University of Michigan

Eric Kazyak

Neil P Dasgupta

Jeffrey S Sakamoto

Travis Thompson

Kira Barton

Nathan Taylor

Kuan-Hung Chen

Tae Han Cho

Lauren Ransohoff

Ellis Herman

Orlando Trejo

Asma Sharafi

Mattison Rose

Christopher P Pannier

Tae H Cho

Kevin N Wood

Carli Huber

A method is disclosed for suppressing propagation of a metal in a solid state electrolyte during cycling of an electrochemical device including the solid state electrolyte and an electrode comprising the metal. One method comprises forming the solid state electrolyte such that the solid state electrolyte has a structure comprising a plurality of grains of a metal-ion conductive material and a grain boundary phase located at some or all of grain boundaries between the grains, wherein the grain boundary phase suppresses propagation of the metal in the solid state electrolyte during cycling. Another method comprises forming the solid state electrolyte such that the solid state electrolyte is a single crystal.

Method for suppressing metal propagation in solid electrolytes

An integrated electrohydrodynamic jet printing and spatial atomic layer deposition system for conducting nanofabrication includes an electrohydrodynamic jet printing station that includes an E-jet printing nozzle, a spatial atomic layer deposition station that includes a zoned ALD precursor gas distributor that discharges linear zone-separated first and second ALD precursor gases, a heatable substrate plate supported on a motion actuator controllable to move the substrate plate in three dimensions, and a conveyor on which the motion actuator is supported. The conveyor is operative to move the motion actuator between the electrohydrodynamic jet printing station and the spatial atomic layer deposition station so that the substrate plate is conveyable between a printing window of the E-jet printing nozzle and a deposition window of the zoned ALD precursor gas distributor, respectively. A method of conducting area-selective atomic layer deposition is also disclosed.

Integrated electrohydrodynamic jet printing and spatial atomic layer deposition system for area selective-atomic layer deposition

Disclosed are methods for pre-conditioning or pre-treating the surface of a metal (e.g., lithium) electrode such that the cycle life and efficiency of the electrode within an electrochemical cell are improved through the prevention of dendrite growth. The pretreatment process includes the use of an alternating current to modify the surface properties of the metal electrode, such that a more uniform flux of metal ions is transferred across the electrode-electrolyte Interface in subsequent electrodeposition and electrodissolution processes. As a result, an electrode treated with such a process exhibits improved performance and durability, including markedly lower overpotentials and largely improved metal (e.g., lithium) retention in strip plate tests as compared with untreated electrodes.

Method of improved performance in metal electrodes for batteries

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Eric Kazyak