Constantin L Stefan4434 Pearl Ave, San Jose, CA 95136

2011011, May 12, 2011

Nov 11, 2010

12/944576

William S. DelHagen - Menlo Park CA, US
Rainer J. Fasching - Mill Valley CA, US
Ghyrn E. Loveness - Menlo Park CA, US
Song Han - Foster City CA, US
Eugene M. Berdichevsky - Menlo Park CA, US
Constantin I. Stefan - San Jose CA, US
Yi Cui - Sanford CA, US
Mark C. Platshon - Menlo Park CA, US

AMPRIUS INC. - Menlo Park CA

H01M 4/134
H01M 4/13
H01M 4/139
B05D 5/12

429223, 429209, 4292181, 427 77, 427 78, 977700

Provided are novel electrodes for use in lithium ion batteries. An electrode includes one or more intermediate layers positioned between a substrate and an electrochemically active material. Intermediate layers may be made from chromium, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, nickel, molybdenum, lithium, as well as other materials and their combinations. An intermediate layer may protect the substrate, help to redistribute catalyst during deposition of the electrochemically active material, improve adhesion between the active material and substrate, and other purposes. In certain embodiments, an active material includes one or more high capacity active materials, such as silicon, tin, and germanium. These materials tend to swell during cycling and may loose mechanical and/or electrical connection to the substrate. A flexible intermediate layer may compensate for swelling and provide a robust adhesion interface. Provided also are novel methods of fabricating electrodes containing one or more intermediate layers.

2011017, Jul 14, 2011

Jan 11, 2011

13/004737

Ryan J. Kottenstette - San Francisco CA, US
Eugene Berdichevsky - Menlo Park CA, US
Constantin I. Stefan - San Jose CA, US
Gregory Alan Roberts - Oakland CA, US
Song Han - Foster City CA, US
Yi Cui - Stanford CA, US

AMPRIUS, INC. - Menlo Park CA

H01M 10/42
H01M 10/04
H01M 10/26
H02J 7/04

429 49, 296231, 296232, 320162

Electrochemical cells containing nanostructured negative active materials and composite positive active materials and methods of fabricating such electrochemical cells are provided. Positive active materials may have inactive components and active components. Inactive components may be activated and release additional lithium ions, which may offset some irreversible capacity losses in the electrochemical cells. In certain embodiments, the activation releases lithium ion having a columbic content of at least about 400 mAh/g based on the weight of the activated material.

2011028, Nov 24, 2011

May 24, 2011

13/114413

Ghyrn E. Loveness - East Palo Alto CA, US
Constantin I. Stefan - San Jose CA, US
Song Han - Foster City CA, US

AMPRIUS, INC. - Menlo Park CA

H01M 4/58
B05D 5/12
C23C 28/00
C25D 7/12
H01M 4/04
C23C 8/80
B82Y 99/00
B82Y 40/00

4292181, 429209, 4292318, 296235, 427 58, 148220, 148276, 427528, 205157, 977762, 977890, 977948

Provided are novel multidimensional electrode structures containing high capacity active materials for use in rechargeable electrochemical cells. These structures include main support structures and multiple nanowires attached to the support structures and extending into different directions away from these supports. The active material may be deposited as a layer (uniform or non-uniform) surrounding the nanowires and, in certain embodiments, the main supports and even substrate. The active material layer may be sufficiently thin to prevent pulverization of the layer at given operating conditions. Interconnections between the electrode structures and/or substrate may be provided by overlaps formed during deposition of the active layer. Silicide-based nano wires structures may be formed on the main supports in a fluidized bed reactor by suspending the metal-containing main supports in a silicon-containing process gas. A layer of silicon may be then deposited over these silicide nanowires.

2012004, Feb 23, 2012

Sep 26, 2011

13/245530

Constantin I. Stefan - San Jose CA, US
Rainer J. Fasching - Mill Valley CA, US
Gregory Alan Roberts - Oakland CA, US
Ryan Kottenstette - Los Altos CA, US
Song Han - Foster City CA, US
Ghyrn E. Loveness - East Palo Alto CA, US

AMPRIUS, INC. - Menlo Park CA

H01M 10/48
H01M 10/00
H01M 10/0525

429 61, 42923195, 429 94, 296231

Provided are novel electrochemical cells that include positive electrodes, negative electrodes containing high capacity active materials such as silicon, and auxiliary electrodes containing lithium. An auxiliary electrode is provided in the cell at least prior to its formation cycling and is used to supply lithium to the negative electrode. The auxiliary electrode may be then removed from the cell prior or after formation. The transfer of lithium to the negative electrode may be performed using a different electrolyte, a higher temperature, and/or a slower rate than during later operational cycling of the cell. After this transfer, the negative electrode may remain pre-lithiated during later cycling at least at a certain predetermined level. This pre-lithiation helps to cycle the cell at more optimal conditions and to some degree maintain this cycling performance over the operating life of the cell. Also provided are methods of fabricating such cells.

2012010, Apr 26, 2012

Oct 20, 2011

13/277620

Rainer J. Fasching - Mill Valley CA, US
Zuqin Liu - Sunnyvale CA, US
Song Han - Foster City CA, US
Ghyrn E. Loveness - East Palo Alto CA, US
Constantin I. Stefan - San Jose CA, US

AMPRIUS, INC. - Menlo Park CA

H01M 4/134
C23F 1/00
H01M 10/0569
B05D 5/12
H01M 2/16
H01M 4/1395

429339, 429246, 4292181, 429341, 429342, 427 58, 216 13

Provided are novel electrode material composite structures containing high capacity active materials formed into porous base structures. The structures also include shells that encapsulate these porous base structures. During lithiation of the active material, the shell mechanically constrains the porous base structure. The shell allows lithium ions to pass through but prevents electrolyte solvents from interacting with the encapsulated active material. In certain embodiments, the shell contains carbon, while the porous base structure contains silicon. Although silicon tends to swell during lithiation, the porosity of the base structure and/or void spaces inside the shell helps to accommodate this additional volume within the shell without breaking it or substantially increasing the overall size of the composite structure. This allows integration of the composite structures into various types of battery electrodes and cycling high capacity active materials without damaging the electrodes' internal structures and deteriorating cycling characteristics of batteries.

2012012, May 17, 2012

Nov 15, 2011

13/296753

Gregory Alan Roberts - Oakland CA, US
Rainer J. Fasching - Mill Valley CA, US
Constantin I. Stefan - San Jose CA, US

AMPRIUS, INC. - Menlo Park CA

H01M 10/056

429332, 429342

Provided are novel electrolytes for use in rechargeable lithium ion cells containing high capacity active materials, such as silicon, germanium, tin, and/or aluminum. These novel electrolytes include one or more pyrocarbonates and, in certain embodiments, one or more fluorinated carbonates. For example, dimethyl pyrocarbonate (DMPC) may be combine with mono-fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC). Alternatively, DMPC or other pyrocarbonates may be used without any fluorinated carbonates. A weight ratio of pyrocarbonates may be between about 0% and 50%, for example, about 10%. Pyrocarbonates may be combined with other solvents, such as ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), and/or ethyl-methyl carbonate (EMC). Alternatively, pyrocarbonates may be used without such solvents. Experimental results conducted using electrochemical cells with silicon based electrodes demonstrated substantial improvements in cycle life when pyrocarbonate containing electrolytes were used in comparison with pyrocarbonate free electrolytes.

2020027, Aug 27, 2020

Feb 21, 2020

16/797553

- Fremont CA, US
Weijie Wang - Sunnyvale CA, US
Constantin Ionel Stefan - San Jose CA, US
Jonathan Bornstein - Cupertino CA, US
Daniel Seo - Sunnyvale CA, US

H01M 4/36
H01M 10/0525
H01M 4/04
H01M 4/38
H01M 4/58

Provided herein are nanostructures for lithium ion battery electrodes and methods of fabrication. In some embodiments, a nanostructure template coated with a silicon-based coating is provided. The silicon coating may include a non-conformal, more porous silicon-rich SiElayer and a conformal, denser SiElayer on the non-conformal, more porous layer. In some embodiments, two different deposition processes are used: a PECVD layer to deposit the non-conformal, silicon-rich SiElayer and a thermal CVD process to deposit the conformal layer. The silicon-rich SiEmaterial prevents silicon crystalline domain growth, limits macroscopic swelling, increases lithium diffusion rate and enhances significantly battery life during lithium ion battery cycle of charge and discharge.

2020027, Aug 27, 2020

May 13, 2020

15/931470

- Fremont CA, US
Zuqin Liu - Sunnyvale CA, US
Song Han - Foster City CA, US
Jonathan Bornstein - Cupertino CA, US
Constantin Ionel Stefan - San Jose CA, US

H01M 4/38
H01M 10/0525
H01M 4/04
H01M 4/134
H01M 4/1395
H01M 4/36

Provided herein are nanostructures for lithium ion battery electrodes and methods of fabrication. In some embodiments, a nanostructure template coated with a silicon coating is provided. The silicon coating may include a non-conformal, more porous layer and a conformal, denser layer on the non-conformal, more porous layer. In some embodiments, two different deposition processes, e.g., a PECVD layer to deposit the non-conformal layer and a thermal CVD process to deposit the conformal layer, are used. Anodes including the nanostructures have longer cycle lifetimes than anodes made using either a PECVD or thermal CVD method alone.