(630c) Thin Oxide Film Coatings for Improved Lithium Ion Battery Cathodes

The application of alumina ALD films to battery cathodes is known to enhance the cycling stability of lithium ion batteries. The true nature and deposition mechanism of these films is not well understood. In this work we will elucidate the nature of low cycle ALD films on NMC cathode materials and discuss the mechanistic causes behind the characteristics of the films. An ultra-thin alumina film is applied to cathode particles by atomic layer deposition (ALD) with a variety of cycle numbers. The films generated within the first 10 cycles of deposition are shown to improve the cycling stability of lithium ion battery cathodes. Low energy ion scattering (LEIS) and computational modeling were used to elucidate the coating mechanism that leads to the observed improved performance.