Physico-Chemical Properties of LiMn₂O₄ Films Grown by Laser Ablation

Abstract

Preparation of LiMn₂O₄ in thin-film form may have advantages from a point of view of fundamental studies (because it is a binder-free material with a well-defined interfacial area) and of the emerging field of microbatteries as well. Thin films of lithiated oxides have been synthesized by a variety of techniques including sputtering, spray deposition, reaction of metals, and pulsed-laser deposition [1–12]. In the fabrication of LiMn₂O₄ thin films, formation of the spinel structure is known to be crucial for obtaining a good rechargeability of the cells. Various aspects of LiMn₂O₄ thin films prepared by RF sputtering [5], electron beam deposition [2–3], pyrolitic preparation [6], and pulsed-laser deposition [10–12] have been reported. Thin films of amorphous LiMn₂O₄ have been prepared onto substrates maintained at low-temperature (<150°C) by Shokoohi et al. [2] and Bates et al. [3] with reactive electron beam evaporation and Hwang et ai. [5] with RF magnetron sputtering.