Epitaxial Thin Films as a Model System for Li-Ion Conductivity in Li₄Ti₅O₁₂

Abstract

Using an epitaxial thin-film model system deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), we study the Li-ion conductivity in Li₄Ti₅O₁₂, a common anode material for Li-ion batteries. Epitaxy, phase purity, and film composition across the film thickness are verified employing out-of-plane and in-plane X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and elastic recoil detection analysis. We find that epitaxial Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ behaves like an ideal ionic conductor that is well described by a parallel RC equivalent circuit, with an ionic conductivity of 2.5 × 10^-5 S/cm at 230 °C and an activation energy of 0.79 eV in the measured temperature range of 205 to 350 °C. Differently, in a co-deposited polycrystalline Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ thin film with an average in-plane grain size of <10 nm, a more complex behavior with contributions from two distinct processes is observed. Ultimately, epitaxial Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ thin films can be grown by PLD and reveal suitable transport properties for further implementation as zero-strain and grain boundary free anodes in future solid-state microbattery designs.