A Raman study of the lithium insertion process in vanadium pentoxide thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition

Micro‐Raman spectrometry was applied to the characterization of the LixV2O5 phases (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.8) electrochemically produced from V2O5 thin films prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD). An electrochemical study showed that V2O5 ALD films constitute attractive positive electrodes for rechargeable lithium microbatteries. The good homogeneity and crystallinity of the films allowed us to obtain high‐resolution Raman spectra and to follow their transformation as lithium insertion proceeds. Specific Raman fingerprints were obtained for the successive α, ε, δ and γ phases, and structural reversibility was evidenced for lithium uptake >1. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.