# US 2021/0242443 A1 · Methods, systems, and compositions for the liquid-phase deposition of thin films onto the surface of battery electrodes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0242443 A1 - Document ID: US20210242443A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/232,945 - Filed: 2021-04-16 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-20 - Assignees: Coreshell Technologies, Incorporated - Applicants: Coreshell Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Sourav Basu; Jonathan Tan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242443A1 ## CPC - H01M 4/0402: {Methods of deposition of the material} - B05C 5/00: Apparatus in which liquid or other fluent material is projected, poured or allowed to flow on to the surface of the work (B05C7/00 takes precedence; essentially involving spraying or electrostatic projection B05B) - B05C 9/00: Apparatus or plant for applying liquid or other fluent material to surfaces by means not covered by any preceding group, or in which the means of applying the liquid or other fluent material is not important - H01M 4/0409: {by a doctor blade method, slip-casting or roller coating} - H01M 4/0419: {involving spraying} - H01M 4/049: {Manufacturing of an active layer by chemical means} - H01M 4/139: Processes of manufacture - H01M 4/587: for inserting or intercalating light metals - H01M 4/62: Selection of inactive substances as ingredients for active masses, e.g. binders, fillers - H01M 6/005: {Devices for making primary cells} - H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries - B05C 3/00: Apparatus in which the work is brought into contact with a bulk quantity of liquid or other fluent material - B05D 1/02: performed by spraying - B05D 1/18: performed by dipping - B05D 1/26: performed by applying the liquid or other fluent material from an outlet device in contact with, or almost in contact with, the surface - B05D 1/28: performed by transfer from the surfaces of elements carrying the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. brushes, pads, rollers - B05D 1/38: with intermediate treatment (intermediate treatment per se B05D3/00) - C23C 18/1655: {Process features} - H01M 4/36: Selection of substances as active materials, active masses, active liquids - H01M 4/362: {Composites} - H01M 4/38: of elements or alloys - H01M 10/0409: {for cells with wound electrodes} - H01M 10/0587: of accumulators having only wound construction elements, i.e. wound positive electrodes, wound negative electrodes and wound separators - H01M 2004/021: {Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area} - H01M 2004/027: {Negative electrodes} - H01M 2004/028: {Positive electrodes} - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract Methods, systems, and compositions for the liquid-phase deposition (LPD) of thin films. The thin films can be coated onto the surface of porous components of electrochemical devices, such as battery electrodes. Embodiments of the present disclosure achieve a faster, safer, and more cost-effective means for forming uniform, conformal layers on non-planar microstructures than known methods. In one aspect, the methods and systems involve exposing the component to be coated to different liquid reagents in sequential processing steps, with optional intervening rinsing and drying steps. Processing may occur in a single reaction chamber or multiple reaction chambers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: exposing a battery electrode comprising electrode constituent particles to one or more liquid solutions to produce an artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer coated onto the electrode constituent particles, wherein the artificial SEI layer is substantially devoid of particle-to-particle internal resistance with respect to the electrode constituent particles. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the artificial SEI layer is formed from a reaction between at least two different reagents included in the one or more liquid solutions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising: exposing the electrode constituent particles of the battery electrode to additional amounts of the one or more liquid solutions one or more additional times to generate one or more additional artificial SEI layers coated onto the artificial SEI layer to produce multiple stacked layers of artificial SEI layers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the battery electrode is a lithium-ion battery electrode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the battery electrode is an anode or a cathode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrode constituent particles within the battery electrode are deposited on a substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the electrode constituent particles are composed of graphite, Si, Sn, a Si-graphite composite, a Sn-graphite composite, lithium metal, LiNixMnyCozO2, LiNixCoyAlzO2, LiMnxNiyOz, LiMnO2, LiFePO4, LiMnPO4, LiNiPO4, LiCoPO4, LiV2O5, sulfur or LiCo2, where x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the substrate is a foil, sheet, or film. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the substrate is comprised of an organic material selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyethylene, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyester, and polyethylene napthalate (PEN). ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the substrate is a metal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the metal is copper, aluminum, or stainless steel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrode constituent particles of the battery electrode are exposed to the one or more liquid solutions by spraying, slot die coating, bath coating, or gravure roller coating. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the battery electrode comprising the electrode constituent particles is exposed to the one or more liquid solutions by an automated conveyance apparatus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the automated conveyance apparatus comprises a series of rollers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising rinsing the artificial SEI layer with one or more rinsing solutions comprising at least one solvent to produce one or more residual solutions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising filtering the one or more residual solutions, each residual solution comprising the at least one solvent and unreacted reagent, thereby separating the unreacted reagent from the solvent to produce recovered unreacted reagent. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising recycling the recovered unreacted reagent such that additional amounts of the one or more liquid solutions include the recovered unreacted reagent. ### Claim 18 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the at least two different reagents includes a metalorganic precursor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the at least two different reagents is cationic, anionic, or non-ionic. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more liquid solutions further comprise an organic solvent, water, or a mixture of both. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the artificial SE layer comprises a compound selected from one of the following groups: (a) binary oxides of type AxOy, where A is an alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and x and y are stoichiometric coefficients; (b) ternary oxides of type AxByOz, where A and B are any combination of alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients; (c) quaternary oxides of type AwBxCyOz, where A, B and C are any combination of alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and w, x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients; (d) binary halides of type AxBy, where A is an alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid, B is a halogen and x and y are stoichiometric coefficients; (e) ternary halides of type AxByCz, where A and B are any combination of alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid, C is a halogen and x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients; (f) quaternary halides of type AwBxCyDz, where A, B and C are any combination of alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid, D is a halogen and w, x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients; (g) binary nitrides of type AxNy, where A is an alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and x and y are stoichiometric coefficients; (h) ternary nitrides of type AxByNz, where A and B are any combination of alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients; (i) quaternary nitrides of type AwBxCyNz, where A, B and C are any combination of alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and w, x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients; (j) binary chalcogenides of type AxBy, where A is an alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid, B is a chalcogen and x and y are stoichiometric coefficients, (k) ternary chalcogenides of type AxByCz, where A and B are any combination of alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid, C is a chalcogen and x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients; (l) quaternary chalcogenides of type AwBxCyDz, where A, B and C are any combination of alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid, D is a chalcogen and w, x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients; (m) binary carbides of type AxCy, where A is an alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and x and y are stoichiometric coefficients; (n) binary oxyhalides of type AxByOz, where A is an alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid, B is a halogen and x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients; (o) binary arsenides of type AxAsy, where A is an alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and x and y are stoichiometric coefficients; (p) ternary arsenides of type AxByAsz, where A and B are any combination of alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients; (q) quaternary arsenides of type AwBxCyAsz, where A, B and C are any combination of alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and w, x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients; (r) binary phosphates of type Ax(PO4)y, where A is an alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and x and y are stoichiometric coefficients; (s) ternary phosphates of type AxBy(PO4)z, where A and B are any combination of alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients; and (t) quaternary phosphates of type AwBxCy(PO4)z, where A, B and C are any combination of alkali metal, alkali-earth metal, transition metal, semimetal or metalloid and w, x, y and z are stoichiometric coefficients. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the artificial SEI layer comprises a compound comprising any combination of the following polymers: polyethylene oxide (PEO), poly vinyl alcohol (PVA), poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA), poly dimethyl siloxane (PDMS), and poly vinyl pyrollidone (PVP).