Ceramic and metal materials with controlled microstructures, and systems and methods for fabrication and use thereof

Abstract

The microstructure of metallic and/or ceramic layers is controlled based on heating/cooling parameters of the fabrication process. The heating/cooling parameters can be selected to generate materials completely in the glass phase, having a hybrid construction (e.g., glass/crystalline) with different lattice microstructures, or having a polycrystalline microstructure with aligned crystal grains. Such materials with controlled microstructures can be used as solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), as cathodes in solid-state batteries, or as structural materials. When employed as SSEs, the glass phase portions of the fabricated materials can function as an interphase layer that blocks ion penetration and/or dendrite formation, while still retaining good ionic conductivity.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.