Lithium-ion batteries have become an integral part in everyday life, as they power everything from cell phones, computers, and electric vehicles (E.V.’s). In order to ensure quality and performance of these lithium-ion batteries, a better understanding of the elemental composition in major components is needed, specifically the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) and the cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI) that form on the negative and positive electrode, respectively, upon charge/discharge of the battery. Understanding how these major elements change in distribution as the battery undergoes aging is instrumental in battery development and QC.

Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-TOF-MS) and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) can provide depth and spatially resolved elemental information for both cathode and anode materials. Here, we will use LA and LIBS to obtain elemental information from anode surfaces, comprising of the SEI layer, and show distributions of important elements deposited on the surface coming from either the electrolyte solution or the anode material itself.