Electrochemical deposition of silicon and germanium from ionic liquids: interfacial processes, compounds and macroporous structures

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Frank Endres
• Subject Area: Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation ; Physical Chemistry of Molecules, Liquids and Interfaces, Biophysical Chemistry
• Term: from 2014 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 248199931

In this project structured deposits of silicon, germanium and of SiGe shall be made electrochemically in ionic liquids. The codeposition of silicon and germanium gives a material which changes its colour during deposition, likely due to a quantum confinement effect. With UV/Vis spectroelectrochemistry and XPS-measurements a deeper insight into the formation and the binding properties shall be obtained. Nanostructured silicon is of high interest as material in future lithium-ion-batteries , as such a material would allow higher energy densities than the usual lithium/graphite intercalation compounds. Both macroporous silicon and macroporous lithium/silicon shall be made. Furthermore it shall be investigated in more detail how the recently found solvation layers of ionic liquids behave during semiconductor deposition and how they influence the determination of the band gap by tunneling spectroscopy.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants