Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Nanoscale Solid State Batteries Enabled by Thermal Atomic Layer Deposition of a Lithium Polyphosphazene Solid State Electrolyte

Journal Article · · Chemistry of Materials
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
  2. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
  3. Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (United States). Applied Physics Lab., Dept. of Research and Exploratory Development
  4. American Society for Engineering Education, Washington, DC (United States)
Several active areas of research in novel energy storage technologies, including three-dimensional solid state batteries and passivation coatings for reactive battery electrode components, require conformal solid state electrolytes. We describe an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for a member of the lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) family, which is employed as a thin film lithium-conducting solid electrolyte. The reaction between lithium tert-butoxide (LiOtBu) and diethyl phosphoramidate (DEPA) produces conformal, ionically conductive thin films with a stoichiometry close to Li2PO2N between 250 and 300°C. The P/N ratio of the films is always 1, indicative of a particular polymorph of LiPON which closely resembles a polyphosphazene. Films grown at 300°C have an ionic conductivity of (6.51 ± 0.36)×10-7 S/cm at 35°C, and are functionally electrochemically stable in the window from 0 to 5.3V vs. Li/Li+. We demonstrate the viability of the ALD-grown electrolyte by integrating it into full solid state batteries, including thin film devices using LiCoO2 as the cathode and Si as the anode operating at up to 1 mA/cm2. The high quality of the ALD growth process allows pinhole-free deposition even on rough crystalline surfaces, and we demonstrate the fabrication and operation of thin film batteries with the thinnest (<40nm) solid state electrolytes yet reported. Finally, we show an additional application of the moderate-temperature ALD process by demonstrating a flexible solid state battery fabricated on a polymer substrate.
Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Nanostructures for Electrical Energy Storage (NEES); Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000; SC0001160
OSTI ID:
1360797
Report Number(s):
SAND--2017-2069J; 651195
Journal Information:
Chemistry of Materials, Journal Name: Chemistry of Materials Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 29; ISSN 0897-4756
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (63)

Spectroscopic Ellipsometry book January 2007
High-Performance All-Solid-State Cells Fabricated With Silicon Electrodes journal March 2012
Ultrathin Direct Atomic Layer Deposition on Composite Electrodes for Highly Durable and Safe Li-Ion Batteries journal April 2010
All-Solid-State Lithium-Ion Microbatteries: A Review of Various Three-Dimensional Concepts journal November 2010
All-Solid-State Lithium-Ion Microbatteries Using Silicon Nanofilm Anodes: High Performance and Memory Effect journal July 2015
Lithium-Ion Batteries: Solid Electrolyte: the Key for High-Voltage Lithium Batteries (Adv. Energy Mater. 4/2015) journal February 2015
Atomic Layer Deposition of Li x Al y S Solid-State Electrolytes for Stabilizing Lithium-Metal Anodes journal April 2016
Spectroscopic ellipsometry and optical transmission study of LiPON thin films prepared by RF sputtering: Spectroscopic ellipsometry and optical transmission study of LiPON thin films journal October 2016
Aqueous and nonaqueous lithium-air batteries enabled by water-stable lithium metal electrodes journal March 2014
Phosphate structure and lithium environments in lithium phosphorus oxynitride amorphous thin films journal October 2015
An examination of the surface decomposition chemistry of lithium niobate precursors under high vacuum conditions journal August 2000
Analysis of thin-film lithium batteries with cathodes of 50 nm to 4 μm thick LiCoO2 journal June 2003
An all-solid state NASICON sodium battery operating at 200 °C journal February 2014
A rocking chair type all-solid-state lithium ion battery adopting Li2O–ZrO2 coated LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 and a sulfide based electrolyte journal February 2014
Preparation and electrochemical performance of polyphosphazene based salt-in-polymer electrolyte membranes for lithium ion batteries journal May 2014
Ultra-thin LiPON films – Fundamental properties and application in solid state thin film model batteries journal February 2015
Reduction of charge-transfer resistance at the solid electrolyte – electrode interface by pulsed laser deposition of films from a crystalline Li2PO2N source journal April 2016
Solid-state thin-film rechargeable batteries journal February 2005
On the physical interpretation of constant phase elements journal June 2009
Finite element modelling of ion transport in the electrolyte of a 3D-microbattery journal June 2011
Investigation of the local structure of LiPON thin films to better understand the role of nitrogen on their performance journal March 2011
A new crystalline LiPON electrolyte: Synthesis, properties, and electronic structure journal February 2013
Lipon thin films grown by plasma-enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition in a N2–H2–Ar gas mixture journal January 2012
Atomic Layer Deposition of the Solid Electrolyte LiPON journal July 2015
Atomic Layer Deposition of Lithium Phosphorus Oxynitride journal October 2015
Inorganic Solid-State Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries: Mechanisms and Properties Governing Ion Conduction journal December 2015
Origin of Outstanding Stability in the Lithium Solid Electrolyte Materials: Insights from Thermodynamic Analyses Based on First-Principles Calculations journal October 2015
Electrical Characterization of Ultrathin RF-Sputtered LiPON Layers for Nanoscale Batteries journal March 2016
Fabrication, Testing, and Simulation of All-Solid-State Three-Dimensional Li-Ion Batteries journal November 2016
Artificial Solid Electrolyte Interphase To Address the Electrochemical Degradation of Silicon Electrodes journal June 2014
Polyphosphazene electrolytes for lithium batteries journal May 1989
Atomic Layer Deposition of Li 2 O–Al 2 O 3 Thin Films journal November 2011
Lithium Lanthanum Titanium Oxides: A Fast Ionic Conductive Coating for Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes journal July 2012
Highly Conductive and Conformal Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) Thin Films via Oxidative Molecular Layer Deposition journal June 2014
Three-Dimensional Battery Architectures journal October 2004
Atomic Layer Deposition: An Overview journal January 2010
The Formation of P-N and P-N-P Bonds by Elimination of Phenol in a Basic Condensation journal December 1964
Atomic Layer Deposition of Lithium Tantalate Solid-State Electrolytes journal September 2013
Atomic Layer Deposition and in Situ Characterization of Ultraclean Lithium Oxide and Lithium Hydroxide journal November 2014
Electrolyte Stability Determines Scaling Limits for Solid-State 3D Li Ion Batteries journal December 2011
A solid future for battery development journal September 2016
High-power all-solid-state batteries using sulfide superionic conductors journal March 2016
An all-in-one nanopore battery array journal November 2014
Synthesis of ion conducting Li x Al y Si z O thin films by atomic layer deposition journal January 2014
Atomic layer deposition of ferroelectric LiNbO 3 journal January 2013
The origin of high electrolyte–electrode interfacial resistances in lithium cells containing garnet type solid electrolytes journal January 2014
The pursuit of solid-state electrolytes for lithium batteries: from comprehensive insight to emerging horizons journal January 2016
Side-chain poly(phosphoramidate)s via acyclic diene metathesis polycondensation journal January 2016
Lanthanum titanate and lithium lanthanum titanate thin films grown by atomic layer deposition journal January 2010
Cathodic ALD V2O5 thin films for high-rate electrochemical energy storage journal January 2013
In situ spectroscopic ellipsometry as a versatile tool for studying atomic layer deposition journal March 2009
Elegant design of electrode and electrode/electrolyte interface in lithium-ion batteries by atomic layer deposition journal December 2014
First-principles study of LiPON and related solid electrolytes journal May 2010
Plasma - Assisted ALD of Lipo(N) for Solid State Batteries journal January 2017
High-Voltage Cycling Behavior of Thin-Film LiCoO[sub 2] Cathodes journal January 2002
A Stable Thin-Film Lithium Electrolyte: Lithium Phosphorus Oxynitride journal January 1997
Characterization of Thin-Film Lithium Batteries with Stable Thin-Film Li[sub 3]PO[sub 4] Solid Electrolytes Fabricated by ArF Excimer Laser Deposition journal January 2010
Fabrication of Nanoporous Pt by Electrochemical Alloying and Dealloying with Li journal January 2013
Thermal Atomic Layer Deposition of Lithium Phosphorus Oxynitride as a Thin-Film Solid Electrolyte journal January 2016
Stability of Thin-Film Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Batteries Fabricated by Sputtering Method without Heating journal December 2014
Lithium Phosphate Thin Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition journal January 2012
Thin film Li electrolytes for all-solid-state micro-batteries journal January 2009
Organic and inorganic–organic thin film structures by molecular layer deposition: A review journal January 2014

Cited By (25)

Wet-Chemical Synthesis of 3D Stacked Thin Film Metal-Oxides for All-Solid-State Li-Ion Batteries journal September 2017
Recent Progresses and Development of Advanced Atomic Layer Deposition towards High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries journal October 2017
Growth of lithium hydride thin films from solutions: Towards solution atomic layer deposition of lithiated films journal January 2019
Tape‐Casting Li 0.34 La 0.56 TiO 3 Ceramic Electrolyte Films Permit High Energy Density of Lithium‐Metal Batteries journal November 2019
Advances in 3D Thin‐Film Li‐Ion Batteries journal June 2019
A Critical Review: The Impact of the Battery Electrode Material Substrate on the Composition and Properties of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Coatings journal October 2019
Reducing the Interfacial Resistance in All‐Solid‐State Lithium Batteries Based on Oxide Ceramic Electrolytes journal April 2019
Computer Test of a New Silicene Anode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries journal January 2019
Kinetics‐Controlled Degradation Reactions at Crystalline LiPON/Li x CoO 2 and Crystalline LiPON/Li‐Metal Interfaces journal March 2018
Advances on Microsized On-Chip Lithium-Ion Batteries journal September 2017
Reviving lithium cobalt oxide-based lithium secondary batteries-toward a higher energy density journal January 2018
Probing ion current in solid-electrolytes at the meso- and nanoscale journal January 2018
Sur-/interfacial regulation in all-solid-state rechargeable Li-ion batteries based on inorganic solid-state electrolytes: advances and perspectives journal January 2019
Scope of surface-modified molecular and nanomaterials in gel/liquid forms for developing mechanically flexible DSSCs/QDSSCs journal January 2019
Ni–Al–Cr superalloy as high temperature cathode current collector for advanced thin film Li batteries journal January 2018
In situ lithiated quinone cathode for ALD/MLD-fabricated high-power thin-film battery journal January 2018
Progress and future prospects of high-voltage and high-safety electrolytes in advanced lithium batteries: from liquid to solid electrolytes journal January 2018
Atomic layer deposition and first principles modeling of glassy Li 3 BO 3 –Li 2 CO 3 electrolytes for solid-state Li metal batteries journal January 2018
Computational investigation of a promising Si–Cu anode material journal January 2019
Organic electrode materials with solid-state battery technology journal January 2019
Atomic layer deposition of functional multicomponent oxides journal November 2019
New development of atomic layer deposition: processes, methods and applications journal May 2019
Energy storage: The future enabled by nanomaterials journal November 2019
Ni-Al-Cr superalloy as high temperature cathode current collector for advanced thin film Li batteries text January 2018
Kinetics-Controlled Degradation Reactions at Crystalline LiPON/Li(x)CoO(2) and Crystalline LiPON/Li-metal Interfaces text January 2018

Similar Records

Ion‐Conducting, Electron‐Blocking Layer for High‐Performance Solid Electrolytes
Journal Article · Tue May 04 20:00:00 EDT 2021 · Small Structures · OSTI ID:1781943

Fabrication, testing and simulation of all solid state three dimensional Li-ion batteries
Journal Article · Wed Nov 09 19:00:00 EST 2016 · ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces · OSTI ID:1323890