GHz laser ablation of water-based NMC 811 electrodes: optimizing pulse envelope shapes for enhanced manufacturing performance

The increasing demand for high-performance energy storage systems necessitates significant advancements in lithium-ion battery technology, requiring high-energy and high-power density operations with stringent safety requirements and extended lifespans while maintaining cost-effective production. Beyond material optimization, opportunities exist through high mass loading electrodes, electrode architectures and their successful transition to industrial manufacturing scales. Three-dimensional electrode architectures utilizing laser ablation techniques are regularly studied for their impact on battery performance and potential integration into large-scale manufacturing processes. Advanced electrode designs incorporate micro and sub-micron structures offering significant enhancements in battery lifetime and high-power operational capabilities compared to conventional electrodes. Previous electrode material ablation studies have mainly focused on nanosecond, picosecond, or femtosecond lasers with kHz and MHz repetition rates. This study investigates GHz laser ablation of lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC 811) electrode material with high areal capacities (>8 mAh/cm2) and water-based binders as a function of varied pulse envelope shapes and burst mode parameters. ... mehrThe research examined different envelope configurations, flat, rise and fall and their influence on material removal in NMC 811 electrodes, while a burst pulse length of 500 ns and a scanning speed of 20 m/s were kept constant. The investigation revealed envelope shape optimization increased the aspect ratio while maintaining precise control over channel geometries, establishing a pathway toward sustainable, high-throughput production of advanced energy storage systems.