A buckled membrane sensor for in situ mechanical and microstructure analysis of li-ion battery electrodes

This work presents the first demonstration of a buckled membrane sensor for in situ, simultaneous characterization of stress and microstructure evolutions in a vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) lithium-ion battery (LIB) cathode during battery operation. The buckled membrane is coated with V₂O₅ on the backside and enables atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy from the topside. Using dual-mode measurements, both the induced stress and Raman intensity changes due to lithium cycling are observed. Results are in good agreement with the expected mechanical behavior and disorder change in a V₂O₅ electrode, highlighting the potential of MEMS as enabling tools for advanced scientific investigations.