Replacing conventional electrode materials is one of the most pressing challenges for next-generation lithium-ion batteries since state-of-the-art systems have almost reached their limitations for performance gains. For anodes, ambitious candidates include lithium and silicon because of their extremely high capacity. In this paper, a physical vapor deposition process for the preparation of pure metallic lithium layers and lithiated silicon layers in the layer thickness range of 1–20 µm is demonstrated. The lithium layers were deposited by thermal evaporation. Static coating rates up to 120 nm/s and dynamic deposition rates up to 1 µm·m/min were realized. Furthermore, the deposition of lithiated silicon alloy layers with various compositions was performed via the co-evaporation of lithium and silicon, where silicon was evaporated by an electron beam. The process was characterized regarding the deposition rate, heat loads, and effects of substrate pre-treatment. To achieve a porous microstructure, the layer morphology needed to be manipulated by adapting process parameters. Stripping experiments revealed high electrochemical activity of the lithium up to 85 %. The innovative approach carried out via vacuum processing showed capabilities for overcoming the current bottlenecks experienced with high-capacity anode materials in combination with the potential for upscaling to high throughput production.

Anodic vacuum arc evaporation was applied to deposit ta-C layers with thicknesses of 1.3–2.2 μm at high deposition rates of up to 18 nm/s. Building on prior work that was limited to a thickness of 0.8 μm due to high heat flux and adhesion issues, substrates with a high heat capacity and adhesion-promoting interlayers were used. Nanoindentation tests revealed hardness values ranging from 71 to 84 GPa and Young’s moduli ranging from 717 to 862 GPa for these layers. Raman spectrometry revealed an sp3 content of 68% to 75%. The layers are free of arc-typical droplets and have a very smooth surface. These results demonstrate that anodic vacuum arc evaporation, when combined with targeted thermal management and interlayer design, provides a scalable method of producing ta-C coatings for challenging mechanical or chemical engineering applications.