EBSD-coupled indentation: nanoscale mechanics of lithium metal

The fracture of ceramic solid electrolytes, driven by the plating lithium within cracks, has been identified as one fundamental issues to successfully develop solid-state batteries. Understanding mechanics at nanoscale is therefore essential. In this work, elastic and plastic properties are measured nanoindentation an electron microscope. Lithium metal samples characterised backscattered diffraction (EBSD) before after indentation understand dependence mechanical on crystallographic orientation, determine stiffness tensor components, moduli Poisson’s ratio using a method first proposed Vlassak Nix. components C 11 =13.3, 12 =11.2, 44 =8.8 GPa. Hardness measurements show clear size effect with hardness in excess 100 MPa observed for indent depths below 300 nm, which could contribute toward filament propagation. • Quick, novel prepare fresh surface roughness EBSD mapping. Stiffness from EBSD-correlated nanoindentation. Quantified size-dependent pure lithium.