SBIR Phase I:High-Rate Production of Nano-Architectured Hybrid Oxide Materials for Lithium Battery Cathodes

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibility of a novel method, Reactive Vapor Deposition (RVD), which is capable of mass producing thin-film, meso-porous and nano-phased cathode materials for use in lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries. Theoretical calculations and a primitive bench-top set-up have given the initial indication that this highly versatile method could potentially produce various stable cathode materials at a high throughput rate and at low cost. The Phase-I research is aimed at designing and building a bench-top RVD apparatus to demonstrate the general technical feasibility and commercial viability of this method as applied to the fabrication of nano-phased hybrid oxides for re-chargeable battery cathodes. The commercial applications and other benefits will be lower-cost and more stable lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries. This could have a major impact on the markets of portable electronic, computer, and communications devices. The market demands for all types of rechargeable cells is expected to grow at a compound rate of 11% per year, reaching a total of 3 billion cells by 2005. The lithium ion cells are expected to capture a 20% market share with a total of $6 billion (based on a wholesale price of $10 per cell). An even greater market size will become possible when much lower-cost and stable lithium-ion batteries are widely used in electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.