Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing
The global demand for lithium-ion batteries has been growing for a number of years, and this growth isn’t going to stop. With over 50 years of experience providing components and expertise for thousands of laser systems in a variety of markets, MKS is a long-term partner to several Li-ion battery manufacturers. We not only offer a full range of products with guaranteed performance, but also have the ability to scale with our customers as they grow.
Lasers Enable Next-Generation Battery Design
Prices of lithium-ion batteries have fallen dramatically in the past decade. The industry consensus is that a breakthrough will occur when the price reaches less than $100 per kilowatt-hour which is yet to come. Compared to traditional methods, incorporating lasers into lithium-ion battery production will help reduce the cost of manufacturing to achieve that goal. There are several advantages of laser manufacturing that enable next-generation battery designs with increased energy densities, tighter packing, more stacking, new packaging types, and better reliability.
- High Precision: lasers can cut accurately and repeatably on the order of millimeters with no problems in cutting and slitting, which may not be the case with mechanical cutting. As battery designs become more complex, they might be more difficult to produce through mechanical cutting. For welding, the high precision of lasers can deliver strong, micro-welds of miniature components. As batteries become smaller and smaller with higher energy densities, welding with lasers may become more necessary.
- Flexible & Complex Patterns: enables more complex geometries and higher-performing batteries to be made.
- Fewer Burrs & Less Thermal Damage: lasers produce fewer burrs in cutting than mechanical cuts do, and for both cutting and welding there is less thermal damage to the surrounding areas. This results in higher manufacturing yields, as less of the material is wasted. Additionally, it can also lead to better quality and reliability of the product in the field, as fewer of these issues will end up in the final assembly.
- High Speed: speed is always important in production, and laser welding is a very fast process, especially with thin materials.
- Contact Free: laser cutting and welding are also contact-free operations, so there is no tool wear.
MKS Solutions and Products
We at MKS understand the challenges in Li-ion battery production and provide solutions to help reduce the battery cost. Check out the MKS recommended products below that can help improve the battery performance and maximize the manufacturing throughput and yield.
| Challenges in Li-ion Assembly | MKS Solutions |
|---|---|
| Maximizing throughput | Fast, high-power laser measurement and profiling |
| Maximizing manufacturing yield | Fast, high-power laser measurement and profiling |
| Improving battery performance | Lasers for foil and separator cutting of next generation batteries Optics and opto-mechanics to manage the lasers |
Beam Analysis
Power level and focus quality of a laser beam directly influence the quality of cutting and welding in battery manufacturing, therefore it is important to frequently monitor your laser power and beam quality delivered to the sample and ultimately to the location of the laser micromachining process. Laser power meters and beam profilers are often used as diagnostic tools either off-line or in-line to ensure your laser is always working within optimized specifications in production.
Criteria for Selecting Beam Analysis Instruments
 Sensors / Detectors |
 Power Meters |
 Beam Profilers |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Sensors / Detectors
- Helios™ Plus High Power Sensor: designed to be integrated into production stations to measure high power industrial lasers quickly to avoid downtime.
| Helios™ Plus | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spectral Range | 450-550 nm and 900-1100 nm | |
| Power Range | 50 W to 12 kW | |
| Energy Range | 100 J to 5 kJ | |
| Max Beam Diameter | 35 mm | |
| Response Time | 3 sec | |
| Communication Protocol Options | Profinet Ethernet/IP EtherCAT RS-232 |
|
| Other Features | Not water cooled Meter not required Compact, industrial package |
- High Power "Puck" Thermal Sensors: kilowatt range power measurement capability and very high damage thresholds.
- Medium Power Thermal Sensors: very high damage thresholds for hundreds of Watts power measurement.
- Low Power Thermal Sensor: fast response time for lower power measurements."
| High Power | Medium Power | Low Power | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 10K-W-BB-45 |
 5000W-BB-50 |
 L40(250)A-LP2-50 |
 F150A-BB-26 |
 F80(120)A-CM-17 |
 30A-BB-18 |
|
| Spectral Range | 0.8-2, 10.6 µm | 0.19-20 µm | 0.25-2.2, 2.94 µm | 0.19-20 µm | 0.248-9.4 µm | 0.19-20 µm |
| Power Range | 100 W - 11 kW | 20 W - 5 kW | 300 mW - 250 W | 50 mW - 150 W | 100 mW - 150 W | 10 mW - 30 W |
| Energy Range | N/A | N/A | 100 mJ - 10 kJ | 20 mJ - 100 J | 50 mJ - 300 J | 6 mJ - 30 J |
| Max Avg Power Density | 10 kW/cm2 | 1.7 kW/cm2 | 20 kW/cm2 | 12 kW/cm2 | 7 kW/cm2 | 20 kW/cm2 |
| Max Energy Density (2 msec) | N/A | N/A | 130 J/cm2 | 10 J/cm2 | 45 J/cm2 | 2 J/cm2 |
| Aperture | Ø45 mm | Ø50 mm | Ø50 mm | Ø26 mm | Ø17.5 mm | Ø17.5 mm |
| Response Time | 2.7 sec | 3 sec | 2.5 sec | 1.5 sec | 2 sec | 0.8 sec |
| Other Features | Water cooled Cable to connect to meter or PC included |
Not water cooled | Not water cooled Cable to connect to meter or PC included |
|||
Power Meters
Ophir laser power and energy meters work on the smart plug principle. This means that almost any power meter can work – plug and play – with almost any of the wide range of Ophir optical sensors.
| Power Meters | Virtual Power Meters | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Centauri |
 StarBright Handheld |
 Juno+ |
 EA-1 |
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Beam Profilers
- BeamWatch® Integrated High Power Beam Profiler: designed to measure all critical laser beam parameters on industrial production lines.
- SP932U Beam Profiling Camera: high resolution, real-time viewing and measuring of laser structure with highest accuracy in the industry.
| BeamWatch Integrated | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spectral Range | 980-1080 nm |  |
| Power Range | 500 to 9999 W (30 kW on Request) | |
| Max Beam Diameter | 12.5 mm | |
| Communication Protocol Options | Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) Profinet Ethernet/IP CC-Link |
|
| Other Features | Patented non-contact measurement Real-time monitoring of beam profile Sensor for absolute power readings ISO-compliant measurement results Fully automated operation |
| SP932U | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spectral Range | 190-1100 nm (Optimized for NIR & Nd:YAG) |  |
| Damage Threshold | 50 W/cm2 1 J/cm2, <100 ns pulse width |
|
| Beam Sizes | 34.5 µm – 5.3 mm | |
| Pixels | 2048 x 1536 Effective Pixels 3.45 µm Pixel Size |
|
| PC Interface | USB 3.0 | |
| Other Features | BeamGage® software included UltraCal™ correction algorithm Measures cross-sectional intensity 72 dB true dynamic resolution 24 Hz frame rate in 12-bit mode A variety of attenuators available |
The recommended products above are the most popular models for lithium-ion battery manufacturing. We have a lot more than these and you can use our online tools to find the ones that best fit your requirements.
Lasers
Laser micromachining has been widely used for high-volume manufacturing to achieve the desired precision, quality, throughput, and cost. According to the type and thickness of material, and the requirements of speed and resulting size of heat-affected zone, select a laser with appropriate wavelength, power, pulse width and repetition rate for your battery manufacturing laser system.
- IceFyre® Picosecond Lasers: exceptional performance and unprecedented versatility at industry-leading cost-performance.
- Quasar® High Power Hybrid Fiber Lasers: highest power green and UV hybrid fiber laser in the industry.
- Talon® DPSS Q-Switched Lasers: fast, ultra-precise, high quality and reliable separator foil cutting .
- SPFL 532 Pulsed Green Fiber Lasers: high power and energy for demanding manufacturing applications.
 IceFyre |
 Quasar |
 Talon |
 SPFL 532 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wavelengths | 355 nm / 1064 nm |
355 nm / 532 nm |
355 nm / 532 nm |
532 nm |
| Power | Up to 50 W | Up to 80 W / Up to 95 W |
Up to 45 W / Up to 40 W |
Up to 40 W |
| Pulse Width | <12 or 20 psec / <20 psec |
<2 to >100 nsec | <25 or 40 psec / <25 psec |
3-6 or 9-50 nsec |
| Repetition Rates | Single Shot to 10 MHz | Single Shot to 3.5 MHz | Single Shot to 500 kHz | Single Shot to 2 MHz |
| Max Pulse Energy | Up to 60 µJ / Up to 200 µJ |
Up to 400 µJ / Up to 475 µJ |
Up to 500 µJ / Up to 1000 µJ |
Up to 100 or 180 µJ |
| Other Features | 24/7 industrial reliability TimeShift™ technology for pulse control Laser/controller in single, compact package |
24/7 industrial reliability E-Pulse™ technology for superb stability Cut separators >1 m/s w/ <25 micron HAZ |
24/7 industrial reliability TimeShift™ technology for pulse control |
|
Optics
To ensure optimal laser beam quality delivered to the material, beam delivery optics is of critical importance. Optics are used to transport the beam to the target position at the sample with the desired beam shape and focus, and can significantly affect the characteristics of the delivered laser beam. We offer a wide variety of highest quality and high power optics and optical components covering UV to IR wavelengths to suit your needs.
Mirrors
- High-Energy Laser Mirrors: very high reflectivity and damage thresholds.
| High-Energy Laser Mirrors | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wavelengths | 355 nm | 532 nm | 1064 nm |  |
| CW Damage Threshold | 3 KW/cm2 | |||
| Pulsed Damage Threshold | 3.5 J/cm2 @ 10 ns, 20 Hz | 10 J/cm2 @ 20 ns, 20 Hz | 45 J/cm2 @ 10 ns, 20 Hz | |
| Reflectivity | Rs > 99.7%, Rp > 99% | |||
| Diameter | 1 and 2 in. | |||
| Substrate Material | UV Grade Fused Silica | |||
| Angle of Incidence | 45° | |||
Spherical Lenses
- High-Energy Singlet Spherical Lenses: very high transmission and damage thresholds.
- Nanotexture Surface Lenses: highest laser damage resistance and lowest reflection loss.
- Fused Silica Singlet Spherical Lenses: good performance and value over broad spectral ranges.
 High-Energy Singlet Spherical Lenses |
 Nanotexture Surface Lenses |
 Fused Silica Singlet Spherical Lenses |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Wavelengths | 355 nm / 532 nm/ 1064 nm |
250-550 nm / 500-1100 nm |
245-440 nm / 430-700 nm / 1064 nm |
| Damage Threshold | 15 J/cm2 @ 20 ns, 10 Hz | 15 MW/cm2 35 J/cm2 @ 10 ns, 1064 nm |
2 J/cm2 @ 10 ns, 10 Hz / 7.5 J/cm2 @ 10 ns, 10 Hz / 12 J/cm2 @ 10 ns, 10 Hz |
| Reflectivity | Ravg < 0.25% per surface | Ravg < 0.1% | Ravg < 0.5% / Ravg < 0.5% / Rmax < 0.25% |
| Diameter | 1 in. | 0.5 in. | 0.25 to 2 in. |
| Shapes | Plano-Convex (Standard Product) Other Shapes Available as Custom Orders |
Plano-Convex Plano-Concave |
Plano-Convex Bi-Convex Plano-Concave Bi-Concave |
| Substrate Material | High Purity Fused Silica | High Purity Fused Silica | UV Fused Silica |
1-µm Optics
- 1-µm Fiberlens™ Aspheric Lenses: improved performance over spherical lenses for high power 1-µm industrial fiber lasers.
- 1-µm High Power Windows: high damage thresholds for high power 1-µm industrial fiber lasers.
 Fiberlens™ Aspheric Lenses |
 High Power Windows |
|
|---|---|---|
| Wavelengths | 1030-1090 nm | |
| Pulsed Damage Threshold | 20 J/cm2 | |
| Reflectivity per Surface | < 0.2% | |
| Diameters | 12 to 300 mm | 21.5 to 55 mm |
| Effective Focal Lengths | 20 to 500 mm | N/A |
| Shapes | Aspherical-Plano Aspherical-Spherical Aspherical-Aspherical |
Plano |
| Substrate Material | High Purity UV Fused Silica | |
| Other Features | Coating can be adjusted for other wavelengths (e.g., 266, 356, 532 nm) | |
 Collimating & Focusing Assemblies |
 Motorized Zoom Lenses |
|---|---|
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Opto-Mechanics and Positioning
We offer high quality and low drift optical mounts as well as high precision and low deviation positioning stages to ensure long-term stability of your laser system and therefore reduce any potential downtime due to misalignment and drifting errors.
Mirror Mounts
- Suprema® Stainless Steel Mirror Mounts: the industry's best thermal performance for long-term stability.
- Suprema® ZeroDrift™ Mirror Mounts: 85% improved optical pointing stability through thermal drift compensation.
- HVM Top-Adjust Industrial Mirror Mounts: for use in compact spaces so your hands do not have to cross the beam path for adjustment.
- MFM Flexure Mirror Mounts: shock resistant, designed for "set and forget" applications.
- Ultima® Performance Aluminum Mirror Mounts: best aluminum mirror mount with excellent stability, usability and performance.
 Suprema |
 Suprema ZeroDrift |
 HVM Top-Adjust |
 MFM Flexure |
 Ultima |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optic Diameters | 0.5, 1 and 2 in. | 0.5 and 1 in. | 0.5, 1 and 2 in. | 0.5, 0.75 and 1 in. | 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 in. |
| Resolution | 50, 100, 127 and 254 TPI | 100 TPI | 80 and 100 TPI | 80 and 100 TPI | 80, 100, 170 and TPI |
| Angular Range | ±4° to ±7° | ±4° | ±2.5°, ±3° and ±3.5° | ±2.5° | ±7° |
| Material | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel Anodized Aluminum |
Stainless Steel | Anodized Aluminum |
| Drive Types | Knob Hex Key |
Knob Hex Key |
Hex Key | Hex Key | Knob Hex Key |
| Lockable Versions | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Other Features | Clear-edge and enclosed designs Front- and rear-loading versions Right- and left-handed configurations Low wavefront distortion versions |
Thermal drift compensation Front- and rear-loading versions |
Slim profile Alignment pin holes Front- and rear-loading versions |
Shock resistant Front- and rear-loading versions Adhesive wells for permanent mounting |
Extra thick frame for more stability Clear-edge design Right- and left-handed configurations Low wavefront distortion versions |
Lens Mounts
- LP Precision Multi-Axis Lens Positioners: highest performing lens positioners.
- Compact Lens Positioners: ideal solution for applications with limited space.
- LT Lens Tubes: combine several optical components into stable, rigid assemblies.
 Precision LP |
 Compact LP |
 Lens Tube |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Optic Diameters | 0.5, 1 and 2 in. | 1 in. | 0.5, 1 and 2 in. |
| Resolution | 100 TPI (Z-axis: 80 TPI) | 100 TPI (Z-axis of 9841: 80 TPI) | |
| Adjustments | XY XYZ XYZ θxθy |
XY XYZ XYZ θxθy |
|
| Material | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Drive Types | Knob w/ Hex Hole & Knurled Ring | Knob w/ Hex Hole (9841: Knob Only & Knurled Ring) |
|
| Lockable Versions | Yes | Yes | |
| Other Features | Zero-free play XY mechanism Adapters for other optics |
Adapters for other optics Optional lock nuts |
Many accessories and adapters |
Manual Stages
- ULTRAlign™ Crossed-Roller Bearing Steel Linear Stages: highest smoothness, precision and stability in manual positioning.
- SDS Low Profile Ball Bearing Steel Linear Stages: lowest profile positioner for moderate loads.
 ULTRAlign |
 SDS |
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel Range | 13 and 25 mm | 10, 16 and 25 mm |
| Axes of Travel | X, Z, XY, XZ and XYZ | X |
| Angular Deviation | <100 µrad | Pitch: <100 µrad Yaw: <150 µrad |
| Bearings | Crossed-Roller | Ball (Optimized Unique Bearing Ways) |
| Material | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
| Drive Type | Adjustment Screw Micrometer Motorized Actuator |
Side-Mounted Micrometer |
| Lockable | Yes | Yes |
| Other Features | Extra thick plates for more stability Low profile Right- and left-handed configurations |
<20 mm height Non-influencing locking mechanism |
Optical Pedestals
- PX Forkless Optical Pedestals: long-term stability of a pedestal at 1/3 the space.
| PX Post | PX Pedestal | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 1 in. | 1 in. with 1.25 in. flange |  |
| Heights | 1, 2, 3 and 4 in. | ||
| Material | Stainless Steel | ||
| Other Features | Accessories for varying heights and mounting configurations | ||
For additional insights into photonics topics like this, download our free MKS Instruments Handbook: Principles & Applications in Photonics Technologies
Request a HandbookResources
Transforming Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing(7.8 MB, PDF)