Battery Materials

As the demand for high-performance batteries continues to grow, driven by electric vehicles, portable electronics, and renewable energy storage, understanding and optimising battery materials is more critical than ever. Advanced surface and interface analysis techniques such as Near Ambient Pressure XPS (NAP-XPS), Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) offer powerful insights into the chemical, structural, and morphological changes that govern battery performance and degradation.

NAP-XPS allows researchers to study battery electrode surfaces under near-realistic operating conditions, including exposure to ambient gases and electrolytes. It can be applied in order to capte dynamic processes such as solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, lithium plating, and surface oxidation, phenomena that directly impact battert charge efficiency, cycle life, and safety. By analysing chemical states in operando or post-mortem, NAP-XPS supports the development of more stable electrode materials and electrolytes for next-generation lithium-ion and solid-state batteries.

HAXPES complements this by using higher energy X-rays to probe deeper into buried interfaces and electrode layers, such as those found in solid electrolyte systems or coated cathode materials. This enables detailed analysis of subsurface chemical states without the need for destructive sample preparation.

Meanwhile, AFM provides high-resolution surface topography and mechanical property mapping, revealing nanoscale morphology changes due to cycling, dendrite growth, or surface degradation. Together, these techniques form a comprehensive toolkit for understanding battery material behaviour across multiple length scales, supporting innovation in materials science, energy storage, and electrochemical engineering.

Relevant products

IONTOF M6 TOF-SIMS

The M6 is the latest generation of high-end TOF-SIMS instruments developed by IONTOF. Its design guarantees superior performance in all fields of SIMS applications. Ground-breaking ion beam and mass analyser technologies make the M6 the benchmark in SIMS instrumentation and the ideal tool for industrial and academic research. The instrument includes:

M6 TOF Analyser: The revolutionary design of the extraction optics, the ion transfer and detection system provides an unmatched level of mass resolution, mass accuracy and transmission.

Nanoprobe 50: The Nanoprobe 50 is the latest generation bismuth cluster ion source for the M6. It provides highest beam currents and ultimate lateral resolutions down to 50 nm, guaranteed.

 

 

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EnviroMETROS

EnviroMETROS is a unique metrology platform for the chemical analysis of ultrathin films and 2D materials that allows a detailed characterisation of stoichiometries‚ composition and depth distribution of elements. The system combines XPS with an array of optional techniques such as HAXPES, UPS, IPES, AES, REELS, Raman and Infrared spectroscopies. These techniques can be employed on the same sample spot. It can optionally be configured for NAP XPS, but the base model is a UHV load-locked system. Depending on the system configuration, it can be set up for 80x80mm samples or 8″ or 12″ wafers.

 

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AFM Workshop HR High Resolution AFM

The HR Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) from AFM Workshop is an advanced yet affordable AFM for researchers that need the highest resolution scanning capabilities. Due to the 35 picometre noise floor, it is ideal for researchers that need to visualise and measure nanometre or sub-nanometre-sized surface features. The system includes two optical microscopes. From the top, the HR AFM has a research grade video optical microscope with a 7:1 mechanical zoom, a 5 MP camera, and a coaxial light. With a resolution of < 2 microns, this microscope is ideal for locating features on a surface for scanning. The side view video microscope has a 2 mp camera and an off axis LED light source. This camera is used for visualizing the distance between the probe and the sample. This microscope is especially helpful for assisting probe approach on clear samples as well as samples that don’t reflect light. The HR AFM utilizes a unique probe holder/exchange mechanism. Probes are held in place with a spring device that mates with a probe exchange tool. This combination makes changing probes fast and easy.

Electronics in the HR AFM are constructed around industry-standard USB data acquisition electronics. The critical functions, such as XY scanning, are optimised with a 24-bit digital to analogue converter. With the analogue Z feedback loop, the highest fidelity scanning is possible. Vibrating mode scanning is possible with both phase and amplitude feedback using the high sensitivity phase detection electronics. Software for acquiring images is designed with the industry standard LabVIEWâ„¢ programming visual interface instrument design environment. There are many standard functions, including setting scanning parameters, probe approach, frequency tuning, and displaying images in real time. LabVIEWâ„¢ facilitates rapid development for those users seeking to enhance the software with additional special features. LabVIEW also allows the HR AFM to be readily combined with any other instrument using LabVIEW.

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AtomTrace Sci-Trace

The AtomTrace SciTrace is a modular instrument designed from the ground up for high quality Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Measurements. The instrument can either be configured as a vacuum-based instrument, or as a simple open “cage” chamber where the sample is measured under ambient conditions. The vacuum body provides protection against laser reflections and potentially toxic ablated materials. All windows are covered with laser filters. The system can easily be configured to house multiple lasers all pointing at the sample target for multiple / double pulsed LIBS in order to enhance the detection limits.

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EnviroESCA

This novel and smart analysis tool overcomes the barriers of standard XPS systems by enabling analyses at pressures far above UHV. EnviroESCA is designed from the ground up for high-throughput analysis and opens up new applications in the fields of medical technology, biotechnology and the life sciences.

It offers the shortest loading-to-measurement time on samples of all types including liquids, tissue, plastics and foils, powders, soil, zeolites, rocks, minerals and ceramics

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ProvenX NAP

The SPECS ProvenX NAP is available with backfilling configuration or with In-Situ Cell (DeviSIM, like a small compact reactor). It is a performance optimised system for state of the art NAP-XPS as well as NAP-UPS measurements from UHV up to 30 mbar pressure range. It contains a PHOIBOS 150 NAP analyser with unsurpassed transmission and angular acceptance, a high performance small spot monochromatic X-ray source µ-FOCUS 600 NAP, a 4-axes manipulator or DeviSIM with NAP different heating capabilities as well as an optional non-monochromatic UV source UVS 300 NAP.

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AEOLOS 150 Analyser

Highest transmission wide angle hemispherical energy analyser with 60° acceptance angle, and AD-CMOS detector for photo electron spectroscopy measurements (XPS and UPS) and angular resolved studies (ARXPS) in the pressure regime from UHV to near ambient pressure (NAP upgradable). With this analyser NAP-HAXPES measurements up to 10 keV can be performed.

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µFOCUS 450

This small spot source is equipped with Al anode in the standard configuration and two upgradable higher energies anodes (Ag, and Cr) for HAXPES capabilities. The µFOCUS 450 monochromator together with the XR-MC micro-focus X-ray source is perfectly suited for small spot, high resolution, and high intensity XPS measurements. The X-ray monochromator operates according to Bragg’s Law of X-ray diffraction. Each wavelength of X-rays (Al Kα, Ag Lα, Cr Kα) is reflected from individually optimized crystals at a specific angle of reflection. For the Al and Ag anodes, quartz crystal are used, which have a 450 mm and 416 mm Rowland circle diameter respectively , whereas for Cr germanium crystals are used with a 676 mm Rowland circle. Due to its overall compactness, the µFOCUS 450 is suitable for mounting on almost any analysis chambers as a bolt-on component. Furthermore, being already equipped with a Si3N4 window, by using the differentially pumped NAP extension, the µFOCUS 450 allows to carry out XPS measurements under gas atmospheres of up to 50 mbar.

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