Apparatus for Deposition on Two Sides of the Web

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for depositing materials on both side of a web while it passes a substantially vertical direction are provided. In particular embodiments, a web does not contact any hardware components during the deposition. A web may be supported before and after the deposition chamber but not inside the deposition chamber. At such support points, the web may be exposed to different conditions (e.g., temperature) than during the deposition.

1 . A method comprising:
 (a) receiving a web at an inlet of a deposition apparatus;   (b) passing the web in a substantially vertical direction through a deposition station of the deposition apparatus and depositing material on both sides of the web via a dry process while the web passes in a substantially vertical direction through the deposition station; and   (c) removing the web from the deposition apparatus, wherein the web has the material deposited on both sides.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during deposition of the material, while passing the deposition station in the vertical direction, the web does not physically contact any hardware components. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving the web comprises unrolling a roll of a substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the removing the web comprises winding the web onto a take-up roll. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dry process comprises a chemical vapor deposition or a physical vapor deposition. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deposited material comprises electrode component material. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deposited material comprises electrochemically active material. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the electrochemically active material comprises nanoparticles. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise silicon. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise both amorphous and crystalline silicon. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise silicon nanowires. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the electrode component material comprises intermediate layer material. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the intermediate layer material functions as one or more layers selected from the group consisting of a barrier layer, an adhesion layer, and a catalyst layer. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the passing the web through the deposition station in the substantially vertical direction comprises feeding the web from a top of the deposition station to a bottom of the deposition station. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the passing the web through the deposition station comprises feeding the web through the deposition station at a speed of between about 1 meter per minute and 3 meters per minute. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a web residence time in the deposition station is at least about 5 minutes. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a web residence time in the deposition station is no greater than about 40 minutes. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising depositing one or more layers on the web prior to the receiving the web at the inlet to the deposition apparatus. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, prior to the passing the web through the deposition station, forming a mask or window on the web to exclude or promote, respectively, deposition of the material on the web. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, prior to the passing the web through the deposition station, preheating the web. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, prior to passing the web through the deposition station, depositing at least a portion of electrochemically active electrode material on the web. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising passing the web in the substantially vertical direction through a second deposition station of the deposition apparatus to deposit second material on the web. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second material comprises electrochemically active electrode material. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the electrochemically active electrode material deposited in the second deposition station comprises lithium or amorphous silicon. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein starting with the deposition of the material in the deposition station and until completion of the deposition the second material in the second deposition station the web does not physically contact any hardware components. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising passing the web in the substantially vertical direction through a second deposition station of the deposition apparatus to deposit one or more materials selected from the group consisting of a battery electrolyte material and a polymer binder on the web. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising passing the web through a cooling station after passing the web through the deposition station. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the web received at the inlet comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of copper, a copper alloy, nickel, a nickel alloy, and steel. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the web received at the inlet has a width of at least about 500 millimeters. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the web received at the inlet has a thickness of between about 5 micrometers and 50 micrometers. 
     
     
         31 . A deposition apparatus comprising:
 a deposition station arranged to receive a web passing in a substantially vertical direction through the deposition station,   wherein the deposition station comprises:   a first port or source for providing material, or a precursor thereof, to a first side of the web as it passes through the deposition station, and   a second port or source for providing said material, or a precursor thereof, to a second side of the web as it passes through the deposition station,   to thereby deposit the material on both sides of the web via a dry process while the web passes in the substantially vertical direction.   
     
     
         32 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the deposition station contains no components that physically contact the web during deposition of the material while the web passes through the deposition station in the vertical direction. 
     
     
         33 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31 , further comprising a web tension control mechanism arranged upstream from the deposition station, wherein the web tension control mechanism is configured for controlling web tension and speed during deposition in the deposition stations. 
     
     
         34 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism positioned downstream from the deposition station for supplying a layer of interleaf material between web layers on a take-up roll. 
     
     
         35 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the mechanism for supplying interleaf material is configured to provide two layers of the interleaf materials on each side of the web. 
     
     
         36 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31 , further comprising a heating station configured to heat the web prior to the receiving the web. 
     
     
         37 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the deposition station comprises an in-situ heating element configured to heat the web during deposition in the deposition stations. 
     
     
         38 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31 , the deposition station is configured to contain a part of the web during deposition having a length of between about 2 meters and 20 meters. 
     
     
         39 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31 , the deposition station is configured to contain a part of the web during deposition having a length corresponding to at least one width of the web. 
     
     
         40 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the deposition stations is configured to deposit the electrode component material by a CVD or a PVD process. 
     
     
         41 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31  further comprising a second deposition station positioned downstream from the deposition station and wherein the deposition station is configured to deposit the material by a thermal CVD process and the second deposition station is configured to deposit second material by a PECVD process. 
     
     
         42 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the deposition station is configured to deposit crystalline silicon nanowires and the second deposition station is configured to deposit amorphous silicon. 
     
     
         43 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the first port comprises a gas distribution mechanism. 
     
     
         44 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the gas distribution mechanism comprises a showerhead. 
     
     
         45 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the first source comprises a sputtering target. 
     
     
         46 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the material comprises electrode component material. 
     
     
         47 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein the electrode component material comprises electrochemically active electrode material. 
     
     
         48 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31  further comprising a buffer station arranged to prevent gases in the deposition station from escaping into other parts of the apparatus. 
     
     
         49 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31  further comprising an inline metrology station for inspecting a web after it passes through the deposition station. 
     
     
         50 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 49 , wherein the inline metrology station is configured to inspect weight per unit area of the deposited material. 
     
     
         51 . The deposition apparatus of  claim 31  further comprising a cooling station for cooling the web after it passed through the deposition station.