Alpesh Khushalchand Shukla (Founder, ZoNexus LLC), New electron microscopy tools for characterizing air-sensitive samples.

Wednesday 26 Jan 2022, 12:00 → 13:00 US/Pacific

zoom link https://lbnl.zoom.us/j/97341258188

Abstract: Successful use of solid electrolytes holds promise of not only providing batteries with increased safety but also higher energy density, for example by allowing the use of lithium metal as an anode in Li-ion batteries. There is a clear need for understanding the failure mechanisms in these solid state batteries, that can be done by closely studying the materials and the interfaces between them while they are in operation. A major problem related to in situ study of solid state batteries using electron microscopy is that they often contain materials such as lithium metal, that transform quickly when exposed to air or moisture before they are inserted into the microscope when we use the commercially available biasing or cycling TEM holders. Moreover, it is also challenging to prepare electron microscopy samples of lithium and other air-sensitive materials. ZoNexus has developed several products to address aforementioned issues related to electron microscopy of air-sensitive materials. In this presentation two products for in situ and ex-situ characterization of air-sensitive samples will be demonstrated: 1) Air-free transfer, double tilt, in situ TEM holder that can be used to study phase transformations in solid state battery during cycling and 2) Air-free transfer module for SEM/FIB that can be used to study air-sensitive samples in the SEM and prepare FIB lamellae for TEM investigations.