Textured metal substrates for negative electrodes of lithium metal batteries and methods of making the same

A method of making a lithium metal negative electrode for an electrochemical cell of a secondary lithium metal battery, the method comprising:

• positioning a major facing surface of a polycrystalline metal substrate in spaced-apart relationship with an electrochemically active material layer including lithium, the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate exhibiting a defined crystallographic texture;
• establishing an ionically conductive pathway between the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate and the electrochemically active material layer;
• and
• establishing an electrical potential between the polycrystalline metal substrate and the electrochemically active material layer such that lithium ions are released from the electrochemically active material layer and lithium metal is deposited on the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate to form an epitaxial lithium metal layer thereon,
• wherein the epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibits a predominant crystal orientation,
• wherein the predominant crystal orientation of the epitaxial lithium metal layer is derived from the defined crystallographic texture of the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate, and
• wherein a major volume fraction of crystal grains in the epitaxial lithium metal layer have a fiber texture of <102> or <122>.

A method of making a lithium metal negative electrode for an electrochemical cell of a secondary lithium metal battery, the method comprising:

• imparting a defined crystallographic texture to a lithium metal foil such that a major volume fraction of crystal grains in the lithium metal foil exhibit a fiber texture of <102> or <122>;
• applying the lithium metal foil to a major surface of a negative electrode current collector;
• positioning a major facing surface of the lithium metal foil in spaced-apart relationship with an electrochemically active material layer including lithium, wherein the electrochemically active material layer is disposed on a major surface of a positive electrode current collector;
• establishing an ionically conductive pathway between the major facing surface of the lithium metal foil and the electrochemically active material layer;
• and
• establishing an electrical potential between the negative electrode current collector and the positive electrode current collector such that lithium ions are released from the electrochemically active material layer and lithium metal is deposited via epitaxy on the major facing surface of the lithium metal foil to form an epitaxial lithium metal layer thereon,
• wherein the epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibits a predominant crystal orientation, and
• wherein the predominant crystal orientation of the epitaxial lithium metal layer is derived from the defined crystallographic texture of the lithium metal foil.