Abstract: A method is provided for forming a porous, electrochemically active lithium manganese oxide layer on a substrate, the method comprising: depositing a porous manganese oxide layer on the substrate; providing a Li containing layer on the porous manganese oxide layer; and afterwards performing an annealing step at a temperature in the range between 200° C. and 400° C., thereby inducing a solid-state reaction between the porous manganese oxide layer and the Li containing layer. The method may further comprise, before depositing the porous manganese oxide layer: depositing a seed layer on the substrate. A method of the present disclosure may be used for forming electrode layers of lithium-ion batteries.

Abstract: The disclosed technology relates to electrode layers of ion insertion type batteries and to electrode layer materials, wherein the electrode layer materials have a good electronic conductivity and a good ion conductivity, and wherein the electrode layers offer a good rate performance and a high storage capacity. The disclosed technology further relates to ion insertion type battery cells and batteries including such electrode layers, e.g., as an anode. The disclosed technology further relates to methods of forming such electrode layers and to methods for fabricating ion insertion type battery cells and batteries. The electrode layers according to the disclosed technology comprise titanium oxide comprising chlorine and may be deposited by atomic layer deposition at temperatures lower than 150° C.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for the fabrication of a thin-film solid-state battery with Ni(OH)2 electrode, battery cell, and battery. One example embodiment is a method for fabricating a thin-film solid-state battery cell on a substrate comprising a first current collector layer. The method includes depositing above the first current collector layer a first electrode layer. The first electrode layer is a nanoporous composite layer that includes a plurality of pores having pore walls. The first electrode layer includes a mixture of a dielectric material and an active electrode material. The method also includes depositing above the first electrode layer a porous dielectric layer. The method further includes depositing directly on the porous dielectric layer a second electrode layer. Depositing the second electrode layer includes depositing a porous Ni(OH)2 layer using an electrochemical deposition process.

Abstract: A cluster of non-collapsed nanowires, a template to produce the same, methods to obtain the template and to obtain the cluster by using the template, and devices having the cluster. The cluster and the template both have an interconnected region and an interconnection-free region.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for the fabrication of a thin-film solid-state battery with Ni(OH)2 electrode, battery cell, and battery. One example embodiment is a method for fabricating a thin-film solid-state battery cell on a substrate comprising a first current collector layer. The method includes depositing above the first current collector layer a first electrode layer. The first electrode layer is a nanoporous composite layer that includes a plurality of pores having pore walls. The first electrode layer includes a mixture of a dielectric material and an active electrode material. The method also includes depositing above the first electrode layer a porous dielectric layer. The method further includes depositing directly on the porous dielectric layer a second electrode layer. Depositing the second electrode layer includes depositing a porous Ni(OH)2 layer using an electrochemical deposition process.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a thin film solid-state Li-ion battery comprising a first electrode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and a second electrode layer. The method comprises depositing, on a substrate, an initial layer stack comprising a first layer comprising a first electrode material compound, and a second layer comprising an electrolyte material compound; and afterwards performing a lithiation step comprising incorporating Li in the first layer and in the second layer, thereby forming a stack of a first electrode layer and a solid electrolyte layer. The initial layer stack may further comprise a third layer comprising a second electrode material compound. By performing the lithiation step, Li is also incorporated in the third layer, such that a stack of a first electrode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and a second electrode layer is formed. One or more of the first, second, or third layers may be Li-free.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a porous, electrochemically active lithium manganese oxide layer on a substrate, the method comprising: depositing a porous manganese oxide layer on the substrate; providing a Li containing layer on the porous manganese oxide layer; and afterwards performing an annealing step at a temperature in the range between 200° C. and 400° C., thereby inducing a solid-state reaction between the porous manganese oxide layer and the Li containing layer. The method may further comprise, before depositing the porous manganese oxide layer: depositing a seed layer on the substrate. A method of the present disclosure may be used for forming electrode layers of lithium-ion batteries.

Abstract: An method for manufacturing a electronic device is provided having a current collector capable of a high specific charge collecting area and power, but is also achieved using a simple and fast technique and resulting in a robust design that may be flexed and can be manufactured in large scale processing. To this end the electronic device comprising an electronic circuit equipped with a current collector formed by a metal substrate having a face forming a high-aspect ratio structure of pillars having an interdistance larger than 600 nm. By forming the high-aspect structure in a metal substrate, new structures can be formed that are conformal to curvature of a macroform or that can be coiled or wound and have a robust design.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a thin film solid-state Li-ion battery comprising a first electrode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and a second electrode layer. The method comprises depositing, on a substrate, an initial layer stack comprising a first layer comprising a first electrode material compound, and a second layer comprising an electrolyte material compound; and afterwards performing a lithiation step comprising incorporating Li in the first layer and in the second layer, thereby forming a stack of a first electrode layer and a solid electrolyte layer. The initial layer stack may further comprise a third layer comprising a second electrode material compound. By performing the lithiation step, Li is also incorporated in the third layer, such that a stack of a first electrode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and a second electrode layer is formed. One or more of the first, second, or third layers may be Li-free.

Abstract: Composite electrodes are disclosed that comprise an active electrode material and a solid electrolyte, wherein the solid electrolyte is a composite electrolyte. The composite electrolyte comprises an electrically insulating material having a plurality of pores and a solid electrolyte material covering inner surfaces of the plurality of pores. The active electrode material may comprise a plurality of active electrode material particles in electrical contact with each other, and the composite electrolyte may be located in spaces between the plurality of active electrode material particles. The present disclosure is further related to solid-state batteries comprising a stack of an anode, a solid electrolyte layer, and a cathode, wherein at least one of the anode and the cathode is a composite electrode according to the present disclosure. The present disclosure further provides methods for fabricating such composite electrodes and solid-state batteries.

Abstract: A cluster of non-collapsed nanowires, a template to produce the same, methods to obtain the template and to obtain the cluster by using the template, and devices comprising the cluster are described. The cluster and the template both have an interconnected region and an interconnection-free region.

Abstract: A plating apparatus securely carries out a flattening plating of a substrate to form a plated film having a flat surface without using a costly mechanism, and without applying an extra plating to the substrate. The plating apparatus includes a substrate holder; a cathode section having a seal member for watertightly sealing a peripheral portion of the substrate, and a cathode electrode for supplying an electric current to the substrate; an anode disposed in a position facing the surface of the substrate; a porous member disposed between the anode and the surface of the substrate; a constant-voltage control section for controlling a voltage applied between the cathode electrode and the anode at a constant value; and a current monitor section for monitoring an electric current flowing between the cathode electrode and the anode, and feeding back a detection signal to the constant-voltage control section.

Abstract: A plating apparatus securely carries out a flattening plating of a substrate to form a plated film having a flat surface without using a costly mechanism, and without applying an extra plating to the substrate. The plating apparatus includes a substrate holder; a cathode section having a seal member for watertightly sealing a peripheral portion of the substrate, and a cathode electrode for supplying an electric current to the substrate; an anode disposed in a position facing the surface of the substrate; a porous member disposed between the anode and the surface of the substrate; a constant-voltage control section for controlling a voltage applied between the cathode electrode and the anode at a constant value; and a current monitor section for monitoring an electric current flowing between the cathode electrode and the anode, and feeding back a detection signal to the constant-voltage control section.

Abstract: A plating method can form a plated film having a uniform thickness over the entire surface, including the peripheral surface, of a substrate. The plating method includes: disposing an anode so as to face a conductive film, formed on a substrate, which serves as a cathode, and disposing an auxiliary cathode on an ring-shaped seal member for sealing a peripheral portion of the substrate; bringing the conductive film, the anode and the auxiliary cathode into contact with a plating solution; and supplying electric currents between the anode and the conductive film, and between the anode and the auxiliary cathode to carry out plating.

Abstract: A contact metallurgy structure comprising a patterned dielectric layer having cavities on a substrate; a silicide or germanide layer such as of cobalt and/or nickel located at the bottom of cavities; a contact layer comprising Ti or Ti/TiN located on top of the dielectric layer and inside the cavities and making contact to the silicide or germanide layer on the bottom; a diffusion barrier layer located on top of the contact layer and inside the cavities; optionally a seed layer for plating located on top of the barrier layer; a metal fill layer in vias is provided along with a method of fabrication. The metal fill layer is electrodeposited with at least one member selected from the group consisting of copper, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, molybdenum, gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, cadmium and zinc and alloys thereof. When the metal fill layer is rhodium, ruthenium, or iridium, an effective diffusion barrier layer is not required between the fill metal and the dielectric.

Abstract: A structure and process are provided that are capable of reducing the occurrence of discontinuities within the metallization, such as voiding or seams, formed during electroplating at the edges of semiconductor metallization arrays. The structure includes a metallization bar located around the periphery of the array. The process employs the structure during electroplating.

Abstract: An electrolytic processing method is used to remove a metal film formed on a surface of a substrate. The electrolytic processing method includes providing a feeding electrode 31 and a processing electrode 32 on a table 12, providing an insulating member 36 between the feeding electrode and the processing electrode, holding the substrate W by a substrate carrier 11, bringing the substrate into contact with the insulating member, supplying first and second electrolytic processing liquids to gaps between the feeding electrode and the substrate and between the processing electrode and the substrate, respectively, while the first and second electrolytic processing liquids are electrically isolated, applying voltage between the feeding electrode and the processing electrode, and making a relative movement between the substrate carrier and the table to electrically process the metal film.

Abstract: An electrolytic processing apparatus can planarize uniformly over an entire surface of a substrate under a low pressure without any damages to the substrate. The electrolytic processing apparatus has a substrate holder configured to hold and rotate a substrate having a metal film formed on a surface of the substrate and an electrolytic processing unit configured to perform an electrolytic process on the substrate held by the substrate holder. The electrolytic processing unit has a rotatable processing electrode, a polishing pad attached to the rotatable processing electrode, and a pressing mechanism configured to press the polishing pad against the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus for direct electroplating of a conductive material, such as copper, on resistive liners or substrates is provided. The apparatus includes an integrated in-situ measuring system to follow the actual progress of the front of the conductive material during plating. Feed-back of this information to a power supply allows for more precise control of the effective current density during plating.

Abstract: A method is provided for electroplating a gate metal or other conducting or semiconducting material directly on a dielectric such as a gate dielectric. The method involves selecting a substrate, dielectric layer, and electrolyte solution or melt, wherein the combination of the substrate, dielectric layer, and electrolyte solution or melt allow an electrochemical current to be passed from the substrate through the dielectric layer into the electrolyte solution or melt. Methods are also provided for electrochemical modification of dielectrics utilizing through-dielectric current flow.