Laser-induced forward transfer as a versatile tool for developing silicon-based anode materials

Further efforts are needed to increase the power and energy density of lithium-ion batteries. This increase can be achieved by developing new electrode architectures and new active materials. As a new active material for anodes, silicon is in the focus of current research, as it has an order of magnitude higher specific energy density compared to the commonly used graphite. In terms of new architecture, printing anodes with the "laser induced forward transfer" (LIFT) process offers a variety of possibilities. For this work, printing with LIFT adapted anode paste was realized and corresponding laser parameters were optimized. The anodes were printed with graphite for subsequent analyses in a coin cell and compared with state-of-the-art coated electrodes made with the same paste. The conventional coated electrodes were either calendered or uncalendered. It was shown that the electrochemical behavior of the printed anodes is comparable to that of the conventional coated anodes. Finally, preliminary studies were made to print an anode with a multilayer architecture. Within the anode layer, which consists of three individual printed layers, silicon layers are incorporated in order to significantly increase the specific capacity.