Investigation of LiCoO2 Thin Films Grown Under Relatively Low Substrate Temperature for All Solid State Lithium Ion Battery Applications

Abstract

This study examines the effect of substrate temperature on the surface, structural and chemical properties of LiCoO2 (LCO) thin films deposited via magnetron sputtering. LCO thin films were grown for the purpose of being a cathode layer for all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSLIBs). Achieving crystalline LCO films at low substrate temperatures is advantageous for integration with flexible and temperature-sensitive substrates as well as minimizing energy consumption, which is highly important for industrial applications. In this work, LCO thin films were deposited on titanium-coated soda lime glass (SLG/Ti) at the substrate temperature ranging from room to 350 degrees C. Structural characterizations by XRD analyses confirmed that LCO thin films have (104) crystal orientation, which is critical for efficient lithium-ion transportation. SEM, Raman, and XPS analyses were used for further chemical and structural characterizations of grown LCO thin films. These analyses showed that LCO thin film grown at relatively low substrate temperature of 250 degrees C is a better growth condition when compared to others. Crystallization orientation (104) of LCO thin films is highly important for the potential usage of ASSLIBs technologies without any need of elevated temperatures. Moreover, results support the low-temperature adaption processes for applications like wearable electronics, offering safer and more sustainable solutions for future energy storage systems.