Structural properties of lithium thio-germanate thin film electrolytes grown by radio frequency sputtering

Inorg Chem. 2011 Mar 21;50(6):2143-50. doi: 10.1021/ic101448m. Epub 2011 Feb 16.

Abstract

In this study, lithium thio-germanate thin film electrolytes have been successfully prepared by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering deposition in Ar gas atmospheres. The targets for RF sputtering were prepared by milling and pressing appropriate amounts of the melt-quenched starting materials in the nLi(2)S + GeS(2) (n = 1, 2, and 3) binary system. Approximately 1 μm thin films were grown on Ni coated Si (Ni/Si) substrates and pressed CsI pellets using 50 W power and 25 mtorr (∼3.3 Pa) Ar gas pressures to prepare samples for Raman and Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, respectively. To improve the adhesion between the silicon substrate and the thin film electrolyte, a sputtered Ni layer (∼120 nm) was used. The surface morphologies and thickness of the thin films were determined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The structural properties of the starting materials, target materials, and the grown thin films were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, and IR spectroscopy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Electrolytes / chemistry
  • Germanium / chemistry*
  • Lithium / chemistry*
  • Membranes, Artificial*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemical synthesis
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemistry*
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds / chemistry*

Substances

  • Electrolytes
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds
  • Germanium
  • Lithium