# US 11,309,536 B2 · Silicon particles for battery electrodes

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- Number: US 11,309,536 B2
- Document ID: US11309536B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/899,862
- Filed: 2020-06-12
- Published: 2020-10-01
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-07
- Assignees: Enevate Corporation
- Applicants: Enevate Corporation
- Inventors: Benjamin Yong Park; Jill R. Pestana; Xiaohua Liu; Frederic Bonhomme
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309536B2

## CPC

- H01M 4/134: Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys
- C01B 33/021: Preparation (chemical coating from the vapour phase C23C16/00)
- H01M 4/0471: {involving thermal treatment, e.g. firing, sintering, backing particulate active material, thermal decomposition, pyrolysis}
- H01M 4/386: {Silicon or alloys based on silicon}
- H01M 4/625: {Carbon or graphite}
- H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
- H01M 10/0562: Solid materials
- H01M 2004/027: {Negative electrodes}
- H01M 2004/028: {Positive electrodes}
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Silicon particles for use in an electrode in an electrochemical cell are provided. The silicon particles may have outer regions extending about 20 nm deep from the surfaces, the outer regions comprising an amount of aluminum such that a bulk measurement of the aluminum comprises at least about 0.01% by weight of the silicon particles. The bulk measurement of the aluminum may provide the amount of aluminum present at least in the outer regions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A material comprising:
silicon particles;
wherein each silicon particle comprises a bulk material comprising an inner region and an outer region that extends from a surface of the bulk material to the inner region, the bulk material comprises silicon and aluminum, and a concentration of aluminum in the outer region of the bulk material differs from a concentration of aluminum in the inner region of the bulk material.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The material of claim 1, wherein the concentration of aluminum in the outer region of the bulk material is greater than the concentration of aluminum in the inner region of the bulk material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The material of claim 1, wherein the outer region extends about 15 nanometers (nm) deep from the surface into the bulk material of each silicon particle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The material of claim 1, wherein the outer region extends about 20 nanometers (nm) deep from the surface into the bulk material of each silicon particle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The material of claim 1, wherein the outer region extends about 25 nanometers (nm) deep from the surface into the bulk material of each silicon particle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical cell comprising an electrode comprising the material of claim 1.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The material of claim 1, wherein:
the outer regions of the silicon particles comprises an amount of aluminum such that a bulk measurement of the aluminum comprises at least about 0.01% by weight of the silicon particles.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The material of claim 7, wherein the bulk measurement of the aluminum comprises from about 0.01% to about 1% by weight of the silicon particles.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The material of claim 7, wherein the bulk measurement of the aluminum comprises at least about 0.05% by weight of the silicon particles.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The material of claim 7, wherein the bulk measurement of the aluminum comprises from about 0.05% to about 1% by weight of the silicon particles.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The material of claim 7, wherein the bulk measurement of the aluminum comprises at least about 0.1% by weight of the silicon particles.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The material of claim 7, wherein the bulk measurement of the aluminum comprises from about 0.1% to about 1% by weight of the silicon particles.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The material of claim 7, wherein the bulk measurement of the aluminum comprises from about 0.1% to about 0.6% by weight of the silicon particles.

### Claim 14 (depends on 7)

The material of claim 7, wherein the outer regions comprise aluminum oxide.

### Claim 15 (depends on 7)

The material of claim 7, wherein the outer regions comprise aluminum silicide.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The material of claim 1, wherein the surfaces of the silicon particles provide an average contact angle from about 82° to about 87.1° with water as measured by the Washburn method.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

An electrode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising the material of claim 1.