Formation of a lithium comprising structure on a substrate by ALD

Abstract

A method for the formation of lithium includes a layer on a substrate using an atomic layer deposition method. The method includes the sequential pulsing of a lithium precursor through a reaction chamber for deposition upon a substrate. Using further oxidizing pulses and or other metal containing precursor pulses, an electrolyte suitable for use in thin film batteries may be manufactured.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for formation of a Li-comprising layer on a substrate by atomic layer deposition comprising the following steps:
 a) providing a substrate in a reaction chamber wherein said reaction chamber is arranged for gas-to-surface reactions, 
 b) pulsing a lithium precursor through said reaction chamber, 
 c) reacting said lithium precursor with at least one surface of said substrate, 
 d) purging of said reaction chamber
 d1) by sending a purge gas through said reaction chamber for the purging of the reaction chamber or 
 d2) by evacuating said chamber, and 
 
 repeating steps b) to d) a desired number of times in order for the formation of a thin film layer of a lithium comprising material upon said at least one surface of said substrate, 
 wherein the lithium precursor is selected from among lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dionate, lithium alkoxides, lithium alkyls, cyclic lithium compounds, lithium dicyclohexamide, and bimetallic or multimetallic compounds. 
 
     
     
       2. A method according to  claim 1  wherein steps b) through d) are repeated with independently chosen lithium precursors in step b). 
     
     
       3. A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the following steps:
 e) pulsing an oxygen precursor through said reaction chamber, 
 f) reacting said oxygen precursor with said at least one surface of said 
 substrate, 
 g) purging of said reaction chamber, where the purging of said chamber may be performed by sending a purge gas through said reaction chamber for the purging of the reaction chamber or by evacuating said chamber, repeating steps b) to g) a desired number of times in order for the formation of a thin film layer of a lithium comprising material upon said at least one surface of said substrate. 
 
     
     
       4. A method for formation of a Li-comprising layer on a substrate by atomic layer deposition comprising the following steps:
 a) providing a substrate in a reaction chamber wherein said reaction chamber is arranged for gas-to-surface reactions, 
 b) pulsing a lanthanum precursor through said reaction chamber, 
 c) reacting said lanthanum precursor with said at least one surface of said substrate, 
 d) purging of said reaction chamber, 
 e) pulsing an oxygen precursor through said reaction chamber, 
 f) reacting said oxygen precursor with said at least one surface of said substrate, 
 g) purging of said reaction chamber, 
 h) pulsing a lithium precursor through said reaction chamber, 
 i) reacting said lithium precursor with a surface layer of the substrate, 
 j) purging of said reaction chamber, 
 k) pulsing an oxygen precursor through said reaction chamber, 
 l) reacting said oxygen precursor with said at least one surface of said substrate, 
 m) purging of said reaction chamber, 
 n) repeating steps b) to m) a desired number of times in order for the formation of a thin film layer of a lithium and lanthanum comprising material upon said at least one surface of said substrate, 
 
       where the purging of said chamber may be performed by sending a purge gas through said reaction chamber for the purging of the reaction chamber or by evacuating said chamber. 
     
     
       5. A method for formation of a Li-comprising layer on a substrate by atomic layer deposition comprising the following steps:
 a) providing a substrate in a reaction chamber wherein said reaction chamber is arranged for gas-to-surface reactions, 
 b) pulsing a lanthanum precursor through said reaction chamber, 
 c) reacting said lanthanum precursor with said at least one surface of said substrate, 
 d) purging of said reaction chamber, 
 e) pulsing an oxygen precursor through said reaction chamber, 
 f) reacting said oxygen precursor with said at least one surface of said substrate, 
 g) purging of said reaction chamber, 
 h) pulsing a lithium precursor through said reaction chamber, 
 i) reacting said lithium precursor with a surface layer of the substrate, 
 j) purging of said reaction chamber, 
 k) pulsing an oxygen precursor through said reaction chamber, 
 l) reacting said oxygen precursor with said at least one surface of said substrate, 
 m) purging of said reaction chamber, 
 n) pulsing a titanium precursor through said reaction chamber, 
 o) reacting said titanium precursor with said at least one surface of said substrate, 
 p) purging of said reaction chamber, 
 q) pulsing an oxygen precursor through said reaction chamber, 
 r) reacting said oxygen precursor with said at least one surface of said substrate, 
 s) purging of said reaction chamber, 
 t) repeating steps b) to s) a desired number of times in order for the formation of a thin film layer of a lithium, lanthanum and titanium comprising material upon said at least one surface of said substrate, 
 
       where the purging of said chamber may be performed by sending a purge gas through said reaction chamber for the purging of the reaction chamber or by evacuating said chamber. 
     
     
       6. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein each step of the process is independently repeated a desired number of times. 
     
     
       7. A method according to  claim 3 , where the steps b)-g) are independently repeated one or more times before continuing the sequence. 
     
     
       8. A method according to  claim 1 , where the thin film layer is an oxide or a carbonate layer or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
       9. A method according to  claim 5  for the production of a La—Li—Ti—O layered thin film. 
     
     
       10. A method according to  claim 1  for the production of a lithium-comprising thin film battery. 
     
     
       11. A method according to  claim 1  for the production of a lithium-comprising electrolyte thin film for use in a battery. 
     
     
       12. A method according to  claim 4 , wherein the lithium precursor is selected from among lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dionate, lithium alkoxides, lithium alkyls, cyclic lithium compounds, lithium dicyclohexamide, and bimetallic or multimetallic compounds. 
     
     
       13. A method according to  claim 12 , wherein each step of the process is independently repeated a desired number of times. 
     
     
       14. A method according to  claim 12 , where the groups of steps b)-g) and f)-m) respectively are independently repeated one or more times before continuing the sequence. 
     
     
       15. A method according to  claim 12 , where the thin film layer is an oxide or a carbonate layer or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
       16. A method according to  claim 12  for the production of a lithium-comprising thin film battery. 
     
     
       17. A method according to  claim 12  for the production of a lithium-comprising electrolyte thin film for use in a battery. 
     
     
       18. A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the lithium precursor is selected from among lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dionate, lithium alkoxides, lithium alkyls, cyclic lithium compounds, lithium dicyclohexamide, and bimetallic or multimetallic compounds. 
     
     
       19. A method according to  claim 18 , wherein each step of the process is independently repeated a desired number of times. 
     
     
       20. A method according to  claim 18 , where the groups of steps b)-g), f)-m) and n)-s) respectively are independently repeated one or more times before continuing the sequence. 
     
     
       21. A method according to  claim 18 , where the thin film layer is an oxide or a carbonate layer or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
       22. A method according to  claim 18  for the production of a lithium-comprising thin film battery. 
     
     
       23. A method according to  claim 18  for the production of a lithium-comprising electrolyte thin film for use in a battery. 
     
     
       24. A method for formation of a Li-comprising layer on a substrate by atomic layer deposition comprising the following steps:
 a) pulsing a lithium precursor through a reaction chamber having a substrate disposed therein and arranged for gas-to-surface reactions,   b) reacting said lithium precursor with a surface of said substrate,   c) removing excess or unreacted lithium precursor from said substrate, and   repeating steps a) to c) a desired number of times in order for the formation of a thin film layer of a lithium comprising material upon said surface of said substrate,   wherein the lithium precursor is selected from among lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dionate, lithium alkoxides, lithium alkyls, cyclic lithium compounds, lithium dicyclohexamide, and bimetallic or multimetallic compounds.