Solid State Battery Design and Method of Fabrication

A solid-state electrochemical cell includes a solid electrolyte where at least a portion of the electrolyte is in a compressive stress state. The compressive stress state includes at least one stress component that is orthogonal to the preferred direction of dendrite growth, which may correspond to the direction of an electric field. If the magnitude of the stress component is sufficiently large (e.g., greater than 50 MPa), then the growth of a dendrite passing through that portion of the electrolyte may be suppressed or deflected towards the direction of the applied stress component. In this manner, a dendrite may be deflected away from a cathode, thus prolonging the life of the cell. The compressive stress state may be generated by applying an external mechanical load to the cell and/or generating a residual stress in the cell during manufacture or assembly.