skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Atomic Layer Deposition of Aluminum Sulfide: Growth Mechanism and Electrochemical Evaluation in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Journal Article · · Chemistry of Materials

This work describes the synthesis of aluminum sulfide (AlSx) thin films by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using tris(dimethylamido)aluminum and hydrogen sulfide. We employed a suite of in situ measurement techniques to explore the ALD AlSx growth mechanism, including quartz crystal microbalance, quadrupole mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A variety of ex situ characterization techniques were used to determine the growth characteristics, morphology, elemental composition, and crystallinity of the resultant AlSx films. This study revealed that the AlSx growth was self-limiting in the temperature range 100–250 °C, and the growth per cycle decreased linearly with increasing temperature from ~0.45 Å/cycle at 100 °C to ~0.1 Å/cycle at 250 °C. The AlSx films were amorphous in this temperature range. We conducted electrochemical testing to evaluate the ALD AlSx as a potential anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Finally, the ALD AlSx exhibited reliable cyclability over 60 discharge–charge cycles with a sustainable discharge capacity of 640 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA/g in the voltage window of 0.6–3.5 V.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Electrical Energy Storage (CEES)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1415984
Journal Information:
Chemistry of Materials, Vol. 29, Issue 21; ISSN 0897-4756
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 33 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (71)

Metal sulfide nanostructures: synthesis, properties and applications in energy conversion and storage journal January 2012
Unsupported transition metal sulfide catalysts: From fundamentals to industrial application journal April 2007
Catalytic Properties of Single Layers of Transition Metal Sulfide Catalytic Materials journal January 2006
Beyond Intercalation-Based Li-Ion Batteries: The State of the Art and Challenges of Electrode Materials Reacting Through Conversion Reactions journal August 2010
Gallium Sulfide-Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composites: High-Performance Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries journal July 2014
Atomic Layer Deposition of Gallium Sulfide Films Using Hexakis(dimethylamido)digallium and Hydrogen Sulfide journal December 2013
Atomic Layer Deposition of Metal Sulfide Materials journal January 2015
Tunable core-shell single-walled carbon nanotube-Cu2S networked nanocomposites as high-performance cathodes for lithium-ion batteries journal April 2015
Atomic Layer Deposition of MnS: Phase Control and Electrochemical Applications journal January 2016
Atomic layer deposition for nanomaterial synthesis and functionalization in energy technology journal January 2017
(Invited) Atomic Layer Deposition of Nanophase Materials for Electrical Energy Storage journal September 2015
Two-dimensional MoS2: Properties, preparation, and applications journal March 2015
Controlled synthesis of transition metal dichalcogenide thin films for electronic applications journal April 2014
Growth, Optical and Structural Characterization of Layered GaS Films Prepared by Reactive RF Sputtering Method journal July 2005
Characterization of molecular beam epitaxy grown GaS film for GaAs surface passivation journal April 1999
Gallium sulfide thin film grown on GaAs(1 0 0) by microwave glow discharge journal March 1997
Atomic layer deposition of aluminum sulfide thin films using trimethylaluminum and hydrogen sulfide
  • Sinha, Soumyadeep; Mahuli, Neha; Sarkar, Shaibal K.
  • Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 33, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4903951
journal January 2015
Synthesis and Surface Engineering of Complex Nanostructures by Atomic Layer Deposition journal November 2007
Atomic Layer Deposition: An Overview journal January 2010
Surface chemistry of atomic layer deposition: A case study for the trimethylaluminum/water process journal June 2005
Crystallinity of inorganic films grown by atomic layer deposition: Overview and general trends journal January 2013
Atomic Layer Deposition of Nanostructured Materials for Energy and Environmental Applications journal January 2012
Emerging Applications of Atomic Layer Deposition for Lithium-Ion Battery Studies journal June 2012
Atomic layer deposition for photovoltaics: applications and prospects for solar cell manufacturing journal June 2012
Ultrathin Lithium-Ion Conducting Coatings for Increased Interfacial Stability in High Voltage Lithium-Ion Batteries journal May 2014
Towards high-energy and durable lithium-ion batteries via atomic layer deposition: elegantly atomic-scale material design and surface modification journal December 2014
Atomic-scale surface modifications and novel electrode designs for high-performance sodium-ion batteries via atomic layer deposition journal January 2017
High‐Performance High‐Loading Lithium–Sulfur Batteries by Low Temperature Atomic Layer Deposition of Aluminum Oxide on Nanophase S Cathodes journal May 2017
Coking- and Sintering-Resistant Palladium Catalysts Achieved Through Atomic Layer Deposition journal March 2012
Atomic layer deposition: medical and biological applications journal February 2013
Atomic layer deposition: A versatile technique for plasmonics and nanobiotechnology journal January 2012
ALD tungsten NEMS switches and tunneling devices journal April 2011
Tailoring nanoporous materials by atomic layer deposition journal January 2011
Atomic Layer Epitaxy journal August 1985
Atomic layer epitaxy journal January 1989
Molecular Level Insights into Atomic Layer Deposition of CdS by Quantum Chemical Calculations journal September 2010
AFM studies of polycrystalline calcium sulfide thin films grown by atomic layer deposition journal April 1999
Atomic Layer Deposition of SrS and BaS Thin Films Using Cyclopentadienyl Precursors journal May 2002
Atomic layer deposition of Cu2S for future application in photovoltaics journal March 2009
In 2 S 3 Atomic Layer Deposition and Its Application as a Sensitizer on TiO 2 Nanotube Arrays for Solar Energy Conversion journal April 2010
Atomic layer deposition of tungsten disulphide solid lubricant thin films journal December 2004
Atomic Layer Deposition of Titanium Disulfide Thin Films journal April 2007
Atomic Layer Deposition of Lead Sulfide Thin Films for Quantum Confinement journal August 2009
Atomic Layer Deposition of Tin Monosulfide Thin Films journal September 2011
Vapor-Phase Atomic-Controllable Growth of Amorphous Li 2 S for High-Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries journal October 2014
Vapor-Phase Atomic Layer Deposition of Co 9 S 8 and Its Application for Supercapacitors journal August 2015
Vapor-Phase Atomic Layer Deposition of Nickel Sulfide and Its Application for Efficient Oxygen-Evolution Electrocatalysis journal February 2016
Atomic Layer Deposited MoS 2 as a Carbon and Binder Free Anode in Li-ion Battery journal November 2014
Deposition of ultra thin CuInS 2 absorber layers by ALD for thin film solar cells at low temperature (down to 150 °C) journal January 2015
Atomic Layer Deposition of Li x Al y S Solid-State Electrolytes for Stabilizing Lithium-Metal Anodes journal April 2016
Electrochemical characteristics of aluminum sulfide for use in lithium secondary batteries journal December 2010
Viscous flow reactor with quartz crystal microbalance for thin film growth by atomic layer deposition journal August 2002
GaPO4 Sensors for Gravimetric Monitoring during Atomic Layer Deposition at High Temperatures journal June 2005
Indium Oxide ALD Using Cyclopentadienyl Indium and Mixtures of H 2 O and O 2 journal October 2011
Atomic layer deposition of ultrathin and conformal Al2O3 films on BN particles journal August 2000
Transmission infrared spectroscopy of high area solid surfaces. A useful method for sample preparation journal June 1992
Infrared Studies of the Surface and Gas Phase Reactions Leading to the Growth of Titanium Nitride Thin Films from Tetrakis(dimethylamido)titanium and Ammonia journal December 1992
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies on thermal decomposition of tetrakis-dimethyl-amido zirconium for chemical vapor deposition of ZrN journal December 2004
SiO 2 Atomic Layer Deposition Using Tris(dimethylamino)silane and Hydrogen Peroxide Studied by in Situ Transmission FTIR Spectroscopy journal April 2009
Reactions of methylamines at the Si(100)-2×1 surface journal June 2001
Chemistry of Diffusion Barrier Film Formation:  Adsorption and Dissociation of Tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium on Si(100)-2 × 1 journal March 2007
Infrared Spectroscopic Study of Decomposition of Ti(N(CH[sub 3])[sub 2])[sub 4] journal January 2001
Surface chemistry of precursors for film growth: pentakisdimethylamido tantalum journal April 1999
SH-Stretching Vibrational Spectra of Ethanethiol and tert- Butylthiol journal May 2009
Core electron binding energies in some Group IIIA, VB, and VIB compounds journal October 1973
XPS analysis of AlN thin films deposited by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition journal October 2014
Ellipsometry and XPS comparative studies of thermal and plasma enhanced atomic layer deposited Al 2 O 3 -films journal January 2013
Atomic layer deposition of ZnS via in situ production of H2S journal July 2010
In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy Observation of Pulverization of Aluminum Nanowires and Evolution of the Thin Surface Al 2 O 3 Layers during Lithiation–Delithiation Cycles journal October 2011
Superior cycle stability of nitrogen-doped graphene nanosheets as anodes for lithium ion batteries journal August 2011
Formation and Growth of Surface Films on Graphitic Anode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries journal January 2005

Cited By (4)

Metal Fluorides as Lithium-Ion Battery Materials: An Atomic Layer Deposition Perspective journal August 2018
Atomic layer deposition of ZnO/TiO2 nanolaminates as ultra-long life anode material for lithium-ion batteries journal August 2019
Atomic layer deposited zinc oxysulfide anodes in Li-ion batteries: an efficient solution for electrochemical instability and low conductivity journal January 2018
A revisit to atomic layer deposition of zinc oxide using diethylzinc and water as precursors journal December 2018

Similar Records

Atomic layer deposition of aluminum sulfide thin films using trimethylaluminum and hydrogen sulfide
Journal Article · Thu Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films · OSTI ID:1415984

Atomic Layer Deposition of Ultrathin Nickel Sulfide Films and Preliminary Assessment of Their Performance as Hydrogen Evolution Catalysts
Journal Article · Mon Nov 07 00:00:00 EST 2016 · Langmuir · OSTI ID:1415984

Atomic layer deposition of titanium sulfide and its application in extremely thin absorber solar cells
Journal Article · Thu Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films · OSTI ID:1415984