Key Findings
The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) has successfully fabricated a uniform solid electrolyte layer with an average thickness of 15 µm and a deviation of approximately 1 µm over an area of 120 cm² (6 × 20 cm). In pouch-cell tests, the transfer-printed cell retained 83.6% of its capacity after 100 charge-discharge cycles, whereas cells produced via direct coating retained only 36.1%. Additionally, the transfer-printed cell maintained stable voltage at 150°C for 2 hours and 30 minutes, while conventional PE separator-based cells suffered internal short circuits after approximately 10 minutes.
Technical Details
The team utilized a garnet-type oxide solid electrolyte (LLZTO). Unlike direct coating, where slurry can infiltrate porous electrodes and cause deformation, the transfer printing method involves coating and drying the slurry on a PET-PDMS substrate. The resulting thin layer is then pressure-laminated onto the electrode using a roller. To optimize the process, researchers used Hansen solubility parameters (HSPs) to quantify material affinity:
- Coating step: High-affinity combinations were selected to ensure uniform spreading.
- Transfer step: Low-adhesion combinations were selected to ensure clean detachment from the substrate.
The resulting hybrid solid electrolyte achieved an ionic conductivity of 2.83 × 10⁻⁴ S/cm at 25°C and a Li⁺ transference number of 0.69.
Background & Context
High energy density in solid-state batteries requires electrolyte layers thinner than 20 µm. However, freestanding films typically require 70–120 µm to prevent tearing, and direct coating often results in nonuniform thickness (ranging from 10 to 25 µm in the KRICT study over a 6 × 11 cm area).
Significance & Outlook
This quantitative design principle reduces reliance on trial-and-error experimentation. KRICT suggests that combining HSP data with actual coating and transfer results could enable future AI-based prescreening of candidate materials. The study was published in Advanced Functional Materials in September 2026.
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