NANOCOATINGS INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N162-092

Description

The U.S. Navy requires reliable all solid-state batteries (ASSB) that have solid state electrolytes to enhance the safety and performance of batteries used in its naval aircraft fleet. NanoCoatings, Inc. (NCI), along with South Dakota School of Mines (SDSMT) propose to use magnetron sputtering physical vapor deposition (MS PVD) to fabricate a novel multilayer ASSB architecture which will have tailored structures to accommodate lithiation/delithiation and enhance the contact resistance between the layers. By adjustment of MS-PVD parameters-tailored structures, such as dense for electrolyte and columnar for the intermediate functional layers fabricated with a novel glass-ceramic electrolyte, the mechanical integrity and required performance during ASSB cycling will be achieved. In the Phase I Base, separate anode and cathode structures with functional layers and solid-electrolyte layers will be fabricated for assembly into a battery cell. In the Phase I Option, a layer-by-layer complete battery cell will be fabricated by MS-PVD. SDSMT will fabricate the sputter targets for MS-PVD and perform detailed material and cell testing and evaluations which will include structural integrity (adhesion) and cell-performance evaluations, such as internal resistance, current-voltage behavior, discharge rate, and heat-generation. During the Phase I-Option NCI will develop a draft Materials and Process specification.