Pulsed laser chemical vapor deposition and surface modification

摘要

An ultra-short pulse laser physically and/or chemically modifies a substrate surface. A laser ablation process is configured to form raised surface features on the substrate. The laser also functions as the energy source in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The laser delivers energy to the substrate with parameters such as pulse energy, size, duration, and spacing sufficient to simultaneously vaporize substrate material and cause the substrate material to react with a controlled environment that includes constituents of a desired coating composition. A battery electrode having a face with microneedle features coated with an active metal compound can be produced by the process. The active metal compound is a lithium-containing compound in a lithium-ion battery.

主权项

1. A method of making an electrode for use in an electrochemical cell, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing an electrode substrate formed from a substrate material; (b) forming raised surface features comprising the substrate material on the electrode substrate using a pulsed laser to deliver a plurality of laser pulses to the electrode substrate, each laser pulse having a pulse energy and duration sufficient to form the raised surface features; and (c) depositing a metal compound along the raised surface features, wherein the metal compound is selected to be an active metal compound that changes in amount during charge and discharge cycles when in use in the electrochemical cell, wherein step (c) comprises a laser chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process performed in a controlled atmosphere including at least one element of the deposited metal compound in vapor form, and wherein at least some of the reaction energy of the CVD process is provided by laser light.