRIPTION
Technical Field
[001] This disclosure relates generally to electrochemical cells, and more particularly to methods of manufacturing electrodes and electrochemical cells including the same.
BACKGROUND
[002] Typical methods of manufacturing an electrode of an electrochemical cell include depositing an electrode material onto a substrate (e.g., a metal sheet or foil). The substrate usually acts as a current collector of the electrochemical cell to transport electrical energy between the electrode and an external circuit. For large-scale production, multiple electrodes are usually deposited on a single substrate. The substrate is then meticulously cut into portions to get multiple electrodes. However, these manufacturing processes may not efficiently utilize materials such as the substrate and the electrode materials.
[003] There is a requirement for alternate methods of manufacturing electrodes for electrochemical cells that are efficient and cost-effective.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[004] In an embodiment, a method of manufacturing electrodes is disclosed. The method may include depositing an electrode material on a plurality of regions of a surface of a substrate to form a plurality of deposited regions. In an embodiment, the plurality of deposited regions may be parallel to each other. Further, in an embodiment, at least two of the plurality of deposited regions may be separated by an undeposited region of the substrate. The method may further include provisioning a predefined pattern along a length of the undeposited region. In an embodiment, the predefined pattern may be configured to split the undeposited region into two portions so as to form a plurality of electrodes. Each of the two portions has a plurality of sections. In an embodiment, a width of at least one section of the plurality of sections of each of the two portions may be about same as a width of the undeposited region. In an embodiment, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes may include a deposited region of the plurality of deposited regions and a portion of the two portions of the undeposited region.
[005] In another embodiment, a method of manufacturing an electrochemical cell is disclosed. The method may include forming a cathode and an anode. In an embodiment, each of the cathode and the anode may be independently formed by depositing an electrode material on a plurality of regions of a surface of a substrate to form a plurality of deposited regions. In an embodiment, the plurality of deposited regions may be parallel to each other. Further, in an embodiment, at least two of the plurality of deposited regions may be separated by an undeposited region of the substrate. In an embodiment, the electrode material may be a cathode material to form the cathode and the electrode material may be an anode material to form the anode. The method of forming each of the cathode and the anode may further include splitting the undeposited region along a predefined pattern into two portions so as to form at least two cathodes or at least two anodes. In an embodiment, each of the at least two cathodes or each of the at least two anodes may include a deposited region of the plurality of deposited regions and a portion of two split portions of the undeposited region. The predefined pattern may be along a length of the undeposited region. Each of the two portions has a plurality of sections. In an embodiment, a width of at least one section of the plurality of sections of each of the two split portions may be about same as a width of the undeposited regions. The method of manufacturing the electrochemical cell may further include forming a stack that may include the cathode and the anode such as the portion of the undeposited region of the cathode may be on an opposite side to the portion of the undeposited region of the anode. In an embodiment, the stack may include a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode. The method of manufacturing the electrochemical cell may further include disposing an electrolyte between the cathode and the anode.
[006] In another embodiment, an electrochemical cell is disclosed. The electrochemical cell may include a cathode and an anode separated by a separator. Further, an electrolyte may be disposed between the anode and the cathode. In an embodiment, each of the cathode and the anode may include an electrode material deposited on a surface of an electrically conducting substrate to form a deposited region. In an embodiment, the electrode material may be a cathode material for the cathode or an anode material for the anode. Further, each of the cathode and the anode may include an undeposited region of the electrically conducting substrate on one side of the deposited region. In an embodiment, the undeposited region may include a predefined pattern of variable height and may be configured to facilitate a collection of current from the electrode material.
[007] Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[008] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles.
[009] FIG. 1 illustrates a top-view of a substrate with an electrode material disposed on a surface of the substrate for manufacturing electrodes, in accordance with a prior art embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting a method of manufacturing electrodes, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 3A illustrates a top view of a substrate including at least two disposed regions separated by an undisposed region for manufacturing electrodes by provisioning a zigzag pattern or a triangular pattern, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 3B illustrates a top view of a substrate including at least two disposed regions separated by an undisposed region for manufacturing electrodes by provisioning a pulse-shaped pattern, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 3C illustrates a top view of a substrate including at least two disposed regions separated by an undisposed region for manufacturing electrodes by provisioning an s-shaped pattern, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 3D illustrates a top view of a substrate including at least two disposed regions separated by an undisposed region for manufacturing electrodes by provisioning a non-periodic pulse-shaped pattern, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 3E illustrates a top view of a substrate including at least two disposed regions separated by an undisposed region for manufacturing electrodes by provisioning a non-periodic and asymmetric pulse-shaped pattern, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 3F illustrates a top view of a substrate including at least two disposed regions separated by an undisposed region for manufacturing electrodes by provisioning a diagonal line pattern, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting a method of manufacturing an electrochemical cell, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 5A illustrates a cathode and an anode manufactured in accordance with the embodiments of FIG. 3A.
[0019] FIG. 5B illustrates a rolled stack formed from a stack including the cathode and the anode of FIG. 5A.
[0020] FIG. 6A illustrates a cathode and an anode manufactured in accordance with the embodiments of FIG. 3B.
[0021] FIG. 6B illustrates a rolled stack formed from a stack including the cathode and the anode of FIG. 6A.
[0022] FIG. 7A illustrates a cathode and an anode manufactured in accordance with the embodiments of FIG. 3C.
[0023] FIG. 7B illustrates a rolled stack formed from a stack including the cathode and the anode of FIG. 7A.
[0024] FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic of a cross-sectional view of an electrochemical cell, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] Exemplary embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherever convenient, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. While examples and features of disclosed principles are described herein, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments. It is intended that the following detailed description be considered exemplary only, with the true scope being indicated by the following claims. Additional illustrative embodiments are listed.
[0026] Further, the phrases “in some embodiments”, “in accordance with some embodiments”, “in the embodiments shown”, “in other embodiments”, and the like mean a particular feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure and may be included in more than one embodiment. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or different embodiments. It is intended that the following detailed description be considered exemplary only, with the true scope being indicated by the following claims.
[0027] As used herein, the term “electrochemical cell” refers to a device that generates electrical energy from chemical reactions. In an embodiment, the electrochemical cell may be a unit cell (referred to as “battery cell”) of a battery such as a rechargeable battery e.g., lithium-ion battery (LIB), sodium-ion battery (NIB), and the like. The electrochemical cell may use reversible reduction of ions (for example, Li ions in a lithium-ion battery cell or Na ions in a sodium-ion battery cell, respectively) to store energy. A rechargeable battery may include one or more electrochemical cells. A typical electrochemical cell may include an anode, a cathode, a separator, an electrolyte and current collectors. The term “battery” or “battery cell,” as used herein, implies a single electrochemical cell, unless specified otherwise.
[0028] Examples of lithium-ion batteries may include lithium-ion polymer batteries, lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes, anode-free lithium-ion batteries and lithium-ion solid-state batteries.
[0029] As used herein, the term “cathode” may refer to an electrode of an electrochemical cell at which reduction occurs and that supplies electrons during the charging of the electrochemical cell. As used herein, the term “anode” or “negative electrode” may refer to an electrode of the electrochemical cell at which oxidation occurs and that accepts electrons during the charging of the electrochemical cell. As used herein, the term “electrolyte” may refer to a material that allows ions, for example, Li ions, to migrate therethrough, but does not allow electrons to conduct therethrough. As used herein, “current collector” may refer to a bridging component that collects electrical current generated at the electrodes and connects with external circuits.
[0030] Assembling an electrochemical cell may require various manual interventions of forming electrodes and assembling the electrodes to form the cell and assembling the cell in a housing etc. One conventional methodology of manufacturing electrodes may involve the deposition of an electrode material on a substrate (e.g., a metallic sheet or foil) and cutting the substrate having the deposited electrode material in the required dimensions. For example, FIG. 1. illustrates a top-view 100 of a substrate 102 with an electrode material disposed on a surface of the substrate 102, in accordance with a prior art embodiment. As shown, the substrate 102 has length ‘l’ and a width ‘w’. The electrode material may be deposited on a plurality of regions to form a plurality of deposited regions 104A, 104B. Further, the plurality of deposited regions 104A, 104B are formed such that each of the deposited regions 104A, 104B may be separated by an undeposited region 106 of width ‘2d’ extending along the length ‘l’ of the substrate 102. The undeposited region 106 of the substrate 102 is cut along the length of the undeposited regions 106 to split the two deposited regions 104A and 104B. In one embodiment, the undeposited region 106 of the substrate 102 may be split along a line of separation 110 provisioned in the center of the undeposited region 106 as depicted by a broken line in FIG. 1. Accordingly, by splitting the substrate 102 along the line of separation 110, two electrodes 108A and 108B may be manufactured. As can be seen, each of the electrodes 108A and 108B includes an undeposited portion 106A, 106B of width ‘d’ and a deposited portion 104A, 104B respectively. It should be noted that the undeposited portions 106A, 106B of the substrate 102 may act as current collectors of the respective electrodes 108A and 108B.
[0031] The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing electrodes, which provides economic advantages by efficiently utilizing the materials such as a substrate. The method of manufacturing electrodes is described in greater detail with the help of FIG. 2 and FIGs. 3A-3F.
[0032] FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart of a method 200 of manufacturing electrodes, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 200 may be described in conjunction with the embodiments of FIGs. 3A-3F.
[0033] FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, FIG. 3C, FIG. 3D, FIG. 3E, and FIG. 3F, each illustrates a surface 302A and an opposite surface 302B of a substrate 302 with an electrode material deposited on the surface 302A of the substrate 302 for manufacturing electrodes, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0034] The substrate 302 may be selected to act as a current collector of an electrode (i.e., an anode or a cathode) of an electrochemical cell. In an embodiment, the substrate 302 may be a planar substrate made of an electrically conducting material and referred to as an electrically conducting substrate. The substrate 302 may be in the form of a sheet or foil. In an embodiment, the substrate 302 may be a metallic sheet or foil of a suitable thickness for example, between 5 microns and 20 microns.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3A-3F, at step 202, the method 200 may include depositing an electrode material on a plurality of regions of the surface 302A of the substrate 302 to form a plurality of deposited regions 304A-304D (collectively referred to as a plurality of deposited regions 304 and individually referred to as a deposited region 304A, 304B, 304C, or 304D). The electrode material may be deposited on the plurality of regions to form the plurality of deposited regions 304 along a length ‘l’ of the surface 302A of the substrate 302. In an embodiment, the plurality of regions and hence the plurality of deposited regions 304 may be even in number. Each deposited region 304 may have a width and extend along a length ‘l’ of the substrate 302. In an embodiment, the plurality of deposited regions 304 may be parallel to each other. The width of the deposited regions 302 may be the same or different depending on the size of the required electrodes. In an embodiment, the width of the deposited regions 304 is the same.
[0036] Prior to depositing the electrode material and forming the plurality of deposited regions 304, the surface 302A of the substrate 302 may be treated. The treatment may include subjecting the surface 302A of the substrate 302 to at least one selected from a plasma treatment, laser treatment, wet chemical treatment, ion beam treatment, electron beam treatment, or thermal etching treatment.
[0037] In an embodiment, at least two of the plurality of deposited regions 304 may be separated by an undeposited region 306-1, 306-2 (collectively referred to as undeposited regions 306 and individually referred to as an undeposited region 306-1, or 306-2) of the substrate 302. In some embodiments, the substrate 302 may include two deposited regions separated by an undeposited region. In some embodiments as shown in FIGS. 3A-3F, the substrate 302 has four deposited regions304. In such embodiments, the deposited regions 304A and 304B of a set of two deposited regions 304 are separated by an undeposited region 306-1 and the deposited regions 304C and 304D of another set are separated by the undeposited region 306-2. Each of the undeposited regions 306-1 and 306-2 extends along the length ‘l’ of the substrate 302 and has a width ‘d’ along the length ‘l.’
[0038] Further, at least two deposited regions 304 may be adjacent to each other and may have a negligible undeposited region or no undeposited region between them along the length ‘l’ of the substrate 302. As shown in FIGS. 3A-3F, the substrate 302 has four deposited regions 304A-304D. The set of two deposited regions 304A and 304B are separated by the undeposited region 306-1 and the other set of two deposited regions 304C and 304D are separated by the undeposited region 306-2. Further, two deposited regions 304B and 304C of different sets are adjacent to each other and may have a negligible or no undeposited region between them.
[0039] To form the plurality of deposited regions 304, the electrode material may be deposited in the form of a slurry on the surface 302A. The slurry of desired viscosity is formed with minimal solvent. The slurry may be deposited on the surface 302A by means of spray coating, spin coating, dip coating, or similar methods to form a coating on each of the plurality of regions of the surface 302A. Each coating may have a thickness in a range of 10 microns to 600 microns. The coatings may be dried and then calendared to form the plurality of deposited regions 304.
[0040] In an embodiment, the number of deposited regions 304 may not be limited by the illustration. In an embodiment, the number of deposited regions 304 to be provided on the substrate 302 may depend, in part, on the required width of the deposited regions 304 and the width of the substrate 302 as per design choice. It should be noted that width ‘d’ of each of the undeposited regions 306 may be less than the width of a single deposited region 304 based on the design requirements.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 2, at step 204, the method 200 may include provisioning a predefined pattern 309, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318 along the length ‘l’ of each of the undeposited regions 306. Accordingly, the predefined pattern provisioned along each of the undeposited regions 306 may define a line of separation. In an embodiment, the provisioning of the pattern may be performed using one or more methodologies such as, but are not limited to, etching, cutting, perforating, etc. The predefined pattern may be of various types and shapes such as a zigzag pattern, a triangular pattern, a pulse-shaped pattern, an s-shaped pattern, a non-periodic pattern, a non-periodic and asymmetric pattern, a diagonal line pattern. Accordingly, the substrate 302 may be provisioned with a line of separation as per the predefined pattern based on various embodiments depicted in FIGs. 3A-3F. According to one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, the substrate 302 may be provisioned with a zigzag pattern or a triangular pattern 309. According to another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3B, the substrate 302 may be provisioned with a pulse-shaped pattern 310. According to another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3C, the substrate 302 may be provisioned with an s-shaped pattern 312. Further, according to another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3D, the substrate 302 may be provisioned with a non-periodic pattern such as non-periodic pulse-shaped pattern 314. Further, according to yet another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3E, the substrate 302 may be provisioned with a non-periodic and asymmetric pattern such as non-periodic pulse-shaped pattern 316 of varying pulse height. According to another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3F, the substrate 302 may be provisioned with a diagonal line pattern 318.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 2, at step 206, the method 200 may include splitting the undeposited region along the predefined pattern so as to form a plurality of electrodes 308A-D (collectively referred to as plurality of electrodes 308 and individually referred to as electrode 308A, 308B, 308C, or 308D). In embodiments where the substrate 302 may include two deposited regions, the method 200 may include splitting the undeposited region (e.g., 306-1) along the predefined pattern (e.g., 309) to form two electrodes, each including a deposited region (e.g., 304A, 304B) and a portion of the undeposited region (e.g., 306-1). In embodiments where the substrate 302 may include adjacent deposited regions (e.g., 304B, 304C), the method 200 may additionally include splitting the substrate 302 along an additional line of separation 311 to form a plurality of electrodes 308, each including a deposited region (304A, 304B, 304C, 304D) and a portion of the undeposited region (e.g., 306-1, 306-2).
[0043] Referring to FIGS. 3A-3F and FIG. 2, at step 206, the method 200 may include splitting each of the undeposited regions 306 along the predefined pattern (e.g., 309 of FIG. 3A). Additionally, in some embodiments, the method 200 may further include splitting the substrate 302 along the additional line of separation 311. Referring to FIGS. 3A-3F, upon splitting the undeposited regions (e.g., 306-1, 306-2) and the two adjacent deposited regions (e.g., 304B, 304C), a plurality of electrodes 308 is formed. It is to be noted that, the predefined pattern 309, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318 may be used to split each of the undeposited regions 306 into a plurality of split portions 307A-307D (collectively referred to as plurality of split portions 307 and individually referred to as split portion 307A, 307B, 307C, or 307D) so as to form the plurality of electrodes 308. Each of the plurality of split portions 307 may have a plurality of sections 319-1a, 319-1b … 319-1n1, 319-2a, 319-2b … 319-2m1, 320-1a, 320-1b … 320-1n2, 320-2a, 320-2b … 320-2m2, 321-1a, 321-1b … 321-1n3, 321-2a, 321-2b … 321-2m3, 322-1a, 322-1b … 322-1n4, 322-2a, 322-2b … 322-2m4, 323-1a, 323-1b … 323-1n5, 323-2a, 323-2b … 323-2m5, 324-1, 324-2 (collectively referred to as plurality of sections 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324 and individually referred to as section 319-1a, 319-1b … 319-1n1, 319-2a, 319-2b … 319-2m1, 320-1a, 320-1b … 320-1n2, 320-2a, 320-2b … 320-2m2, 321-1a, 321-1b … 321-1n3, 321-2a, 321-2b … 321-2m3, 322-1a, 322-1b … 322-1n4, 322-2a, 322-2b … 322-2m4, 323-1a, 323-1b … 323-1n5, 323-2a, 323-2b … 323-2m5, 324-1, 324-2) Further, at least a section of each of the plurality of sections 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324 is of width ‘d’, which is same as the width ‘d’ of the undeposited region 306. In an embodiment, each of the plurality of electrodes 308 may include a deposited region (e.g., 304A) and a split portion (e.g., 307A) of the undeposited region 306. Further, in some embodiments, the undeposited regions 306 may be a portion of the substrate 302 that may be electrically conducting. Thus, in such embodiments, each of the plurality of split portions 307 may act as the correct collector and facilitate the collection of current from the respective electrodes of an electrochemical cell.
[0044] In some embodiments, the coatings of the plurality of regions 304 may be calendared after splitting the undeposited regions 306 along the predefined pattern (e.g., 309 of FIG. 3A) and splitting the substrate 302 along the additional line of separation 311 to form the plurality of electrodes 308.
[0045] The plurality of electrodes 308 manufactured may be anodes in case an anode material is deposited on the plurality of deposited regions 304. Further, the plurality of electrodes 308 may be cathodes in case a cathode material is deposited on the plurality of deposited regions 304.
[0046] In FIG. 3A, the predefined pattern is provisioned as a zigzag pattern or a triangular pattern 309 that may include periodic repetition or non-periodic repetition of symmetric or asymmetric triangular sections 319 such that at least one or some of the triangular sections 319-1a, 319-1b … 319-1n1, 319-2a, 319-2b … 319-2m1 have a height (also, referred to as width of each triangular section) that may be equal to width ‘d’ of the undeposited regions 306 as shown in FIG. 3A. In an embodiment, the zigzag pattern or triangular pattern 309 may include, but is not limited to, a periodic repetition of symmetrical triangular sections, non-periodic repetition of symmetrical triangular sections, periodic repetitions of asymmetrical triangular sections, or non-periodic repetition of asymmetrical triangular sections. Thus, it is to be noted that the zigzag pattern or triangular pattern 309 may include a plurality of triangular sections 319. Further, at least one or some of the triangular sections 319-1a, 319-1b … 319-1n1, 319-2a, 319-2b … 319-2m1 may have a height equal to ‘d’ that is equal to the width ‘d’ of the undeposited region 306-1 or 306-2. Further, it should be noted that, in case of the periodic and symmetrical zigzag pattern 309, each of the plurality of split portions 307 may be symmetrical to each other.
[0047] In an embodiment, based on splitting of the undeposited regions 306 of the substrate 302 along the triangular or the zigzag pattern 309, at least two electrodes 308 may be formed. Further, each of the electrodes 308 may include one deposited region 304A, 304B, 304C, or 304D and one split portion 307A, 307B, 307C, or 307D of the undeposited region 3061 or 306-2, respectively.
[0048] Referring back to FIG. 3B, the predefined pattern is provisioned as a pulse-shaped pattern 310 that may include a periodic symmetrical repetitions of a plurality of rectangular or square shaped sections 320. Accordingly, each of the plurality of rectangular or square shaped sections 320-1a, 320-1b … 320-1n2, 320-2a, 320-2b … 320-2m2 of the pulse-shaped pattern 310 may have a height (also referred to as a width of each pulse section) equal to ‘d’ that is equal to the width ‘d’ of the undeposited region 306. For example, the predefined pulse-shaped pattern 310 may be a square-wave pattern may include square shaped sections 320 of width/height equal to width ‘d’ of the undeposited regions 306. The predefined pulse-shaped pattern 310 may be used to split each of the undeposited regions 306 respectively into a plurality of split portions 307. In an embodiment, each of the plurality of pulse sections 320 of the split portions 307 may have width equal to “d”. Accordingly, based on splitting of the substrate 302 along the predefined pulse-shaped pattern 310, at least two electrodes 308 may be formed. Further, each of the electrodes 308 may include one deposited region 304A, 304B, 304C, or 304D and one split portion 307A, 307B, 307C, or 307D, respectively. Further, it should be noted that each of the plurality of split portions 307 may be symmetrical to each other since the pulse shaped pattern has period and symmetrical pulse shaped sections 320. As stated above with respect to the zigzag/triangular pattern 309 and as will be described in detail below in conjunction to FIGs 3D and 3E, in some embodiments, the pulse shaped patterns 310 may have pulse shaped sections 320 that may be non-periodic and/or asymmetric.
[0049] Referring now to FIG. 3C, the predefined pattern is provisioned as an s-shaped pattern 312 that may include a periodic symmetrical sine-wave pattern including sections 321 of crests and troughs, each having an amplitude equal to ‘d’ that is equal to width ‘d’ along the undeposited regions 306-1 or 306-2. At least two electrodes 308 may be formed by splitting the undeposited regions 306 along the s-shaped pattern 312. Accordingly, each of the undeposited regions 306 may be split into split portions 307, each having sections 321 of amplitude ‘d’ (also referred to as height or width of the sections 321). Each of the electrodes 308 may include a deposited region 304A, 304B, 304C, or 304D and a split portion 307A, 307B, 307C, or 307D, respectively. Further, it should be noted that each of the plurality of split portions 307 may be symmetrical to each other since the s-shaped pattern has periodic and symmetrical sections 321 of crests and troughs. Further, it should be noted that, in some embodiments, the s-shaped pattern 312 may be, but not limited to, non-periodic and/or asymmetrical sections 321 of crests and troughs.
[0050] Referring now to FIG. 3D, the predefined pattern is provisioned as a non-periodic and asymmetric pulse-shaped pattern 314 that may include non-periodic repetitions of asymmetric pulse-shaped sections 322 along the length ‘l’ of the undeposited regions 306-1 and 306-2. It should be noted that each of the non-periodic repetitions of the asymmetric pulse-shaped sections 322 in the non-periodic and asymmetric pulse-shaped pattern 314 may have height (also referred to as width of each pulse sections) equal to width ‘d’ of the undeposited regions 306. The non-periodic and asymmetric pulse-shaped pattern 314 may be used to split each of the undeposited regions 306-1 and 306-2 into split portions 307A, 307B and 307C and 307D, respectively. In accordance with the present embodiment, each of the split portions 307A-307D may be asymmetrical to each other having a width equal to ‘d’.
[0051] Referring now to FIG. 3E, the predefined pattern is provisioned as a non-periodic and asymmetric pulse-shaped pattern 316 that may include non-periodic repetitions of asymmetrical pulse-shaped sections 323 along the length of the undeposited regions 306. It should be noted that each of non-periodic repetitions of the asymmetrical pulse-shaped sections 323 in the non-periodic and asymmetric pulse-shaped pattern 316 may variable height (also referred to as width of each pulse sections 323) that may be less than or equal to width ‘d’ of the undeposited regions 306. For example, as shown in FIG. 3E, the height of asymmetric sections 323 of the non-periodic and asymmetric pulse-shaped pattern 316 are depicted as ‘d1’ and ‘d2’ that may be less than or equal to width ‘d’ of the undeposited regions 306. However, it should be noted that the height of at least one of the sections 323-1a, 323-1b … 323-1n5, 323-2a, 323-2b … 323-2m5 of the non-periodic and asymmetric pulse-shaped pattern 316 may be equal to width ‘d’ of the undeposited regions 306. The non-periodic and asymmetric pulse-shaped patterns 316 may be used to split each of the undeposited regions 306 respectively into split portions 307A, 307B and 307C and 307D respectively. In accordance with the present embodiment, each of the split portions 307A-307D may be asymmetrical to each other with each other and may have a variable width less than or equal to ‘d’.
[0052] Referring now to FIG. 3F, the predefined pattern is provisioned as a diagonal line pattern 318 that may split each of the undeposited regions 306 into split diagonal portions 307A, 307B, 307C, and 307D, respectively. Accordingly, the diagonal line pattern 318 may include a single section 324-1 or 324-2. It should be noted that each of the split diagonal portions 307A, 307B, 307C, and 307D may have a section 324-1 or 324-2 of variable height (also referred to as width of the section 324-1 or 324-2) with a maximum height equal to width ‘d’ of the undeposited regions 306. Accordingly, based on splitting of the substrate 302 along the diagonal line pattern 318, at least two electrodes 308 may be formed each of which may include a deposited region (e.g., 304A) and a split portion (e.g., 307A) of the undeposited region (e.g., 306-1) respectively. In accordance with the present embodiment, the split diagonal portions 307A, 307B and 307C, 307D may be diagonally symmetrical to each other having a variable width less than equal to ‘d’.
[0053] In an embodiment, the predefined pattern should not be limited to patterns as shown in FIGs. 3A-3F. In an embodiment, the predefined pattern may include, but is not limited to, the zig-zag pattern 309, the s-shaped pattern 312, the saw-tooth pattern, the pulse-shaped patterns 310, 314, 316, the triangle pattern 309, or a combination thereof. As per the embodiments described in FIGs. 3A-3F, each of the electrodes 308A-308D formed may include one of the split portions 307 of the undeposited regions of width ‘d’ without requiring leaving an undeposited region of width ‘2d’, which is required in conventional methods as shown in FIG. 1. In contrast to FIG. 1, splitting the undeposited region of width ‘d’ along the predefined pattern enables to achieve split portions having sections of width ‘d’, which act as current collectors. This way, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide ways to reduce the width of the undeposited region (that is used to form current collectors) by half as compared to conventional methods. Accordingly, a higher number of deposited regions can be accommodated on the substrate 302 for manufacturing a higher number of electrodes or a substrate of lesser width than that of a conventionally used substrate may be used in manufacturing electrodes. This way, the embodiments of the present disclosure efficiently use the substrate for manufacturing the electrodes and provide cost-effective method for manufacturing the electrodes.
[0054] As will be appreciated, the electrode material may also be deposited on the opposite surface 302B of the substrate 302 (not shown) having an identical pattern of the deposited regions 304 and undeposited regions 306 as described for the surface 302A of the substrate 302 as shown in FIGs. 3A-3F.
[0055] Referring now to FIG. 4, a flowchart depicting a method 400 of manufacturing an electrochemical cell is illustrated, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. It is to be noted that the method 400 of FIG. 4 may be described in conjunction with the embodiments of FIG. 2, FIGs. 3A-3F described before. Further, the method 400 may be described in conjunction with the embodiments of FIG. 5, FIGs. 6A-6B, FIGs. 7A-7B and FIGs.8A-8B described in detail below.
[0056] At step 402, the method 400 may include forming a plurality of electrodes, analogous to electrodes 308 of FIGs. 3A-3E to act as anodes or cathodes. It is to be noted, that the electrodes 308 may be formed based on the sub-steps 404-408 (analogous to the steps 202-206 of FIG. 2). At sub-step 404, the method 400 may include depositing a respective electrode material on a plurality of regions along the length ‘l’ of substrate 302 to from a plurality of deposited regions 304 on each of the two surfaces 302A and 302B of the substrate 302. In an embodiment, each of the plurality of deposited regions 304 may be parallel to each other. Further, in an embodiment, at least two of the plurality of deposited regions 304 may be separated by an undeposited region 306 of the substrate 302. Further, at sub-step 406, a predefined pattern, analogous to patterns 309, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318 as shown in FIG. 3A-3F, may be provisioned along a length ‘l’ of each of the undeposited regions 306. The predefined pattern may be configured to split the undeposited region 306 into a plurality of split portions 307 so as to form the plurality of electrodes 308. As will be appreciated, the electrodes 308 may be cathodes or anodes based on a type of electrode material (i.e., anode material or cathode material) that is deposited on the substrate 302. Further, as will be appreciated, the substrate 302 itself may be selected based on the electrode 308 that is to be formed.
[0057] Further, at sub-step 408, the method 400 may include splitting each of the undeposited regions 306 along the predefined pattern. The method 400 may also include splitting the two adjacent deposited regions (e.g., 304b, 304C) to form the plurality of electrodes 308. Each of the plurality of electrodes 308 may include one of the deposited regions 304 and one of the split portions 307 of the undeposited regions 306.
[0058] As stated above, the electrodes 308 may be anodes in case an anode material is deposited on the substrate 302. Similarly, the electrodes 308 may be cathodes in case a cathode material is deposited on substrate 302.
[0059] At step 410, the method 400 may include forming a stack including an anode and a cathode. It should be noted that, while forming the stack, the split portion (e.g., 307A) of the undeposited region (e.g., 306-1) of the cathode may be placed opposite to the split portion (e.g., 307A) of the undeposited region (e.g., 306-1) of the anode. It should be noted that the split portion (e.g., 307A) corresponding to the anode may act as an anode current collector (also referred to as ‘a first current collector), while the split portion (e.g., 307A) corresponding to the cathode may act as a cathode current collector (also referred to as ‘a second current collector). Further, the stack may be formed by disposing a separator between the anode and cathode. In an embodiment, the separator is in form of a sheet of an insulating material.
[0060] At step 412, the method 400 may include rolling the stack including the anode and the cathode, along with the separator disposed in between, along a length of the split portions 307 of the undeposited region 306 to form a rolled stack. In some embodiments, the stack may further include an additional separator disposed on a surface of the cathode or a surface of the anode to avoid a short circuit.
[0061] At step 414, the rolled stack may be enclosed in a housing (not shown) that may include a first terminal and a second terminal. Further, an electrolyte may be disposed between the anode and the cathode to fill the space in between the anode and the cathode.
[0062] Further, at step 416, a first connection may be formed between the first current collector of the anode and the first terminal of the housing. Further, a second connection may be formed between the second current collector of the cathode and the second terminal of the housing.
[0063] Referring now to FIG. 5A, a pair of an anode 502 and a cathode 504 is illustrated. As will be appreciated, the anode 502 and the cathode 504 may be manufactured as per the embodiments of FIG. 3A of the present disclosure. The anode 502 and the cathode 504 as shown in FIG. 5A may be formed by the method 200 as described above with the help of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3A. In FIG. 3A, the undeposited region of the substrate 302 may be split along the zigzag shaped pattern 309. Accordingly, the anode 502 and the cathode 504 as shown in FIG. 5A, each includes a split portion 507A, 507B (analogous to 307A or 307B of FIG. 3A) of the undeposited region (e.g., the undeposited region 306-1 of FIG. 3A) having a zigzag shaped edge 506A, 506B. The anode 502 and the cathode 504 may be stacked to form a stack such that the split portion 507A of the undeposited region (e.g., 306-1) of the anode 502 may be placed opposite to the split portion 507B of the undeposited region (e.g., 306-1) of the cathode 504. In some embodiments, the stack may further include a separator (not shown in FIG. 5A) disposed between the anode 502 and the cathode 504 and another separator disposed on a surface of the cathode 504 or the anode 502.
[0064] Referring now to FIG. 5B, a rolled stack 500B is illustrated. The rolled stack 500B is formed by rolling the stack formed by the anode 502 and the cathode 504 of FIG. 5A. The rolled stack 500B depicts the split portion 507A of the anode 502 and the split portion 507B ) of the cathode 504 on opposite sides with respect to each other and having zigzag shaped edges 506A and 506B, respectively. Accordingly, the split portion 507A of the anode 502 may act as the first current collector and the split portion 507B of the cathode 504 may act as the second current collector.
[0065] Referring now to FIG. 6A, a pair of an anode 602 and a cathode 604 is illustrated. As will be appreciated, the anode 602 and the cathode 604 may be manufactured as per the embodiments of FIG. 3B of the present disclosure. The anode 502 and the cathode 504 as shown in FIG. 6A may be formed by the method 200 as described above with the help of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3B. In FIG. 3B, the undeposited region of the substrate 302 may be split along the pulse-shaped pattern 310. Accordingly, the anode 602 and the cathode 604 as shown in FIG. 6A, each includes a split portion 607A, 607B (analogous to 307A or 307B of FIG. 3B) having a pulse-shaped edge 606A, 606B. As stated above, the anode 602 and the cathode 604 may be stacked to form a stack such that the split portion 607A of the anode 602 may be placed opposite to the split portion 607B of the cathode 604.
[0066] Referring now to FIG. 6B, a rolled stack 600B is illustrated. As discussed above, the rolled stack 600B may be formed by rolling the stack formed by the anode 602 and the cathode 604 of FIG. 6A. The rolled stack 600B depicts the split portion 607A of the anode 602 and the split portion 607A of the cathode 604 on opposite sides with respect to each other and having pulse shaped edges 606A and 606B. Accordingly, the split portion 607A of the anode 602 may act as the first current collector and the split portion 607B of the cathode 604 may act as the second current collector.
[0067] Referring now to FIG. 7A, a pair of an anode 702 and a cathode 704 is illustrated. As will be appreciated, the anode 702 and the cathode 704 may be manufactured as per the embodiments of FIG. 3C of the present disclosure. The anode 702 and the cathode 704 as shown in FIG. 7A may be formed by the method 200 as described above with the help of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3C. In FIG. 3C, the undeposited region of the substrate 302 may be split along the s-shaped pattern 312. Accordingly, the anode 702 and the cathode 704 as shown in FIG. 7A, each includes a split portion 707A, 707B (analogous to 307A or 307B of FIG. 3C) having an s-shaped edge 706A, 706B. As stated above, the anode 702 and the cathode 704 may be stacked to form a stack such that the split portion 707A of the anode 702 may be placed opposite to the split portion 707B of the cathode 704.
[0068] Referring now to FIG. 7B, a rolled stack 700B is illustrated. As discussed above, the rolled stack 700B may be formed by rolling the stack formed by the anode 702 and the cathode 704 of FIG. 7A. The rolled stack 700B depicts the split portion 707A of the anode 702 and the split portion 707B of the cathode 704 on opposite sides with respect to each other and having s-shaped edges 706A and 706B. Accordingly, the split portion 707A of the anode 702 may act as the first current collector and the split portion 707B of the cathode 704 may act as the second current collector.
[0069] Accordingly, each of the rolled stacks (500B, 600B, and 700B) as shown in FIGs. 5B, 6B and 7B, may be housed in a housing (not shown) comprising a first terminal and a second terminal. Subsequently, a first electrical connection may be formed between the first terminal and the first current collector and a second electrical connection may be formed between the second terminal and the second current collector. It should be noted that an electrolyte may then be disposed within the housing so as to form an electrochemical cell.
[0070] Referring now to FIG. 8, a schematic of a cross-sectional view of an electrochemical cell 800, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, is illustrated. The electrochemical cell 800 may be manufactured based on the method 400 of FIG 4. The electrochemical cell 800 may include an anode 802 and a cathode 804 as electrodes that may be manufactured using the sub-steps 404-408 of flowchart 400 of FIG. 4.
[0071] In FIG. 8, the electrochemical cell 800 includes the anode 802, the cathode 804, and a separator 808 disposed between the anode 802 and the cathode 804. The electrochemical cell 800 further includes an electrolyte 806 disposed between the anode 802 and the cathode 804. The electrochemical cell 800 may further include a housing (not shown in Figures) to enclose a stack (for example the rolled stack of FIG. 5B, 6B and 7B) and the electrolyte 806.
[0072] The electrochemical cell 800 may be of any battery chemistry. Based on the battery chemistry, the electrochemical cell 800 may include, but is not limited to, a lithium-ion battery cell, and a sodium-ion battery cell. It is to be noted that the size and shape of the electrochemical cell 800 may vary based on a specific application for which the electrochemical cell 800 may be designed.
[0073] The anode 802 and the cathode 804 may be formed by the method 200 as described in the embodiments above for FIGS. 2, 3A-3F. The anode 802 may be formed by depositing an anode material 805a on a first substrate 810. As illustrated, the anode material 805a may be deposited on both the opposite surfaces of the first substrate 810. The anode 802 may include a deposited region 801 (where the anode material is deposited) and an undeposited region 803 of the first substrate 810. The undeposited region 803 of the first substrate 810 may be on one of the sides of the deposited region 801 and may form a first current collector for the anode 802. It should be noted that the undeposited region 803 has an edge of a predefined pattern (analogous to 309, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318 of FIGs. 3A-3F). The edge of the undeposited region 803 is defined by a plurality of sections (for example, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, and 324 of FIGS. 3A-3F) of variable height as described in the embodiments above. It should be noted that the height of at least one section of the plurality of sections is about same as a width of the undeposited region 803. Similarly, the cathode 804 may be formed by depositing a cathode material 805b on a second substrate 812, as described in the embodiments above for FIGS. 2, 3A-3F, and FIG. 4. As illustrated, the cathode material 805b may be deposited on both the opposite surfaces of the second substrate 812. The cathode 804 may include a deposited region 807 and an undeposited region 809 of the second substrate 812. The undeposited region 809 of the second substrate 812 may be on one of the sides of the deposited region 807 and may form a second current collector for the cathode 804. Again, it should be noted that the undeposited region 809 has an edge of a predefined pattern (analogous to 309, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318 of FIGS. 3A-3F). The edge is defined by a plurality of sections (for example, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, and 324 of FIGS. 3A-3F) of variable height as described in the embodiments above. It should be noted that the height of at least one section of the plurality of sections is about same as a width of the undeposited region 809. In an embodiment, the anode 802 and the cathode 804 are placed such as the undeposited region 803 of the anode 802 is opposite to the undeposited region 809 of the cathode 804. The separator 808 may be a layer or sheet of an insulating material provided between the anode 802 and the cathode 804 to prevent a short circuit of the anode 802 and the cathode 804.
[0074] The first substrate 810 that forms the first current collector and the second substrate 812 that forms the second current collector may include an electrically conducting material such as, but are not limited to, a metal, an alloy of the metal, or a carbon-based material. Examples of the metal that may be used for the first substrate 810 and the second substrate 812 may include, but are not limited to, aluminum, nickel, titanium, stainless steel, or copper. The first current collector 810 and the second current collector 812 can be in the form of foil, mesh, or foam.
[0075] The anode material 805A and the cathode material 805 may depend on the battery chemistry. In some embodiments, the anode material 805A may include graphite, Silicon Carbide (SiC) nanocomposites, lithium titanium oxides (LTO), Tin (Sn) particulates, Silicon (Si) particulates, Sodium manganese-based oxides (NMO) or any combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the cathode material 805B may include lithium metal oxides such as LMO (lithium manganese oxide), Li-NCA (lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide), Li-NMCO (lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide), LCO (lithium cobalt oxide), LNO (lithium nickel oxide), LNMO (lithium nickel manganese oxide), LNCM (lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide), similar such lithium-based metal oxides, or any combinations thereof.
[0076] Further, the electrolyte 806 may be disposed between the anode 802 and the cathode 804. The electrolyte 806 may facilitate the migration of ions between the anode 802 and the cathode 804. The electrolyte 806 may be a solid electrolyte or a liquid electrolyte. In an embodiment, the electrolyte 806 may be an organic liquid containing chemical additives. In an embodiment, the electrolyte 806 may include lithium salts such as, but are not limited to, LiPF6, LiAsF6, LiBOB, LiClO4, LiBF4, and the like. In the case of sodium-ion battery, the electrolyte 806 may be selected as, but is not limited to, potassium hydroxide in aqueous solution, sodium salt, etc.
[0077] The anode 802 and the cathode 804 may be in ionic communication through the separator 808. As used herein, the phrase “ionic communication” refers to the traversal of the ions between the anode 802 and the cathode 804 through the separator 808. The separator 808 may be ionically conducting while electrically insulating. In some embodiments, the separator 808 may be capable of transporting ions between the anode 802 and the cathode 804. Suitable materials for the separator 808 may include, but are not limited to, beta’-alumina, beta"-alumina, beta'-gallate, zeolite, lithium superionic conductor compounds, a polymer membrane, or combination thereof.
[0078] While ions are exchanged between the anode 802 and the cathode 804 via the electrolyte 806, the free electrons may be exchanged via an external circuit between the first current collector 803 and the second current collector 809. Thus, the movement of the generated free electrons may generate an electric current that may flow through an external circuit (if connected). In an embodiment, a plurality of electrochemical cells 800 may be stacked together and connected in series and/or parallel in order to increase the voltage output and power density as required.
[0079] Although, the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in context to a cylindrical form of an electrochemical cell for explanatory and exemplary purposes, the disclosure is not limited to such examples. Other forms for the electrochemical cells may include a prismatic battery form, a pouch battery form, a cylindrical/circular battery form, a z-stacking form or any other shape that may consistently implement the arrangement of an anode, a cathode, a separator and an electrolyte.
[0080] It is intended that the disclosure and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of disclosed embodiments being indicated by the following claims.
, Claims:I/We Claim:
1. A method (200) of manufacturing a plurality of electrodes (308), the method (200) comprising:
depositing (202) an electrode material on a plurality of regions of a surface of a substrate (302) to form a plurality of deposited regions (304), wherein the plurality of deposited regions (304) are parallel to each other, and wherein at least two of the plurality of deposited regions (304) are separated by an undeposited region (306) of the substrate (302); and
provisioning (204) a predefined pattern along a length of the undeposited region (306), wherein the predefined pattern (309, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is configured to split the undeposited region (306) into two split portions so as to form two electrodes of the plurality of electrodes (308), wherein a width of at least one section of a plurality of sections of each of the two split portions is about same as a width of the undeposited region (306), and wherein each electrode of the plurality of electrodes comprises a deposited region of the plurality of deposited regions (304) and a split portion of the two split portions of the undeposited region (306).

2. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predefined pattern (309, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) comprises one of a zig-zag pattern (309), an s-shaped pattern (312), a saw-tooth pattern, a pulse-shaped pattern (310, 314, 316), a triangle pattern (309), or a combination thereof.

3. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predefined pattern (309, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is a periodic pattern of the plurality of sections.

4. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate (302) is an electrically conducting substrate, and wherein each of the two split portions is configured to facilitate a collection of current from a respective electrode of the electrochemical cell.

5. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two of the plurality of deposited regions are adjacent to each other.

6. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1, comprising splitting (206) the undeposited region (306) along the predefined pattern so as to form two electrodes of the plurality of electrodes (308).

7. A method (400) of manufacturing an electrochemical cell (800), the method (400) comprising:
forming (402) a plurality of electrodes (308) by:
depositing (404) an electrode material on a plurality of regions of at least one surface (302A and 302B) of a substrate (302) to form a plurality of deposited regions (304), wherein the plurality of deposited regions (304) are parallel to each other, and wherein at least two of the plurality of deposited regions (304) are separated by an undeposited region (306) of the substrate; and
splitting (408) the undeposited region along a predefined pattern (309, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) so as to form at least two electrodes of the plurality of electrodes (308), wherein each of the at least two electrodes comprises a deposited region of the plurality of deposited regions and a portion of two split portions (307) of the undeposited region (306), wherein the predefined pattern (309, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is along a length of the undeposited region (306), and wherein a width of at least one section of a plurality of sections of each of the two split portions (307) is about same as a width of the undeposited region (306), and wherein each of the plurality of electrodes (308) acts as a cathode or an anode;
forming (410) a stack comprising the cathode and the anode such that the portion of the undeposited region (306) of the cathode is on an opposite side to the portion of the undeposited region (306) of the anode, wherein the stack comprises a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode; and
disposing an electrolyte between the cathode and the anode.

8. The method (400) as claimed in claim 7, comprising:
enclosing (414) the stack in a housing comprising a first terminal and a second terminal; and
forming (416) a first connection between the undeposited region of the cathode and the first terminal and a second connection between the undeposited region (306) of the anode and the second terminal.

9. An electrochemical cell (800), comprising:
a cathode (804) and an anode (802) separated by a separator (808); and
an electrolyte (806) disposed between the anode (802) and the cathode (804),
wherein each of the cathode (804) and the anode (802) comprises:
a deposited region (801, 807) comprising an electrode material deposited on a surface of an electrically conducting substrate (810, 812), the electrode material being a cathode material (805b) for the cathode (804) or an anode material (805a) for the anode (802); and
an undeposited region (803, 809) of the electrically conducting substrate (810, 812) having an edge of a predefined pattern (309, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), wherein the edge is defined by a plurality of sections (319, 320, 321, 322, 323, and 324) of variable height, and wherein the undeposited region (803, 809) is configured to facilitate a collection of current from the electrode material.

10. The electrochemical cell (800) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the undeposited region (809) of the cathode (804) is on an opposite side to the undeposited region (803) of the anode (802).