Sn Thin Films and Their Application in Sodium Ion Battery

Secondary batteries provide a more convenient way of storing energy generated from solar or wind power plants.  Lithium ion battery is the most developed battery system with applications in portable electronics and potentially electric vehicles.  The increased applications of lithium ion batteries would impact the reserves of lithium and therefore increase the cost of lithium ion battery.  In order to avoid this situation, an alternative to lithium ion battery needs to be developed.  Sodium, as the fourth most abundant element on earth, can be used in applications where energy density is not critical instead of lithium based batteries due to its low cost.  Moreover, the technology to develop sodium ion batteries (NIBs) is available due to similarities with lithium ion battery.  The challenge to developing NIBs is finding a suitable low cost anode material.  Thin films of Sn were prepared using electrochemical atomic layer deposition (EC-ALD) on Au slides, Cu foil and Ni foam substrate/current collectors to be used as anode material in sodium ion battery.  The deposition parameters were optimized using cyclic voltammetry.  The morphology, thickness and elemental mapping was done using FIB-SEM, AFM and SEM/EDS.  Electrochemical tests were conducted using cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy.  Charge and discharge tests were done to determine the best performing material.

Key words: Sn, EC-ALD, thin films, current collector, Sodium ion battery

 

References

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