Silicon nitride thin film electrode for lithium-ion batteries

This paper presents electrode properties of silicon nitride (SiN0.92) as a negative electrode in a lithium battery investigated in a solid electrolyte. SiN0.92 thin films formed by using pulsed laser deposition technique show redox reactions below 0.5 V vs. Li+/Li. A 200 nm thick film delivers a high capacity of 1800 mAh g−1 at the first reduction process and retains 1300 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles. Although increasing the film thickness to 500 nm decreases the capacity to some extent, the capacities in the 1st and 100th are 1200 and 700 mAh g−1, respectively, which are quite higher than that of the current carbon negative electrode.

► Silicon nitride films formed by using pulsed laser deposition show redox reactions below 0.5 V.
► They deliver high capacities exceeding 1000 mAh g−1.
► The silicon nitride films show high capacity retention in solid electrolytes.