Jones Seminar: Combinatorial Synthesis of Ionic Materials Using Atmospheric Pressure Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition

ZOOM LINK
Meeting ID: 937 4316 0035
Passcode: 411385

Solid state batteries (SSBs) are considered the most promising next-generation energy storage technology both due to their increased safety over conventional wet Li-ion cells and their ability to fabricate novel architectures with simultaneous high energy and power density. However, the ionic conductivities of many solid electrolyte materials are orders of magnitude lower than liquid carbonate-based electrolytes. In order to offer SSBs with competitive charge/discharge rates, SSB active layers need to be thin (for fast ion diffusion) but have a large surface area (to enable large ion flux from anode to cathode). These geometric constraints establish the need for 3D nanostructures for a high-performance battery architecture. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is ideally suited to fabricate such devices due to its highly conformal nature and Angstrom-scale thickness control, however many challenges remain with materials fabrication and process integration.

I will discuss development and progress in fabrication of both plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) and thermal ALD processes for the Li, Na, and K alkali polyphosphazene (A*PON) electrolytes. I will discuss and compare the reaction mechanisms and growth behavior among the entire family of A*PON solid electrolyte thin films, as well as discuss current progress and the integration challenges on the path to developing all-ALD planar and 3D SSBs. Lastly, I will discuss how high-throughput combinatorial strategies can facilitate synthesis of next-generation thin-film solid electrolyte materials.

Hosted by Professor Will Scheideler.

About the Speaker(s)

Alexander Kozen
Assistant Professor of Physics, UVM

Alexander C. Kozen is an assistant professor and graduate program director in the Department of Physics at the University of Vermont in Burlington, VT, and a Mercator Fellow and visiting researcher at FAU Erlangen in Bavaria, Germany. Professor Kozen's research group focuses on the nexus of thin film deposition, solid state ionics, and ultra-high vacuum surface science. They utilize approaches ubiquitous in the semiconductor industry to develop test platforms designed to elucidate fundamental properties of materials and interfaces for advanced solid-state batteries, solar cells, and next-generation computing. Kozen has co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications and holds 1 US patent.

Contact

For more information, contact Joyce Xiao at joyce.xiao@dartmouth.edu .