Review of In-situ and Ex-situ Techniques for Characterization of Li-ion Batteries

Abstract

—This paper describes the analytical techniques and sample preparation methods used in in-situ and ex-situ investigations of Li-ion batteries (LIBs). The introduction briefly describes the current state of Li-ion batteries and their aging mechanisms. The article is further divided into a description of ex-situ and in-situ techniques. Ex-situ techniques include a detailed description of sample preparation for repeatable results using Broad Ion Beam (BIB) polisher. In-situ techniques are described in the form of a report of selected published experiments. The paper is further extended with our experiments involving ex-situ analyses of cylindrical and flat cell types using BIB in planar mode and cross-section mode. In the case of in-situ experiments, the design of the cell inside the SEM chamber is described. Two experiments have been performed - on the surface of a MEMS chip, and also using a micromanipulator as a current collector of the investigated electrode.