Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition for Battery Material Synthesis
Poster Number
4A
Faculty Mentor Name
Val Lulevich
Format
Poster Presentation
Research or Creativity Area
Engineering & Computer Science
Abstract
The electrification of the automotive sector is a critical pathway to reducing global carbon emissions, and its success depends heavily on advances in battery technology. Lithium-ion batteries are the main energy storage solution for electric vehicles, yet limitations in charge density and charge rate continue to hinder their ability to compete with gasoline-powered vehicles. We aim to increase the charge density of lithium-ion batteries and reduce their charge time by using a novel anode material consisting of porous silicon nanoparticles with a carbon coating. The silicon is capable of storing more lithium ions in its lattice than the traditional graphite anodes that are widely used today. The current method of production of this material is via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques that are temperature dependent and progress very slowly. We explore a new method of enhancing CVD through the addition of plasma generated reactive species. We designed and built a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) tool that is tailored to battery material requirements (small particles and complex deposition profiles). Our system consists of a magnetron-based plasma source (RF or DC) positioned directly above the powder-filled, cold-wall CVD reactor. The system is fully automated using a programmable logic controller (PLC) and executes user-defined recipes. To address coating uniformity challenges inherent to particulate substrates, we developed a unique agitation mechanism based on 2D membrane resonance. Preliminary SEM and Raman spectroscopy results show the formation of an sp2 carbon layer on battery electrode particles with low porosity and a high degree of graphitization.
Location
University of the Pacific, DeRosa University Center
Start Date
24-4-2026 11:00 AM
End Date
24-4-2026 2:00 PM
Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition for Battery Material Synthesis
University of the Pacific, DeRosa University Center
The electrification of the automotive sector is a critical pathway to reducing global carbon emissions, and its success depends heavily on advances in battery technology. Lithium-ion batteries are the main energy storage solution for electric vehicles, yet limitations in charge density and charge rate continue to hinder their ability to compete with gasoline-powered vehicles. We aim to increase the charge density of lithium-ion batteries and reduce their charge time by using a novel anode material consisting of porous silicon nanoparticles with a carbon coating. The silicon is capable of storing more lithium ions in its lattice than the traditional graphite anodes that are widely used today. The current method of production of this material is via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques that are temperature dependent and progress very slowly. We explore a new method of enhancing CVD through the addition of plasma generated reactive species. We designed and built a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) tool that is tailored to battery material requirements (small particles and complex deposition profiles). Our system consists of a magnetron-based plasma source (RF or DC) positioned directly above the powder-filled, cold-wall CVD reactor. The system is fully automated using a programmable logic controller (PLC) and executes user-defined recipes. To address coating uniformity challenges inherent to particulate substrates, we developed a unique agitation mechanism based on 2D membrane resonance. Preliminary SEM and Raman spectroscopy results show the formation of an sp2 carbon layer on battery electrode particles with low porosity and a high degree of graphitization.
