Abstract
Local Li-ion transport in amorphous silicon is studied on the nanometer scale using time
domain electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM). A strong variability of ionic transport
controlled by the anode surface morphology is observed. The observed relaxing and
nonrelaxing response components are discussed in terms of local and global ionic transport
mechanisms, thus establishing the signal formation mechanisms in ESM. This behavior is
further correlated with local conductivity measurements. The implications of these studies for
Si-anode batteries are discussed. The universal presence of concentrationstrain coupling
suggests that ESM and associated time and voltage spectroscopies can be applied to a broad
range of electrochemical systems ranging from batteries to fuel cells.
