Silicon Nitride Lithium Dip-Coating Process:
2,000 Hours of Operation and 20?30% Cost Reduction
Achieving Uniformity, Stability, and High Energy Density
with Reduced Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Pusan National University (President Choi Jaewon) announced on October 10 that a research team led by Professor Minjun Park from the Department of Advanced Convergence Studies, Future Energy Major, and Professor Gyujeong Kim from the Department of Optical Mechatronics Engineering, has succeeded in manufacturing a large-area, ultrathin "graphite-replacement lithium metal anode," a core technology for next-generation electric vehicle and smart device batteries.
From the left, Professor Minjun Park, Professor Gujeong Kim.
This technology is expected to be widely used in high-performance electric vehicles, drones, and aerospace fields, as it can significantly increase battery capacity while also enhancing safety and lifespan.
The research team used a "dip-coating" method, in which a thin silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) film was coated onto a copper metal plate and then immersed in molten lithium (Li) at 300°C.
During this process, the silicon nitride film helped lithium spread evenly and adhere firmly, naturally forming two alloy layers on the surface.
The lower lithium-silicon (LixSiy) alloy layer acted as a strong support for the electrode, while the upper lithium-nitrogen (LixNy) alloy layer created a pathway for lithium to move uniformly.
As a result, the phenomenon of lithium clustering or growing like "dendrites" inside the battery was suppressed, and electrode stability was maintained even after repeated charging and discharging cycles.
The lithium metal electrode produced using this method has a thickness of 20 to 40 μm-thinner than paper and about half the thickness of a human hair-yet it successfully operated stably for over 2,000 hours.
While it was previously difficult to manufacture such thin and wide lithium films using conventional rolling methods, this study succeeded in producing large-area films of 100 cm², demonstrating the potential for industrial scalability.
The global lithium metal battery market is expected to grow to approximately 30 billion dollars (about 41 trillion won) by 2030.
This ultrathin anode technology based on molten lithium dip-coating can reduce manufacturing costs by 20 to 30 percent compared to existing rolling and deposition processes, while also solving the problems of uniformity and stability in lithium thin films.
Additionally, it has been proven to increase energy density by 40 to 60 percent compared to conventional graphite anodes and reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, making it a strategic technology that simultaneously meets the goals of carbon neutrality and high-performance battery development.
This research was published in the October 2025 issue of the international journal "Energy & Environmental Materials."
The research was led by Professor Minjun Park from the Department of Advanced Convergence Studies at Pusan National University and Professor Gyujeong Kim from the Department of Optical Mechatronics Engineering, with joint participation from Professor Oh Pilgeon of Pukyong National University and Dr. Park Junwoo of the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute.
Professor Minjun Park stated, "This technology is not only a laboratory achievement but also a fundamental technology directly linked to the business vision of Next Battery Co., Ltd., a faculty startup at Pusan National University. Because we have secured both scalability and cost competitiveness, rapid commercialization in next-generation markets such as electric vehicles, UAM, space, and defense will be possible within the next five years."
This research was supported by the Pusan National University Regional Innovation-Centered University Support System (RISE) and the BrainLink program of the National Research Foundation of Korea.
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