The effects of substrate and annealing on structural and electrochemical properties in LiCoO2 thin films prepared by DC magnetron sputtering.

LiCoO2 thin films were fabricated by direct current magnetron sputtering method on STS304 and Ti substrates. The effects of substrate and annealing on their structural and electrochemical properties of LiCoO2 thin film cathode were studied. Crystal structures and surface morphologies of the deposited films were investigated by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The as-deposited films on both substrates have amorphous structure. The (104) oriented perfect crystallization was obtained by annealing over 600 degrees C in STS304 substrate. The LiCoO2 thin film deposited on Ti substrate shows the (003) texture after annealing at 700 degrees C. The electrochemical properties were investigated by the cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge measurement. The 600 degrees C-annealed LiCoO2 film deposited on STS304 substrate exhibits the inithial discharge capacity of 22 uAh/cm2 and the 96% capacity retention rate at 50th cycles. The electrochemical measurement on annealed films over 600 degrees C was impossible due to the formed TiO2 insulator layer using Ti substrate. As a result, it was found that the STS304 substrate seems to be more suitable material than the Ti substrate in fabricating LiCoO2 thin film cathode.