Abstract

A key metric that affects Li-ion battery cell performance is the electronic conductivity of the electrode films. Previous research has found that the conductivity of electrodes is not homogeneous throughout the entirety of the deposited film area. To further characterize the non-homogeneity of the conductivity of electrode films, a micro-N-line probe and a micro-flex-line probe were developed to take micro-scale conductivity measurements of thin-film battery electrodes in a non-destructive manner. These devices have been validated by comparing test results to those of it's predecessor, the micro-four-line probe, on various commercial-quality Li-ion battery electrodes. Results show that there is significant variation in conductivity on a millimeter and even micrometer length scale throughout the electrode film. Compared to the micro-four-line probe, the micro-N-line probe and micro-flex-line probe perform six times as many measurement configurations made on contact with the electrode, while providing a more robust design. Design improvements on the micro-four-line probe in order to fabricate the micro-flex-line probe are the main focus of this thesis. Researchers and manufacturers can use this probe to identify heterogeneity in their electrodes during the fabrication process, which will lead to the development of better batteries.

Degree

MS

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology; Electrical and Computer Engineering

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2017-06-01

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd9317

Keywords

Li-ion Battery, Conductivity, Electrode, Flexible

Language

english

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