Cooperative Agreement DEEE0010224

THE PRIMARY PROJECT OBJECTIVE IS THE APPLICATION OF SOURCE-LESS PLASMA TECHNOLOGY IN THE MASS PRODUCTION OF THE SILICON NANOWIRE-BASED ANODE. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY MODIFICATIONS TO A COMMERCIALIZED TOOL MADE BY CENTROTHERM, WHICH IS BEING USED IN SOLAR INDUSTRY FOR SILICON NITRIDE DEPOSITION ON WAFER SUBSTRATES. THE MODIFICATIONS INCLUDE CHANGES TO PRODUCT HANDLING SO THAT THIN METAL FOILS CAN BE HANDLED, LOADED AND COATED BY USING THE SOURCE-LESS PLASMA. A SUCCESSFUL EQUIPMENT MODIFICATION ABLE TO PROCESS 10-MICRON THICK METAL FOILS (CURRENT COLLECTORS) WILL BE THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE FIRST BUDGET PERIOD. SILICON COATING PROCESS DEVELOPMENT AND OPTIMIZATION WILL BE THE FOCUS OF THE SECOND BUDGET PERIOD, TARGETING OPERATING CONDITIONS AND EQUIPMENT PERFORMANCE THAT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH LARGE SCALE MANUFACTURING REQUIREMENTS (COST, THROUGHPUT, DEPOSITION TIME, EQUIPMENT UPTIME). FURTHERMORE, SILICON NANOWIRE ANODE-BASED LITHIUM-ION CELL PERFORMANCE WILL BE CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED AND IMPROVED WITH REGARD TO PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE APPLICATIONS. AT THE END OF THE PROJECT, AMPRIUS EXPECTS TO HAVE A SOLUTION TO DEPOSIT A 3D NANOWIRE SILICON IN HIGH VOLUME AND COST-EFFECTIVE EQUIPMENT SO THAT AMPRIUS NANOWIRE-BASED SILICON ANODE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY IS READY TO BE COMMERCIALIZED. THE SILICON NANOWIRE CELLS MADE WITH THIS MANUFACTURING SOLUTION ARE EXPECTED TO PERFORM AT LEAST AT THE LEVEL PERFORMED IN THE EXISTING PILOT EQUIPMENT AND, THUS, EXCEED THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ART GRAPHITE CELLS BY AT LEAST 50% IN ENERGY DENSITY AND SPECIFIC ENERGY. THE TARGET PROJECTED COST IN MULTI-GWH PRODUCTION SCALE IS LESS THAN $60/KWH.