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  Method for forming a film of lithium metal or lithium alloys and an apparatus for the sameUSPTO Application #: 20070048170Title: Method for forming a film of lithium metal or lithium alloys and an apparatus for the same Abstract: A lithium or lithium alloy film forming method comprises: the step of heating and evaporating lithium or lithium alloy under an atmosphere of inert gas in an ultra fine particle producing chamber to produce ultra fine particles of lithium or lithium alloy therein; the step of transporting the ultra fine particles through a transfer pipe with the inert gas into a film forming chamber under vacuum atmosphere; the step of jetting the ultra fine particles onto a substrate arranged in the film forming chamber from a nozzle; the step of moving a substrate holder holding the substrate in the X-direction and/or Y-direction; the step of preheating the substrate at a predetermined temperature within the range of 100 to the melting point of lithium or lithium alloy: and the step of forming a film of lithium or lithium alloy on the substrate being moved with the substrate holder. (end of abstract)
Agent: Floyd B. Carothers Carothers And Carothers - Pittsburgh, PA, US Inventors: Eiji Fuchita, Yoshiyuki Honjo, Yukio Yamakawa USPTO Applicaton #: 20070048170 - Class: 419028000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Powder Metallurgy Processes, Powder Metallurgy Processes With Heating Or Sintering, Post Sintering Operation, Subsequent Working The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070048170. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] This invention relates to a method for forming a film of lithium metal or lithium alloy and an apparatus for the same. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] Publication J8-209330A discloses a pattern forming method for a conductive metal thick film in which a conductive metal material is heated and evaporated with high frequency induction heat under an inert gas atmosphere, in an ultra fine particle evaporation chamber, and produced ultra fine particles are transported in a pipe, with the inert gas, into a film forming chamber in a vacuum. The fine particles are jetted onto a substrate, arranged in the film forming chamber, from a nozzle heated at a temperature under the melting point of the ultra fine particles, with the applied pressure of the inert gas. The nozzle or the substrate is moved at an arbitrary speed and the thick film of conductive metal is formed with a desired thickness in a desired pattern. [0005] However, in the above gazette publication, the conductive metal is aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The aluminum alloys are Al--Si, Al--Cu, Al--Si--Cu, Al--Si--Ti or Al--Cu--Ti. [0006] On the other hand, JP2002-100346 discloses: [0007] a method of producing a negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell having a thin film made of an inorganic solid electrolyte, comprising the steps of: [0008] placing a closed container containing a negative electrode base material and a closed container containing a source material for an inorganic solid electrolyte, into a chamber space, which is substantially inactivate to lithium and which is insulated from air and provided adjacent to an apparatus for forming the thin film, the base material having a surface made of a material selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys; [0009] taking out the base material and the source material from each container in the chamber space; [0010] transferring the base material and the source material into the apparatus without exposing them to air; [0011] using the source material and forming a thin film made of an inorganic solid electrolyte on the base material in the apparatus; [0012] transferring the base material having the thin film formed thereon, without exposing it to air, from the apparatus into a chamber space, which is substantially inactivate to lithium and which is insulated from air and positioned adjacent to the apparatus; and [0013] placing the base material into a closed container in the chamber space. [0014] In the above mentioned method, the film of the material selected from the group consisting of lithium metal and lithium alloys is formed on the substrate by the gas phase deposition method. Thus, the negative electrode is adjusted. The gas phase deposition method is selected from the typical group consisting of spattering, vacuum deposition, laser abrasion and ion plating. The film is heated, and the film has a relatively high ion conductivity. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0015] However, ultra fine particles are not used for forming a film in the gas phase deposition method of the above JP2002-100346A reference, although they are used in the JP8-209330A reference. The film forming principles are different between the above two patent opening gazettes. Further the purity of the film of lithium is low in the method of the JP2002-100346 publication. Thus, discharge capacity is small. Thus, an ideal lithium electrode, which has high discharging capacity, cannot be manufactured. [0016] This invention has been conceived in consideration of the above mentioned problem. The object of the invention is to provide a method for forming lithium or lithium alloy film which can form a lithium or lithium alloy film always having a high purity and an apparatus for forming lithium or lithium alloy film which can form a lithium or lithium alloy film always having high purity. [0017] In accordance with an aspect of this invention: a lithium or lithium alloy film forming method comprises: [0018] (a) the step of heating and evaporating a lithium or lithium alloy under an atmosphere of inert gas in an ultra fine particle producing chamber to produce ultra fine particles of lithium or lithium alloy therein; [0019] (b) the step of transporting the ultra fine particles through a transfer pipe with the inert gas into a film forming chamber under vacuum atmosphere; [0020] (c) the step of jetting the ultra fine particles onto a substrate arranged in the film forming chamber from a nozzle; [0021] (d) the step of moving a substrate holder holding the substrate in the X-direction and/or Y-direction; [0022] (e) the step of heating the substrate at a predetermined temperature within the range of 100.degree. C. to the melting point of lithium or lithium alloy; and [0023] (f) the step of forming a film of lithium or lithium alloy on the substrate being moved with the substrate holder. [0024] In accordance with another aspect of this invention: an apparatus is provided for forming a lithium or lithium alloy film which comprises: [0025] (a) an ultra fine particle producing chamber including a crucible containing lithium or lithium alloy; [0026] (b) a transfer pipe vertically arranged directly above the crucible; [0027] (c) a nozzle attached to a top end of the transfer pipe; [0028] (d) a film-forming chamber including a substrate and a substrate holder holding the substrate, the nozzle being arranged directly under the substrate, and the holder being movable in the X-direction and/or the Y-direction, in the plane of the substrate; [0029] (e) evacuating means for evacuating the ultra fine particle producing chamber, the transfer pipe and the film forming chamber; and [0030] (f) means for introducing inert gas and circulating it into and through the ultra fine particle producing chamber, the transfer pipe and the film forming chamber, whereby, after the ultra fine particle producing chamber, the transfer pipe and the film forming chamber have been evacuated to a predetermined pressure, lithium or lithium alloy in the crucible is heated and evaporated in the ultra fine particle producing chamber to produce ultra fine particles and the inert gas is introduced into the ultra fine particle producing chamber, produced ultra fine particles are transported through the transport pipe with the inert gas, and are jetted onto the substrate from the nozzle, and a lithium or lithium alloy film is formed onto the substrate being moved with the holder, and wherein the predetermined pressure is lower than 5.times.10.sup.4 Pa. [0031] The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an apparatus for forming a film of lithium according to a first embodiment of this invention. [0033] FIG. 2 is a schematic view for explaining operation of a shutter system, FIG. 2A showing transport of ultra fine particles and FIG. 2B showing cessation of transport. [0034] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an apparatus for forming a lithium film according to a second embodiment of this invention. [0035] FIG. 4 is a schematic view for explaining operation of a shutter system, FIG. 4A showing the situation during the transport of the ultra fine particles and FIG. 4B showing the situation during the cessation of the transport. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0036] Next, a gas deposition apparatus according to a first embodiment of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First Embodiment [0037] FIG. 1 shows a gas deposition apparatus A of the first embodiment. Generally, it consists of an ultra fine particle evaporation chamber 1, a transfer pipe 3, and a film forming chamber 2, which are arranged in a vertical direction. A crucible 6 which is made of, for example, tantalum, the inner diameter and the outer diameter of which are equal to 38mm(p and 40 mm.phi.. respectively, is arranged in the ultra fine particle evaporation chamber 1. The height of the crucible 6 is equal to 40 mm. Evaporation material 22 (Li) is contained in the crucible 6. An electromagnetic coil 7C for heating inductively lithium 22 is wound around the crucible 6. The coil 7C is connected to a radio (high) frequency (150 kHz) electric power source 7 which is arranged outside of the ultra fine particle evaporation chamber 1. [0038] A helium (He) gas is introduced into the ultra fine particle evaporation chamber 1 through a mesh-filter type introducing port M, so that the ultra fine particle evaporation chamber 1 is maintained at a predetermined pressure. The helium gas is used for transporting the produced ultra fine particles. The mesh-filter type introducing port M is of the type in which the area of the filter and the aperture ratio can be changed. The helium gas flows through a variable flow valve 12 from a helium gas source 18. The gas flow is introduced into the ultra fine particle evaporation chamber 1 through the mesh-filter type introducing port M that adjusts the gas flow speed around the crucible 6. A pressure gauge 1G is installed on the ultra fine particle evaporation chamber 1. Continue reading... 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