Phase change material source for physical vapor deposition

Abstract

A method and apparatus for manufacturing electrochemical cells. The apparatus and method includes the modification of solid phase material used in electrochemical cells, such as batteries, into a viscous phase for ease of metering and dispensing onto a hot wall reactor to create a substantially uniform cloud of vapor to be deposited on a substrate or other stacks of cells in a continuous or semi-continuous process and having the useful advantage of depositing large volumes of materials for economical manufacturing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for fabricating an electrochemical device, the method comprising:
 providing a substrate having a surface region;   subjecting a lithium containing solid source material to thermal treatment to cause a phase change in the lithium containing solid source material to a lithium containing fluid source material;   transferring the lithium containing fluid source material to an evaporation region coupled to a reaction chamber region;   subjecting the lithium containing fluid source material to an energy source to cause a portion of the lithium containing fluid source material to vaporize into a lithium containing vapor; and   forming a thickness of a lithium containing material overlying the surface region from the lithium containing vapor.