Nanotech company NEI Corporation (NEI) and atomic layer deposition specialist (ALD) PneumatiCoat Technologies (PCT) have agreed to jointly develop ALD-coated battery materials.
The agreement includes the development, production and marketing of cathodes, anodes and solid electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries. The companies will offer ALD coatings on a variety of battery material compositions, such as mixed metal oxides phosphates, silicates, titanates, sulfides, graphite and silicon-based active materials.
According to PCT, ALD-coated particles enable an improved cycle life, enhanced safety, greater stability and abuse tolerance, particularly under higher temperature and voltage operation.
US-based NEI customises cathode and anode materials used in lithium batteries and develops new compositions as well as particle morphologies.
ALD is a thin film deposition technique that is based on the sequential use of a gas phase chemical process, allowing ultra-thin films of a few nanometres to be deposited in a controlled way. The ALD platform was originally developed in Europe. US PCT is now facilitating the transition of the ALD platform from slow and expensive to economical, robust and industrially viable.
NEI developed a lithium-ion battery where the electrolytes are dissolved in water instead of an organic solvent earlier this year.
