Facile synthesis of multilayer-like Si thin film as high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

For the silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries, it is well known that the enormous volumetric expansion/contraction is also the mainly reason for the capacity fading. In this manuscript, a new kind of Si thin films was prepared with a radio frequency magnetron sputtering method. By using a periodic modulation negative bias on the substrate, a density-modulated multilayer-like silicon thin films with different layer densities were used as anode materials of lithium-ion batteries, and which displayed a high capacity and stable cycling performances. The reason for the charming electrochemical performances may be owned to the particular density modulated microstructure of the Si thin films. It is conjectured that the lower density can as compliant layers and which provided the volume for the higher-density layer expansion in the process of the lithiation/delithiation. In contrast to the conventional silicon anodes, the density modulated microstructure in this work could exploit a new approach to silicon thin-film anode materials with outstanding electrochemical properties and mechanical stability. And these reports may be provide a new way to prepare the Si thin films for the high-energy, safe, and low-cost batteries.