Low-temperature Plasmas Enabling the Next-generation Batteries

Our society is experiencing a pressing need to transition from a traditional fossil-fuel-based economy to a renewable energy one. Developing more energy-dense Li-ion batteries is critically needed for an energetic transition that is anticipated to bring enormous societal and environmental benefits. Unfortunately, current Li-ion battery technology has reached maturity and incremental improvements in battery energy density will not satisfy the growing customer demand nor enable a renewable energy future. The need for new and improved battery materials is widely recognized within the energy industry and research communities as the main bottleneck towards realizing next-generation electrochemical energy storage solutions. SiLi-ion Inc. is developing a silicon-based battery material with energy density that substantially exceeds that of the standard graphite anode. This solution hinges on the use of a low-temperature plasma process for the conversion of silane into sub-10 nm silicon nanoparticles. These small particles are then further engineered into a material that seamlessly replaces graphite flakes in the battery manufacturing procedure. In other words, the low-temperature plasma-produced material is a ôdrop-inö graphite replacement that provides an immediate boost in battery performance. Support from the SBIR program will allow SiLi-ion to investigate the relation between the plasma processing parameters and the electrochemical performance of the product. Preliminary results suggest that performance parameters such as cycle life and coulombic efficiencies strongly depend on particle size and structure, and that these can be in turn controlled by tuning of plasma processing parameters. SiLi-ion will also engineer the design of its plasma reactor with the goal of maximizing the efficiency with which it converts the precursor, silane gas, into silicon nanoparticles. Completing this project will provide SiLi-ion with both a superior material as well as a highly advantageous process in terms of production rate and scalability. This will place SiLi-ion in a competitive position in a technology space that is projected to experience impressive and sustained growth over the next decade. This project will lay the foundation of a Phase II application that will focus on scaling the plasma process to pilot scale, a necessary step towards successful commercialization.