A process for delineating a population of electrode structures in a web includes laser ablating the web to form ablations in the web, each ablation being formed by removing a portion of an electrochemically active layer to thereby expose a portion of an electrically conductive layer. The process includes forming alignment features in the web that are formed at predetermined locations on the web. The process also includes laser machining the web to form weakened tear patterns in the web that delineate members of the electrode structure population, each of the delineated members being individually bounded, at least in part, by a member of the weakened tear patterns that is adapted to facilitate separation of delineated members, individually, from the web by an application of a force, the alignment features being used to aid in the formation of the weakened tear patterns.

Provided are a porous metal body that is excellent in terms of corrosion resistance and that is suitable for a collector for batteries such as lithium-ion batteries, capacitors, or fuel cells; and methods for producing the porous metal body. A production method includes a step of coating a porous nickel body with an alloy containing at least nickel and tungsten or a metal containing at least tin; and a subsequent step of a heat treatment. Another production method includes a step of forming a nickel-plated layer on a porous base and then continuously forming an alloy-plated layer containing at least nickel and tungsten or tin, a step of removing the porous base, and a step of reducing metal. Such a method can provide a porous metal body in which tungsten or tin is diffused in a porous nickel body or a nickel-plated layer.

In a method of manufacturing a lithium ion secondary battery, first, lithium nickel manganese oxide which is a positive electrode active material is exposed to fluorine-based gas to form a coating film containing amorphous lithium fluoride on a surface of the positive electrode active material. Next, a phosphate compound is added to the positive electrode active material on which the coating film containing the lithium fluoride is formed. After a lithium ion secondary battery which includes a positive electrode including the positive electrode active material is formed, the lithium ion secondary battery is charged to form a coating film containing amorphous lithium phosphate on the surface of the positive electrode active material.

An energy storage device can include a cathode, an anode, and a separator between the cathode and the anode. At least one of the electrodes can include an electrode film prepared by a dry process. The electrode film, the electrode and/or the separator can comprise a salt, improved porosity, increased density, be prelithiated, and/or a foam. An energy storage device can include a dry composite solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) film. Processes and apparatuses used for fabricating the composite solid polymer electrolyte film, electrode and/or electrode film are also described.

A silicon-carbon (Si/C) composite anode material includes a carbon scaffold material of carbon particles having graphite sheets configured as generally hexagonally shaped cells interconnected to one another in a 3-D honeycomb-like structure of multiple cell arrays and having a plurality of pores separating the cell arrays; silicon embedded in the pores of the 3-D honeycomb-like structure; and a carbon coating on a surface of the carbon particles. A process for producing a silicon-carbon (Si/C) composite anode material includes providing a carbon scaffold material of carbon particles having graphite sheets configured as generally hexagonally shaped cells interconnected to one another in a 3-D honeycomb-like structure of multiple cell arrays having a plurality of pores separating the cell arrays; and depositing silicon into the pores of the 3-D honeycomb-like structure.

An electrode, a lithium battery including the same, and a method of preparing the electrode are provided. The electrode includes an electrode active material layer including an electrode active material and a binder; and an electrode current collector at a portion of the electrode active material layer and at one side of the electrode active material layer, or at a portion of the electrode active material layer between opposing sides of the electrode active material layer, wherein the electrode active material layer includes a plurality of through-holes.