biostudies-literatureOh MMinistry of Trade, Industry and EnergyKorea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and PlanningNational Research Council of Science and TechnologyKorea Research Council for Industrial Science and TechnologyNational Research Foundation of Korea9168-9174https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9078669biostudies-literatureUnknown8(17)Here, we studied the effect of thermal annealing on the microstructure and cyclic stability of a (Ti, Fe)-alloyed Si thin-film fabricated by a simple sputtering deposition method for Li-ion battery (LIB) anodes. The anode samples annealed at different temperatures (300-600 °C) were subjected to microstructure analysis and LIB performance test. The (Ti, Fe)-alloyed Si thin-film anode delivered a high capacity of 1563 mA h g^-1 for 100 cycles at 0.1 A g^-1 with nearly 100% capacity retention. Post-mortem analysis using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) disclosed the microstructural changes of the cycled anodes, revealing that (Ti, Fe) silicides served as a structural buffer against the large volume change of actRSC advancesThe role of thermal annealing on the microstructures of (Ti, Fe)-alloyed Si thin-film anodes for high-performance Li-ion batteries.PMC9078669SC 1100NRF-2017R1D1A1B0302936820172420108700CAP-13–1-KITECHHyun SOh MKang CKim ILee HJfalseThe role of thermal annealing on the microstructures of (Ti, Fe)-alloyed Si thin-film anodes for high-performance Li-ion batteries.Here, we studied the effect of thermal annealing on the microstructure and cyclic stability of a (Ti, Fe)-alloyed Si thin-film fabricated by a simple sputtering deposition method for Li-ion battery (LIB) anodes. The anode samples annealed at different temperatures (300-600 °C) were subjected to microstructure analysis and LIB performance test. The (Ti, Fe)-alloyed Si thin-film anode delivered a high capacity of 1563 mA h g^-1 for 100 cycles at 0.1 A g^-1 with nearly 100% capacity retention. Post-mortem analysis using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) disclosed the microstructural changes of the cycled anodes, revealing that (Ti, Fe) silicides served as a structural buffer against the large volume change of act2018-01-01T00:00:00Z2018 Feb2025-04-19T12:55:44.472Z2025-04-19T12:55:44.472ZS-EPMC90786693554187810.1039/c7ra13172k