Electrochemical characteristics of phosphorus doped Si-C composite for anode active material of lithium secondary batteries

Phosphorus doped silicon-carbon composite particles were synthesized through a DC arc plasma torch. Silane(SiH₄) and methane(CH₄) were introduced into the reaction chamber as the precursor of silicon and carbon, respectively. Phosphine(PH₃) was used as a phosphorus dopant gas. Characterization of synthesized particles were carried out by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X-ray diffractometry(XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and bulk resistivity measurement. Electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic test and electrochemical voltage spectroscopy(EVS). In the experimental range, phosphorus doped silicon-carbon composite electrode exhibits enhanced cycle performance than intrinsic silicon and phosphorus doped silicon. It can be explained that incorporation of carbon into silicon acts as a buffer matrix and phosphorus doping plays an important role to enhance the conductivity of the electrode, which leads to the improvement of the cycle performance of the cell.