Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
For more than a decade, the sol-gel process has been used to prepare lithiumsilicate gels that have potential applications as solid electrolytes inlithium batteries and electrochromic windows. The interest in these Li2O-SiC2 materials is their fast and stable ionicconductivity from room temperature up to 350°C. Typically these materialshave been prepared with 15 mole % Li2O in bulk samples, butrarely in thin films. This work was undertaken to prepare chemically stablelithium silicate thin films with up to 30 mole % Li2O. Lithiumnitrate was used as the lithium precursor. Solutions were evaluated forgelling time and homogeneity. Thin films were made by dip coating. Afterheat treatment at 200, 250 and 300°C, films were characterized for surfacequality, thickness and microstructure using electron microscopy, x-raydiffraction analysis and profilometry. Transparency was investigated in thevisible range (350–800 nm).