A device formation method may include printing a chalcogenide glass ink onto a surface to form a chalcogenide glass layer, where the chalcogenide glass ink comprises chalcogenide glass and a fluid medium. The method may further include sintering the chalcogenide glass layer at a first temperature for a first duration. The method may also include annealing the chalcogenide glass layer at a second temperature for a second duration. A device may include a substrate and a printed chalcogenide glass layer on the substrate, where the printed chalcogenide glass layer includes annealed chalcogenide glass, and where the printed chalcogenide glass layer is free from cracks.

A standalone lithium ion-conductive solid electrolyte including a freestanding inorganic vitreous sheet of sulfide-based lithium ion conducting glass is capable of high performance in a lithium metal battery by providing a high degree of lithium ion conductivity while being highly resistant to the initiation and/or propagation of lithium dendrites. Such an electrolyte is also itself manufacturable, and readily adaptable for battery cell and cell component manufacture, in a cost-effective, scalable manner.

A device formation method may include printing a chalcogenide glass ink onto a surface to form a chalcogenide glass layer, where the chalcogenide glass ink comprises chalcogenide glass and a fluid medium. The method may further include sintering the chalcogenide glass layer at a first temperature for a first duration. The method may also include annealing the chalcogenide glass layer at a second temperature for a second duration. A device may include a substrate and a printed chalcogenide glass layer on the substrate, where the printed chalcogenide glass layer includes annealed chalcogenide glass, and where the printed chalcogenide glass layer is free from cracks.

A method for making high optical quality multicomponent chalcogenide glasses without refractive index perturbations due to striae, phase separation or crystal formation using a sealed ampoule with chemical components enclosed inside, a two-zone furnace, a convection heating/mixing step, and multiple fining steps. Initially, the sealed ampoule is oriented vertically within the two-zone furnace and heated to melt the chemical components contained within, and a temperature gradient is created between the top zone and the bottom zone such that the bottom zone has a higher temperature. This temperature gradient causes convection currents within the viscous liquid until it is sufficiently mixed due to the convective flow. Then the temperature gradient is reversed such that the top zone now has a higher temperature and the convective flow ceases. The furnace temperatures are then reduced over a period of time, with holds at multiple temperatures for fining and cooling to form a solid glass.

A sulfide glass solid electrolyte sheet can be protected during Li by a thin material layer coating for providing that protection (i.e., protective coating).

A method for producing a sulfide solid electrolyte material, which is configured to allow the crystallization of a sulfide glass at low temperature. Provided is a method for producing a sulfide solid electrolyte material, the method comprising: amorphizing a raw material composition containing Li.sub.2S, P.sub.2S.sub.5, LiI, LiBr, a potassium-containing compound and Li.sub.3N to obtain a sulfide glass, and crystallizing the sulfide glass by hot-pressing the sulfide glass, wherein, when a first crystallization temperature of the sulfide glass is determined as X, and a second crystallization temperature of the sulfide glass is determined as Y, the first crystallization temperature X of the sulfide glass is 171 C. or less, and a temperature difference (YX) between the second crystallization temperature Y and the first crystallization temperature X is 75 C. or more.

The present invention provides for synthesizing high optical quality multicomponent chalcogenide glasses without refractive index perturbations due to striae, phase separation or crystal formation using a two-zone furnace and multiple fining steps. The top and bottom zones are initially heated to the same temperature, and then a temperature gradient is created between the top zone and the bottom zone. The fining and cooling phase is divided into multiple steps with multiple temperature holds.

A class of improved solid-state electrolytes and methods for forming such electrolytes are discussed herein. The improved electrolytes may be a sodium oxy-sulfide, such as with a nominal composition of Na.sub.3PS.sub.4 _xOx (0<x2). The electrolytes can be synthesized from using a simple one-step ball-milling method. The ball-milling may be performed at high rotation speeds. The resulting ball-milled materials may further be optionally pressed. The pressing may be performed at low or room temperatures and/or relatively low pressure, and the resulting electrolytes achieve high relative densities. The solid-state electrolyte forms a highly dense layer that approaches a continuous glass that is nearly flawless, is mainly amorphous, and/or maintains a stable low-resistance interface with Na metal and Na-alloy electrodes.

Provided is a glass having an excellent infrared transmittance and suitable for use in infrared sensors. An infrared transmitting glass containing, in terms of % by mole, over 0 to 50% Ge, over 0 to 50% Ga, over 0 to 50% Si, 20 to 90% Te, 0 to 40% Ag+Al+Ti+Cu+In+Sn+Bi+Cr+Sb+Zn+Mn, and 0 to 40% F+Cl+Br+I.

A solid-state electrolyte is provided. The solid-state electrolyte includes an integrated molecular network that results from a mixture including a glass former including sulfur, a glass modifier including sulfur, and a glass co-modifier including lithium oxide or sodium oxide. The solid-state electrolyte is substantially resistant to hydrolysis in an atmosphere having a dew point of greater than about 90 C. Methods of making the solid-state electrolyte are also provided.