Thin Film Deposition Techniques in Surface Engineering Strategies for Advanced Lithium-Ion Batteries

Recent progress in the fabrication of controlled structures and advanced materials has improved battery performance in terms of specific capacity, rate capability, and cycling stability. However, interfacial problems such as increased resistance and contact instability between the electrodes and solid/liquid electrolytes still put pressure on the controllable formation of structures and the improvement of performance as well as safety. Here, we first briefly introduce the deposition techniques in terms of working mechanism and experimental process, then illustrate the associated advantages/disadvantages of the surface engineering methods based on deposition techniques (physical vapor deposition and chemical reaction deposition) to the provision of reference for researchers selecting the appropriate approach. Second, we exemplify the Si/LiCoO2/LiPON/Li to demonstrate the main progress made in lithium-ion batteries, elaborating on the efforts in engineering the reactive surface utilizing the deposition techniques. Finally, general conclusions and prospects for future advanced thin film deposition techniques in the field of lithium-ion batteries are presented.