Evaluating the potential of LIFT processes for developing electrode architectures for lithium-ion batteries

In lithium-ion battery technology silicon is introduced as anode materials to further increase gravimetric and volumetric energy density. Silicon is a high-capacity anode material and offers one order of magnitude higher capacity than the commonly used graphite. During lithiation of silicon a volume expansion of up to 300 % cause high mechanical load and lead to a fast capacity fading. Customized 3D electrode architectures with different materials mixtures, multi-layered and structured electrode layers can significantly increase the cycle lifetime. Laser-assisted printing (LIFT) can support the further development of advanced electrode architectures. Two types of electrode architectures based on an optimized electrode ink were printed: silicon-containing multilayer materials with different layer configurations, and electrodes with segmented areas of different compositions. Especially the impact of patterns such as grid, hole, and line arrangements on the electrochemical properties was investigated in detail. Post-mortem analysis via SEM and laser-induced plasma spectroscopy were conducted.