Self-assembled Vertically Aligned Nanocomposites for Solid-State Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are the main power source for many applications, but none of the current devices can fully satisfy all the requirements for the projected energy storage needs. Common rechargeable batteries are based on liquid electrolytes, which limit their design and safety. Therefore, the need for all solid-state microbatteries arises, which will show enhanced safety, volumetric energy/power density and chemical stability. Planar 2D solid-state thin-film batteries exhibit an undesirable energy vs. power balance, which can be improved by the application of 3D geometries, increasing the internal surface area. Vertical aligned nanocomposite (VAN) thin films have been developed as a new materials’ platform for creating self-assembled device architectures and multifunctionalities, as they show a wide range of attributes arising from the strong interplay among the materials’ properties. Epitaxial VANs are self-assembled through pulsed laser deposition (PLD), without control of the deposition sequence, as is required for planar multilayer films. Although various epitaxial VANs have been studied in the last decade, no lithium-based VANs have yet been explored for energy storage. Considering that self-assembled VANs are obtained through PLD, the main goal of this thesis is to apply this principle for lithium containing oxide materials, and to study its impact on the electrochemical behavior for battery applications.