Amorphous silicon anode for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries

Amorphous silicon is investigated as a negative electrode (anode) material for lithium-ion batteries. A thin (500 Angstrom) film of amorphous silicon is cycled versus a lithium electrode. A maximum discharge capacity of 4 Ah g(-1) is observed by cycling over a voltage window of 0-3 V, but capacity fading is rapid after 20 cycles. This capacity fading can be overcome, to more than 400 cycles, by changing the lower voltage limit to 0.2 V In this situation, the discharge capacity is about 400 mAh g(-1). (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.