The present invention relates to a negative electrode active material having a double coating layer of a first coating layer and a second coating layer, which has an excellent output property, effectively suppresses a side reaction with an electrolyte liquid, particularly a PC-containing electrolyte liquid, and has excellent electric conductivity, a method for manufacturing the same, a negative electrode including the same, and a lithium secondary battery including the negative electrode. The negative electrode active material according to the present invention is capable of effectively preventing a side reaction with an electrolyte liquid, particularly a PC-containing electrolyte liquid, and is capable of improving electric conductivity, and as a result, enhancing a rate determining property by reducing an OCV drop of a lithium secondary battery including the negative electrode active material, and enhancing a high rate property.

A separator for a bobbin-style electrochemical cell is inserted into an interior opening within a ring-shaped cathode in an electrochemical cell can. An expansion force is then applied to an interior surface of the separator to press the separator against the interior walls of the cathode. A tool may then remove various creases and/or wrinkles in the separator and/or may then heat seal at least a portion of the tubular walls of the separator to minimize the void space between the separator and active material (e.g., cathode and/or anode) within the electrochemical cell.

Battery assembly techniques and a corresponding system are disclosed. In various embodiments, the battery assembly techniques include compressing battery cells and inserting the battery cells in a can. Battery cells are stacked and then compressed using pneumatic cylinders that exert pressure on a first external layer of the stacked battery cells. A first portion of the stacked battery cells is released from the pneumatic cylinders while a second portion of the battery cells remains compressed. The first portion of the stacked battery cells is inserted in a can. In various embodiments, friction decreasing materials are added to the stacked battery cells to compress the stacked battery cells or ease insertion.

The present invention is directed to a circuit module for coupling a plurality of battery cell units. The circuit module includes a first set of terminals having a positive terminal and a negative terminal for coupling to a first battery cell unit, and a second set of terminals having a positive terminal and a negative terminal for coupling to a second battery cell unit. The positive terminal of the first set of terminals is coupled to the negative terminal of the second set of terminals either directly or via one or more passive components, and the negative terminal of the first set of terminals and the positive terminal of the second set of terminals each is coupled to a switching assembly. The switching assembly is operatively configured to selectively connect or bypass each one of the battery cell units. The invention is also directed to a battery system including the circuit module and a plurality of battery cell units.

A method is disclosed for producing a battery preparing a first electrode by providing a substrate and depositing onto the substrate at least one silicon-based semiconductor layer of a specific porosity, in particular a doped micro-crystalline silicon layer that may comprise additions of Ge, Sn and/or C; treating the semiconductor layer using laser radiation for fully or partially varying the porosity, in particular by increasing the porosity of active regions for accommodating ions, in particular lithium-ions, or for reducing the porosity of inactive regions, for decreasing the ion-absorption capacity; arranging the first electrode together with a second electrode and an electrolyte within a housing; and contacting the two electrodes and connecting with external terminals accessible from outside the housing. Also disclosed is a battery made according to the disclosed method.

The present disclosure provides a battery cell clamping device to fix and clamp two or more battery cells in a process of clamping and baking the battery cells arranged in one direction, including fixing jigs interposed between the battery cells, a pressure applying part configured to clamp a cell arrangement by applying a pressure with the fixing jigs interposed, and a base having a structure supporting the cell arrangement in a direction against the pressure applied from the pressure applying part in a state in which the cell arrangement is disposed on an upper surface of the base, wherein each of the fixing jigs is formed with guide blocks to align the battery cell at a fixed position on the jig in such a manner that the guide block abuts at least two side surfaces of the battery cell which are extended with respect to each other.

Approaches herein provide a device, such as a battery protection device, including a cathode current collector and an anode current collector provided atop a substrate, a cathode provided atop the cathode current collector, and an electrolyte layer provided over the cathode. An interlayer, such as one or more layers of silicon, antimony, magnesium, titanium, magnesium lithium, and/or silver lithium, is formed over the electrolyte layer. An anode contact layer, such as an anode or anode current collector, is then provided over the interlayer. By providing the interlayer atop the electrolyte layer prior to anode contact layer deposition, lithium from the cathode side alloys with the interlayer, thus providing a more isotropic or uniaxial detachment of the anode contact layer.

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.

An automated coin cell battery manufacturing system can include a holding arrangement, an electrolyte dispensing component, a case providing component, a pick and place component, and a crimping component. The holding arrangement can hold multiple partially assembled coin cells that can each include electrode(s) and a spacer within a coin cell cap. The electrolyte dispensing component can automatically dispense electrolyte material into the partially assembled coin cells, and the electrolyte material can be different for different coin cells. The case providing component can store multiple coin cell cases and automatically provide the stored coin cell cases. The pick and place component can automatically pick the coin cell cases from the case providing component and can automatically place the coin cell cases on the multiple partially assembled coin cells to form fully assembled coin cells within the holding arrangement. The crimping component can automatically crimp the fully assembled coin cells.

Transfer films, articles made therewith, and methods of making and using transfer films to form an electrical stack are disclosed. The transfer films may include a plurality of co-extensive electrical protolayers forming an electrical protolayer stack, at least selected or each electrical protolayer independently comprising at least 25 wt % sacrificial material and a thermally stable material and having a uniform thickness of less than 25 micrometers. The transfer films may include a plurality of co-extensive electrical protolayers forming an electrical protolayer stack, at least selected or each protolayer independently exhibiting a complex viscosity of between 10.sup.3 and 10.sup.4 Poise at a shear rate of 100/s when heated to a temperature between its T.sub.g and T.sub.dec.