Review on Recent Progress and Challenges in Laser‐Structuring of Electrodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

This review focuses on the recent progress in structuring of lithium-ion battery electrodes via laser ablation technique. Merits and challenges of this practice are discussed with a focus on the laser ablation process and the possible architectures for the most common anode and cathode materials. Furthermore, integration into an industrial set-up is discussed.

Abstract

The traditional lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrode has reached its limitations in terms of energy density and fast charging capabilities. To enable implementation in electric vehicles and other applications, 3D structuring is a method frequently proposed to allow for performance enhancement due to an increase in electrode surface area. Due to the decrease in lithium ion diffusion pathways, potential for application in thick electrodes exists, allowing further enhancement of energy density. Laser ablation is a promising manufacturing technique for the fabrication of 3D structured electrodes due to its ease of implementation in the existing electrode manufacturing process, as well as its flexibility and precision. This review details the main process parameters of the laser ablation process and their influence on the process efficiency and quality of generated structures. It further summarizes recent progress in finding the optimal electrode structure for both cathode and anode, and discusses the opinions on relative importance of cathode v. anode structuring. Lastly, current progress and challenges for the implementation in the battery manufacturing process are detailed, providing techniques for the upscaling and increase of belt speeds.