A Macro-to-nano Zoom through a Real-world Battery with X-ray Vision

(44:23 + Q&A) Prof. Yijin Liu, UT-Austin & Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory -- metrology, degradation, structural, chemical, mechanical, cathode materials ...
Summary: The lithium-ion battery (LIB) features structural and chemical complexities across a broad range of length scales. An in-depth understanding of the battery function, degradation, and failure mechanisms requires a thorough investigation from the structural, chemical, mechanical, and dynamic perspectives. In this talk, I present a macro-to-nano zoom through the hierarchy of a standard battery cell using a suite of state-of-the-art X-ray characterization techniques. Damage, deformation, and heterogeneity at different length scales are visualized and are associated to different degradation phenomena and mechanisms. Our results highlight the importance of the cathode material’s mechanical properties, which could significantly impact both immediate and long-term cell behaviors. Going beyond battery research, I will also briefly discuss the application of X-ray characterization tools for applications in the semiconductor industry and in electronic device packaging.
Yijin Liu received his Ph.D. degree in Optics in 2009 through a joint education program between the University of Science & Technology of China (USTC) and the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP). He joined Stanford University as a postdoctoral scholar in 2009 and became an Associate Staff Scientist (2012), a Staff Scientist (2015), and a Lead Scientist (2020) at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Liu has over 10 years of experience in X-ray microscopy and spectroscopy at multiple length scales using both synchrotrons and compact laboratory X-ray sources. In addition to his expertise in X-ray based techniques, his scientific research interest focuses on the fields of functional materials science and associated big data mining.