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Ultraprecise battery scan maps nanoscale electrode thickness variations to improve EV fire safety

A KAIST research team has developed a method capable of detecting minute variations in battery electrode thickness that can contribute to thermal runaway with a precision equivalent to approximately one ten-thousandth of the diameter of a human hair, all without disassembling or damaging the battery. The technology is expected to improve battery safety and quality by identifying invisible defects during the manufacturing process.

A research team led by professor Young-Jin Kim of the Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed a technology that measures the thickness of lithium-ion battery electrodes in a noncontact and nondestructive manner.

The study was led by Dr. Guseon Kang of the KAIST Department of Mechanical Engineering, currently with the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, as the first author, with Kim serving as the corresponding author. The research findings were published in Nature Communications on June 10.

Why thickness uniformity is critical...The technology combines terahertz waves (electromagnetic waves in the spectral region between light and radio waves) with an optical frequency comb, which divides the frequency of light into evenly spaced intervals like the markings on a ruler and serves as a reference for ultra-precise measurements.

The electrodes in lithium-ion batteries, which are widely used in electric vehicles, are essential components through which electric current flows. Even a slight variation in electrode thickness can cause current to become concentrated in certain areas when charging and discharging, generating heat. If the heat continues to accumulate, it may lead to thermal runaway, a phenomenon in which a battery's internal temperature rises rapidly and can result in a fire or explosion. Maintaining uniform electrode thickness is therefore critically important during battery manufacturing.

Existing inspection technologies, however, have limitations when applied to production environments. X-ray computed tomography can provide detailed images of internal structures, but its relatively long inspection time makes it difficult to use on high-speed production lines. Ultrasonic acoustic microscopy requires direct contact with a liquid medium, while laser displacement sensors can perform rapid measurements but have difficulty precisely analyzing structures inside an electrode.

Combining terahertz with a frequency comb..The research team overcame these limitations by combining optical frequency comb and terahertz technologies. The researchers first directed terahertz waves at a battery electrode and collected signals generated as the waves were repeatedly reflected within the electrode. They then used an optical frequency comb as a reference to analyze the signals with exceptionally high precision and calculate the electrode thickness. This enabled nanometer-scale measurements of the electrode's internal structure without damaging the battery.

At the core of the technology is Fabry–Pérot interference, a regularly spaced interference pattern produced as terahertz waves repeatedly travel back and forth between the front and rear surfaces of an electrode. Much like measuring length by reading the markings on a ruler, the researchers precisely analyzed the interference pattern using the optical frequency comb as a reference to determine the electrode thickness.

As a result, the team successfully measured both the electrode thickness and its complex refractive index (a material's optical property indicating how strongly it transmits and absorbs electromagnetic waves) in a single measurement without requiring a separate calibration process.

Precision at production-line speeds...The researchers validated the technology using battery electrodes measuring between 50 and 150 micrometers in thickness, comparable to the diameter of a human hair. With a measurement time of just 0.2 seconds, the system detected thickness differences as small as 70.1 nanometers in the anode (approximately one fourteen-hundredth of the diameter of a human hair) and 465.5 nanometers in the cathode. This measurement speed is considered sufficient for use on rapidly moving battery production lines.

When the measurement time was increased to 25.6 seconds, the precision improved further. The system distinguished differences as small as 7.8 nanometers in the anode (approximately one ten-thousandth of the diameter of a human hair) and 25.2 nanometers in the cathode. This represents up to a 100-fold improvement in precision compared with conventional time-domain analysis methods, enabling the detection of thickness variations that are completely invisible to the naked eye.

The technology is not limited to measuring thickness at a single point. It can generate a three-dimensional map of thickness across an entire electrode and track gradual thickness variations in real time during production. The researchers also confirmed that the system could accurately measure an electrode tilted at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, demonstrating its potential for application to fast-moving, real-world battery manufacturing lines.

Extending quality control to future batteries...The study is significant because it presents a new inspection technology capable of identifying invisible microscopic defects during production without disassembling or damaging batteries. In addition to lithium-ion batteries, the technology is expected to serve as a key quality-control tool for manufacturing next-generation all-solid-state batteries, which use solid electrolytes instead of liquid electrolytes. By detecting defects at an early stage, the technology could improve battery safety and quality while enabling more stable manufacturing processes.

"This technology is an integrated metrology platform that can simultaneously measure electrode thickness and material properties without requiring a separate calibration process," said Kim. "We expect it to become a key technology for the real-time quality control of production lines for next-generation lithium-ion batteries and all-solid-state batteries."

A research team at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) has developed an ultra-precise, non-destructive inspection technology capable of scanning battery electrodes for thickness variations as small as 7.8 nanometers. Published in Nature Communications, this breakthrough allows manufacturers to identify microscopic defects that lead to thermal runaway without disassembling or damaging the cells.

-Extreme precision: Detects variations equivalent to roughly one ten-thousandth of a human hair width.

-Non-destructive scanning: Measures internal variations entirely through a non-contact scanning method.

-Integrated metrology platform: Simultaneously analyzes electrode thickness and material properties without separate calibration.

Factory floor integration:

-High-speed application: Accurately measures components even when tilted at a 45-degree angle.

-Real-time QC: Perfect for fast-moving, real-world EV manufacturing lines.

-Future-proof tech: Directly applies to current lithium-ion units and next-generation all-solid-state batteries.

Why this matters for EV safety...Microscopic deviations in electrode thickness cause uneven current distribution during charging. Over time, these hot spots trigger local degradation, accelerate short circuits, and cause catastrophic EV battery fires. Catching these invisible defects on the production line significantly stabilizes production quality and prevents fire-prone batteries from ever hitting the road.

If you want, tell me if you are looking for information on:

-The specific optical/acoustic principles powering this scan

-How this impacts solid-state battery development timelines

-Other real-time inspection systems currently used by EV automakers

Provided by The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)