| abstract |
A Thin film electrode for a rechargeable (secondary) battery is prepared by electron beam deposition of LiMn 2 O 4 , LiCoO 2 , or LiNiO 2 on a smooth, amorphous substrate surface and in situ annealing of the deposited lithium composition at a temperature below about 500° C. The amorphous nature of the substrate surface prevents epitaxial growth or ordered orientation of the minute composition crystallites thus formed. The finely granular structure of the resulting electrode thin film presents abundant surface area that enables a 4V battery to provide current densities in the range of 500 microamps/cm 2 . The low annealing temperature enables formation of the electrode structure and subsequent battery assembly directly upon semiconductor devices and integrated circuitry. |