Silicon as innovative material for future rechargeable batteries

Greater ranges, shorter charging times and a longer service life: developments such as electric mobility or miniaturisation in electronics require new storage materials. Silicon - for years the material of the semiconductor and MEMS industry - could have decisive advantages. It could store ten times more energy than conventional graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries. But due to its mechanical instability, it has been difficult to take advantage of these benefits until now. Through clever structuring of their surface, the electrodes made of pure silicon presented here utilise their storage potential to the full. Both energy density as well as capacity are many times greater than in current batteries. In addition, they are much lighter than conventional anode materials. The lecture presents manufacturing and application possibilities of silicon anodes.
 

Silicon wafer. Credit: Julia Siekmann