Thin Film Solid-State Battery Manufacturing for Sustainable Energy Storage

Lamination technologies used to produce lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are limited by the capital investment needed for multiple unit operations, solvent use for electrolyte and electrode slurries, and inability to exert control over active material particle morphology and homogeneity. Advancements in thin-film solid-state processing using vacuum coating hold promise to overcome these challenges for batteries with superior energy density and cycle life. A comparative life cycle assessment is reported for battery production using lamination and thin-film vacuum vapor deposition. Solid-state lithium cells have a 25 to 65% lower impact, per unit energy storage, than laminated LIBs in cumulative energy demand (CED) and global warming potential (GWP) across all cathode chemistries. Sensitivity analysis, taking into account uncertainties related to solid-state cell properties and vapor deposition process efficiencies, indicate that CED and GWP impacts for battery electric vehicle mobility using packs with solid-state cells are lower than those incurred using laminated cells.