Effect of the Etching Profile of a Si Substrate on the Capacitive Characteristics of Three-Dimensional Solid-State Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Along with the soaring demands for all-solid-state thin-film lithium-ion batteries, the problem of their energy density rise becomes very acute. The solution to this problem can be found in development of 3D batteries. The present work deals with the development of a technology for a 3D solid-state lithium-ion battery (3D SSLIB) manufacturing by plasma-chemical etching and magnetron sputtering technique. The results on testing of experimental samples of 3D SSLIB are presented. It was found that submicron-scale steps appearing on the surface of a 3D structure formed on Si substrate by the Bosch process radically change the crystal structure of the upper functional layers. Such changes can lead to disruption of the layers’ continuity, especially that of the down conductors. It is shown that surface polishing by liquid etching of the SiO2 layer and silicon reoxidation leads to surface smoothing, the replacement of the dendrite structure of functional layers by a block structure, and a significant improvement in the capacitive characteristics of the battery.