Inkjet Printing of Li‐Rich Cathode Material for Thin‐Film Lithium‐Ion Microbatteries

• Published in: Energy technology (Weinheim, Germany) Germany), 2020-03, Vol.8 (3), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Kolchanov, Denis S., Mitrofanov, Ilya, Kim, Artem, Koshtyal, Yury, Rumyantsev, Aleksander, Sergeeva, Ekaterina, Vinogradov, Alexandr, Popovich, Anatoly, Maximov, Maxim Yu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Batteries; Cathodes; Composition; Contact angle; crystalline lattices; Downsizing; Electrochemical analysis; Electrochemistry; Electrode materials; Energy sources; Fabrication; Inkjet printing; Lithium; Lithium-ion batteries; lithium-manganese-rich compounds; Manganese; Microbatteries; Potassium; Power efficiency; Rheological properties; Surface tension; Thickness; Viscosity
• ISSN: 2194-4288; 2194-4296
• DOI: 10.1002/ente.201901086

The observed downsizing tendency of microelectronic devices leads to a higher demand in new types of miniaturized energy sources. Thin‐film Li‐ion batteries (LiBs) are promising candidates to fulfil this function. New materials and technologies should be investigated for customized production of miniaturized, high‐efficient solid‐state batteries. Herein, inkjet printing technology is considered as a promising one for the fabrication of LiBs. The modification of crystalline lattice of Li‐rich cathode material by aluminium, sodium, and potassium and their influence on power efficiency are studied in detail. Lithium‐manganese‐rich compounds are chosen as the most suitable composition of an active component for LiBs fabrication. The stable aqueous colloidal ink composition is synthesized and its rheological parameters are optimized for inkjet printing in terms of viscosity, surface tension, and contact angle. Protocols for inkjet printing for the fabrication of thin‐film cathodes with the thickness of less than 10 μm are reported. The good correlation of electrochemical properties such as average voltage, capacity, and energy between inkjet printed and conventionally fabricated electrodes confirms the feasibility of the suggested technological approach and selected cathode material composition. This study is devoted to the optimization of the chemical composition of Li‐rich cathode materials to improve its discharge capacity and the investigation of feasibility of the inkjet printing technique for the fabrication of Li‐ion thin‐film microbatteries.