In situ atomic force microscopy studies on lithium (de)intercalation-induced morphology changes in LixCoO2 micro-machined thin film electrodes

► Conduct a unique in situ AFM measurement on micro-machined sample. ► Exclude secondary/non-active materials and remove vagueness due to irregular geometry. ► Develop and validate a proposed coupled electrochemical and mechanical model. ► Reveal the key effects of geometry and kinetics on active material stability.