Annealing Process Research Articles

Effect of the concentration and form of nitrogen impurities on the formation of NVs and H3 centres in HPHT diamond

Enhancing the yield and concentration of colour centres in diamonds is crucial for boosting their quantum field applications. Although nitrogen impurities in diamond play an important role in the formation of nitrogen-related (NV and H3) colour centres, the effect of the concentration and form of nitrogen impurities on the formation of nitrogen-related centres in diamonds is not yet clear. To effectively address this problem, in this work, single-crystal diamonds with various nitrogen contents (0 to 760 ppm) under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions were synthesized. An annealing process was also implemented under the application of 3.5 GPa pressure and within temperatures ranging from 1,600 to 1,950 °C. The formation of NV and H3 centres was systematically investigated using low-temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy. The results showed that annealing diamonds of type IIa with nitrogen content <1 ppm resulted in the simultaneous formation of high-intensity H3, NV0, and NV− centres. Compared to others, the diamond containing approximately 80 ppm of nitrogen showed the highest intensity of NV− centres across all annealing temperatures. Furthermore, as the nitrogen content exceeded 80 ppm, the intensity of the NV− centres gradually declined, and when the nitrogen content was 760 ppm, only a trace amount NV− centres was produced. In addition, a large amount of C-centre nitrogen aggregated to form A-centre nitrogen during annealing, increasing the possibility of nitrogen forming Ni-N-related colour centres, thereby hindering the formation of NV and H3 centres. However, by electron irradiation of high-nitrogen-content diamond, we also obtained high-intensity and high-concentration NV− centres, and did not form Ni-N-related centres. Our work provides valuable insights for better understanding and optimizing the generation of NV and H3 centres in diamonds.

Size effect of martensite substructure and interface structure in Ni-Mn-Ga-Gd thin film

Ni56Mn25Ga18.8Gd0.2 thin films were prepared by DC magnetron sputtering technique. Thin films with different grain sizes were obtained by adjusting the annealing process. Size effect of martensite substructure and interface structure in Ni-Mn-Ga-Gd thin were systematically investigated. In order to minimize the elastic strain energy, the micro-twins with periodic <2 5¯> layers were generated in the grain size of 179 nm, leading to the formation of 7 M martensite. Geometric analysis shows that lattice constants of 7 M martensite can well satisfy the adaptive martensite formation theory. That means the (220) crystal plane of 7 M martensite can be regarded as the (202) crystal plane of NM martensite. A larger number of twin interface energy accumulates in the 7 M martensite, which makes it in an unstable state thermodynamically. With the increase of the grain sizes, the restriction of the grain boundary to the motion of twinning dislocation is weakened, leading to coarsening of micro-twins under the driving of excessive twin interface energy, and ultimately forming NM martensite with different thicknesses micro-twin substructures.

Influence of laser power and scanning speed on microstructure evolutions and mechanical properties of the SLM fabricated Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy

The Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy is fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM). The influence of laser power and scanning speed on microstructure evolutions and mechanical properties is studied in this research. Results indicate that increasing laser power can refine grain structures and reduce anisotropy on the printing surface. However, the increase in laser power will enhance the residual stress inside the alloy, leading to a decrease in elongation. The scanning speed affects the molten pool energy input and cooling rate. When the scanning speed is between 750mm/s-1250mm/s, the alloy achieves a good grain refinement effect and weak texture strength. In addition, there exists a large number of nano-scaled Al3(Sc,Zr) particles precipitated during solidification and the subsequent annealing process, which can significantly enhance yield strength of the alloy. Overall, the Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy has a wide SLM forming window. When the laser power ranges from 200W to 250W, the scanning speed ranges from 750mm/s to 1250mm/s, and the volume energy density ranges from 80J/mm3 to 130J/mm3, the Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy can obtain good formability and mechanical property.

Achieving superior strength-ductility balance via heterogeneous structure and successive TWIP+TRIP effects in medium Mn steel

In the present work, the medium Mn steel with a strength - ductility product of 49.5 GPa·% was fabricated by a hot rolling, quenching and intercritical annealing process. The excellent mechanical property is attributed to the heterogeneous austenite morphologies, i.e., lath, granular and equiaxed austenite, and the successive TWIP + TRIP effects. The present work especially focus on two aspects: i) the evolution of micro-strain between different morphologies of austenite and ferrite during tensile deformation and its impact on the strain hardening caused by the transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) effect; and ii) the strengthening mechanisms of successive twin induced plasticity (TWIP) and TRIP effects in heterogeneous structures. Under different austenite/ferrite micro-strain interactions, the sequence of TRIP effect is in granular, lath and equiaxed austenite grains. Prior to this, the TWIP effect mainly enhance the strength of austenite, particularly equiaxed grains, which act as a high-strength skeleton structure, postponing the initiation of necking.

Rapid preparation of Cu(111) foil with large single-crystal grains through a graphene induction and contactless annealing method

There is a growing interest in preparing large-size Cu(111) foil for achieving high performance in various applications. In this work, a simple two-step method using graphene induction and contactless annealing was designed to rapidly prepare Cu(111) foil with large single-crystal grains. The graphene film grown on the Cu surface in the first step by chemical vapor deposition serves as a template for the orientation transition of the Cu foil in a subsequent high-temperature annealing. The (111) orientation transformation of the entire Cu foil was achieved within 20 min with single-crystal grains in size of above 30 cm2, and the corresponding speed is ten times higher than that prepared in traditional annealing process. This work provides a facile and rapid fabrication approach for preparing Cu(111) foil with large grains.

Annealing impact on mechanical performance and failure analysis assisted with acoustic inspection of carbon fiber reinforced poly‐ether‐ketone‐ketone composites under flexural and compressive loads

AbstractThis study investigates the effect of the annealing treatment for carbon fiber reinforced Polyether‐ketone‐ketone (CF/PEKK) composite structures under flexural and compressive loadings through reference, pre‐damaged, and annealed sample sets. Significant recovery of pre‐existing damage is observed after the annealing process, following both flexural and compressive loading. Acoustic emission (AE) inspection is employed to monitor the failure behavior and assess the impact of pre‐damage and annealing on CF/PEKK composite. Initially, AE inspection reveals that the reference CF/PEKK material exhibits a notable fiber‐related failure with 85% of cumulative AE counts under flexural load, whereas matrix‐related failures are more pronounced with 92% cumulative AE counts under compressive load. Pre‐damages in the matrix alter the cumulative count percentages and initiation time that are related to matrix, interface, and fiber‐related failures, under flexural and compressive loadings. After annealing, each cumulative AE count percentages are comparable to reference sample values, due to changes in microstructure and relieving of residual stresses. The annealing effect is further validated through dynamic scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis results with increased glass transition temperature (Tg) and degree of crystallization (Xc). Overall, these findings indicate that annealing treatment effectively restores structural integrity and improves the mechanical performance of CF/PEKK composites.Highlights Annealing aims for damage recovery in CF/PEKK under flexural and compressive loads. Significant damage recovery in CF/PEKK is seen after annealing. Annealing raises Tg and crystallinity, and enhances CF/PEKK structural integrity.

Crystallization Control to Prepare Uniform CsPbI2Br Thin Films for High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells.

All-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) face challenges related to film inhomogeneity, which arises from nonideal crystallization. This issue significantly impedes the advancement of all-inorganic PSCs. In this study, we observed that during the crystallization process of CsPbI2Br, the Br-rich intermediate phase is often preferentially deposited, leading to an uneven distribution in the out-of-plane direction of the perovskite film. To address this issue, crown ether molecules (dibenzo-18-crown-6) were introduced into the perovskite precursor solution. The complexation of crown ether with Cs cations and Br anions optimizes the crystallization sequence of the perovskite, ensuring that the intermediate phase closely conforms to the standard stoichiometric ratio. This adjustment significantly mitigates the problem of uneven halogen ion distribution along the out-of-plane direction. Furthermore, the crown ether thermally decomposes during the high-temperature annealing process, thereby not affecting the composition of the final perovskite film. Following crown ether treatment, the efficiency of the PSCs reached 14.08%, and the unpackaged devices maintained 80% of their initial efficiency after 1000 h of exposure to light in an atmospheric environment.

Aluminum Josephson junction microstructure and electrical properties modified by thermal annealing

Reproducibility of Al/AlOx/Al Josephson junctions is a challenge for scaling up superconducting quantum processors. The frequency uncertainty of the transmon qubits arising from the fabrication process is attributed to deviations in the Josephson junction microstructure and electrical properties. Here, we present a solution for this problem using the post-fabrication Josephson junction thermal annealing process. The developed thermal post-exposure method allows not only to increase the junction resistance by 175%, but also to decrease by 60% with a step of 10% in Rn, which opens up new possibilities for tuning the frequency of qubits. The resistance is shown to be strongly temperature dependent, and is weakly dependent on the holding time. The linear dimensions of the electrodes and the sidewalls contribution to the total JJ area also have a significant impact on the final resistance after annealing. Finally, a theoretical model of the structure modification in a tunnel barrier with changes in oxygen concentration gradient is proposed. The proposed thermal annealing approach can be used to form stable and reproducible tunnel barriers and scalable frequency trimming for widely used fixed-frequency transmon qubits.

Assessment of the Risk of Crack Formation at a Hybrid Bonding Interface Using Numerical Analysis.

Hybrid bonding technology has recently emerged as a promising solution for advanced semiconductor packaging technologies. However, several reliability issues still pose challenges for commercialization. In this study, we investigated the possibility of crack formation caused by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) defects and the misalignment of the hybrid bonding structure. Crack formation and thermomechanical stress were analyzed for two common hybrid bonding structures with misalignment using a numerical simulation. The effects of annealing temperature and dishing value on changes in the non-bonding area and peeling stress were systematically analyzed. The calculated peeling stresses were compared to the bonding strength of each bonding interface to find vulnerable regions prone to cracking. The non-bonding area in the bonding structure increased with a decreasing annealing temperature and an increasing dishing value. To achieve a sufficient bonding area of more than 90%, the annealing temperature should be greater than 200 °C. During the heating period of the annealing process, the SiCN-to-SiCN bonding interface was the most vulnerable cracking site with the highest peeling stress. An annealing temperature of 350 °C carries a significant risk of cracking. On the other hand, an annealing temperature lower than 250 °C will minimize the chance of cracking. The SiCN-to-SiO2 bonding interface, which has the lowest adhesion energy and a large coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch, was expected to be another possible cracking site. During cooling, the SiCN-to-Cu bonding interface was the most vulnerable site with the highest stress. However, the simulated peeling stresses were lower than the adhesion strength of the bonded interface, indicating that the chance of cracking during the cooling process was very low. This study provides insights into minimizing the non-bonding area and preventing crack formation, thereby enhancing the reliability of hybrid bonding structures.

Microstructural Insights and Composition Analysis of a Fractured Brass Alloy of Unknown Composition Using Advanced Characterization Techniques

This study aims to investigate the microstructural and compositional characteristics of a fractured brass alloy using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The brass alloy, initially of unknown composition, was determined to consist of 63.65 at% Cu, and 36.35 at% Zn through EDS analysis. Microstructural analysis via SEM revealed a typical ductile fracture pattern with necking and dimple formation, indicative of significant plastic deformation prior to failure. The alloy exhibited a grain size ranging from 10 µm to 80 µm and displayed both α-phase (FCC structure) and possible traces of β-phase, though XRD detected only the α-phase due to the low concentration of β-phase (&lt;5%). A comparison between EDS and XRD results for analyzing chemical composition showed that good assumptions could be made from the lattice parameters of the binary alloy following Nelson-Relay function to predict an approximate composition in binary alloy systems, which was found to be 34 at% Zn in our analysis. Furthermore, the sample’s crystal structure was confirmed as FCC, which supported its observed ductility and plastic deformation prior to fracture. The SEM analysis also confirmed that the material went through an annealing process. The fracture morphology further showed that the FCC structure and the annealing process both contributed to the material’s increased ductility. The analysis further confirms that EDS is more reliable for chemical composition determination in an alloy system. Evidence of annealing twinning in the SEM images suggests the sample underwent an annealing process, contributing to its enhanced ductility.

The role of BaTiO3 nanoparticles as photocatalysts in the synthesis and characterization of novel fruit dyes is investigated.

In the present work, the photocatalytic activity against the natural dye extracted from the novel fruits has been studied by the BaTiO3 nanoparticles (NPs) under a ultra-violet (UV) light source. The large concentrations of an essential phenolic agent present in this phytochemical extract superimposed with cloths fibers make strong stain and degrade into another form of toxic, which is excluded from the many textiles industries as the colorful waste waters without recycling and removal of that dye pigments have been investigated using both photodegradation and photoluminescence techniques. The entitled nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared using the soft chemical root-modified solvothermal synthesis combo method and exposure to heat treatment such that the annealing process has been done for different temperatures ranging from 100°C to 250°C. As for as concern the characterization, as a start, structural and morphology studies have been reported here that highly crystalline oriented peaks data using powder x-ray diffraction techniques (PXRD) as well as the surface morphology including the size, shape, and mass distribution using the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) techniques, which purely belong to rutile tetragonal structure of the crystal system and circular and noncircular flakes like rough surface morphology materials respectively. The lattice dissociation constant 'ε' value of the BaTiO3 NPs has determined to be ~2.71 × 10-3 using the Williamson-Hall (W-H plot) analysis of crystallographic data. In the UV visible spectroscopy findings, since the extreme quantum confinement of BaTiO3 nanoflakes/nanodisc, the optical energy bandgap has been estimated to be a range of 1.98 to 2.67 eV (~2.48 eV) found from the Tauc plot analysis, which contributes to the significantly owing to the enhanced photocatalytic efficiency with excellent performance along exciton formation, superoxide ions, and hydroxyl free radicals generations under UV-vis light irradiation resulting in efficient degradation of typical novel fruit organic dye. Photoluminescence spectra observed at room temperature and low temperature have been observed for the BaTiO3 nanoflakes, which exhibit the blue emission due to the crystalline defects such as the appearance of Ba vacancies leads to the conceivable beginning of p-type conductivity and the origination of free exciton emission reveals the direct bandgap transition nature of nanoflakes. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: According to our findings, 89.71% of the natural syzygium cumin is degraded by photocatalysis reaction. As a plausible mechanism for the destruction of natural dyes under solar light, photocatalytic destruction has been proposed. The reaction between these reactive free radical species leads to high efficiency photodegradation with a short decay time. In addition to water treatment and environmental cleaning applications, the excellent performance of this photocatalyst makes it a promising candidate for other applications. Hence, the synthesized BaTiO3 nanoflakes showcase a highly significant advancement towards the development of a textiles dye recycling method.

Conductivity Insights Into the Carbon Nanotubes Mobility Restricted by the Long‐Branched Chains During the Thermal Annealing, Fast Shear Flow and Melt to Solid Cooling Process

AbstractThe present work provides a unique insight to reveal the long chain branching (LCB) influence to the nano‐fillers, that is via analyzing the conductivity evolution during the thermal annealing, fast shear flow and melt to solid cooling process. Meanwhile the crystallization behavior is also discussed. A linear polypropylene (PPC) and a long chain branched polypropylene (PPH) are chosen as the two polymer matrices with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the nanofillers. During the thermal annealing process, a more obvious growth of electrical conductivity of linear PPC nanocomposites are observed compared with LCB PPH nanocomposites. The harder movement of CNTs inside LCB PPH matrix may be the main reason. This also can be reflected by the conductivity evolution during slow cooling process where a decrease‐then‐increase (DTI) phenomenon is found for PPC/CNTs systems due to the rebuilding of CNTs conductivity network after crystallization. By contrast, this does not happen for PPH/CNTs systems.

Stabilization of Tetragonal Phase in Hafnium Zirconium Oxide by Cation Doping for High-K Dielectric Insulators.

As electronic circuit integration intensifies, there is a rising demand for dielectric insulators that provide both superior insulation and high dielectric constants. This study focuses on developing high-k dielectric insulators by controlling the phase of the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) film with additional doping, utilizing yttrium (Y), tantalum (Ta), gallium (Ga), silicon (Si), and aluminum (Al) as dopants. Doping changes the ratio of tetragonal to monoclinic phases in doped HZO films, and Y-doped HZO (Y:HZO) films specifically exhibit a high tetragonal phase ratio and a dielectric constant of 40.9, indicating superior insulating properties compared to undoped HZO films. To clarify the fundamental mechanism driving the enhancement in dielectric properties, we have carried out various analyses combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Through the optimization of the post-deposition annealing (PDA) process and the heterojunction structure with Al2O3, an Al2O3/Y:HZO heterojunction with a high dielectric constant and even lower leakage current compared to a single layer was developed. The thin-film transistor (TFT) with the Au/Ti/amorphous InGaZnO4 (a-IGZO)/Al2O3/YHZO/TiN heterojunction structure exhibits low subthreshold swing (SS) values within a narrow gate-source voltage (Vsg) range. This study advances knowledge on how the controlled-phase doped HZO films affect the dielectric constant and leakage current and will contribute to semiconductor technology advancements by overcoming the limitations of conventional high-k dielectric insulators.

Effect of thermal annealing on the average and local structure of superconducting polycrystalline NbRe films

Abstract NbxRe1−x is a non-centrosymmetric superconductor recently realized in thin film form. The access to the basic physics that governs this material is hindered by the polycrystalline structure of the films which consist of grains of small dimensions. In these conditions, films are not decisive in revealing the nature of the superconducting order parameter, and, in particular, the possible presence of a spin-triplet component. In this work, post-deposition annealing procedures were performed to improve the crystalline quality of the as-grown films. As determined by X-ray diffraction measurements, by tuning the annealing process, it was possible to increase the crystalline size from 1-2 nm up to several nanometers, beyond the values of the superconducting coherence length. Pair distribution function analyses revealed the non-centrosymmetric crystal structure of the treated NbRe films. Finally, electrical transport measurements, performed to study the relationship between structural and transport properties of the samples, showed an improved metallicity and a reduction of the superconducting critical temperature after the thermal treatment. This last result can be reasonably ascribed, for instance, to oxygen contamination, modification of the electronic density of states at the Fermi level, or change in the electron-phonon coupling. The results of this work are useful to realize films for future experiments meant to access nature of the superconducting order parameter.

Excellent combinations of strength-ductility and corrosion resistance in SAF 2205 duplex stainless steel with multi-scale grain distribution

In this work, a multi-scale grain structure was obtained in SAF 2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS) by severe deformation and short-term annealing process. The influence of this structure on the mechanical properties and electrochemical behavior is systematically investigated. Experimental results indicate that the sample subjected to short-term annealing at 1000 °C (SA-1000 °C) exhibits the best comprehensive properties, with a yield strength (YS) of 652.6 MPa and an elongation (EL) of 39.9 %. Both strength and ductility surpass those of the original sample and long-term annealed (LA-1000 °C) samples. The strength-ductility product is increased by 32 % compared to the original sample and by 18 % compared to the LA-1000 °C sample. The increase in YS is predominantly attributed to dislocation strengthening and grain refinement strengthening, and the heterogeneous microstructure leads to good ductility. Moreover, the multi-scale distribution of the grain structure exhibits enhanced corrosion resistance due to the increased low-Σ grain boundaries and the promotion of stable passivation film formation by a limited number of defects, thereby mitigating the corrosion rate.

Crystal Evolution of Amorphous Poly(lactic acid) During Simultaneous Multi‐step Tensile Deformation and Annealing

ABSTRACTThe cold‐crystallization and crystal evolution of amorphous poly(lactic acid) (PLA) are analyzed during multistep tensile deformation and annealing at 70°C using in situ synchrotron wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS) measurements. The 2D‐WAXS diffraction pattern reveals that the PLA crystalline structure forms perpendicular to the draw direction. The annealing process lets to a rearrangement of the crystalline structure, while the stretching causes crystal contraction. Both WAXS and FTIR analyses confirm that the crystals developed through stretching and annealing are in the α′‐form. The crystallinity of PLA increases with higher deformation strains and longer annealing times. The orientation degree of both crystalline and amorphous phases of PLA, as indicated by the Hermans orientation factor and dichroic ratio of 956 cm−1 band (evaluated by WAXS and polarized FTIR analysis, respectively) also increase. The enhanced cold‐crystallization ability of PLA is attributed to the synergistic effect of tensile deformation and annealing, rather than either technique alone. The unusual crystallization phenomenon observed during multistep tensile deformation coupled with annealing provides valuable insights into the crystallization and crystal evolution of PLA.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ultra-Light and High-Strength Mg-xLi-3Al-2Zn-0.2Y Alloy Produced by Warm Rolling Coupled Annealing Processes

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ultra-Light and High-Strength Mg-xLi-3Al-2Zn-0.2Y Alloy Produced by Warm Rolling Coupled Annealing Processes

Nanosized CeO2C2 with rich oxygen vacancies embedded in hollow mesoporous carbon as a multifunctional sulfur-loaded matrix for lithium-sulfur batteries

The innovative structural and compositional design of sulfur-loaded matrices is an effective strategy to improve the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). Herein, nanosized CeO2C2 with rich oxygen vacancies embedded in hollow mesoporous carbon composites (HMC/CeO2C2) were synthesized by hydrothermal and annealing reduction processes. This structure has several advantages: the large specific surface area and mesoporous carbon walls facilitate sulfur penetration and electron/ion transport; the abundant mesopores and hollow inner cavities provide the structural basis for sulfur storage and buffer its volume expansion; the oxygen vacancy-rich CeO2C2 nanoparticles grown in situ in HMC and in close contact with carbon form an electrically favorable CeO2C2/C heterointerface as an efficient catalyst, which is conducive to catalyzing the redox reaction of sulfur. Consequently, the retention capacity of the HMC/CeO2C2/S electrode is 728 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 0.5 C with a decay rate of 0.056 % per cycle, and it maintains a high reversible area capacity of 3.18 mAh cm−2 and excellent cycling performance even under a high sulfur loading of 4.7 mg cm−2. It provides an idea for the development of multifunctional sulfur-loaded materials with high sulfur loading, high conductivity, and high catalytic activity.

N, S-Codoped 3D Carbon Protected Nanoporous MnS With Record High Sodium Ion Storage Performance for Potential Industry Applications.

With a high theoretical capacity, the MnS anode, however, exhibits a rather complex sodium diffusion kinetics and poor mechanical stability that hinder its application in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). In this work, a simple, economical, and scalable strategy is developed to inherently coat nanoporous MnS with a 3D N, S co-doped thin carbon layer by using commercially available MnCO3 as precursors. Specifically, the strategy involves a two-step annealing process, which converts the MnCO3 microparticles into nanoporous Mn2O3 and MnS step by step. The 3D N, S codoped carbon layer is in situ formed during the second annealing process by first coating the nanoporous Mn2O3 with a polyaniline layer. Due to the inherent 3D carbon protection and the strong electronic interaction between N, S dopants and MnS, the N, S codoped carbon protected MnS obtained at 900 °C (NS-C@MnS-900) anode displays a high specific capacity of 845mAhg-1 at 0.1Ag-1, which is higher than all reported MnS-based SIB anodes. It also shows an outstanding cyclability and rate performance, maintaining a stable capacity of ≈493mAhg-1 after 1300 cycles at 10Ag-1, which is also the best according to knowledge. These exceptional electrochemical performances and the scalable/simple/low-cost synthesis make the NS-C@MnS-900 attractive for industry application.

Cu2SnS3/rGO nanocomposites with optimized pore structure for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Developing advanced anode materials is essential for enhancing the rate performance and stability of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which is critical for meeting the demands for next-generation energy storage solutions. In this research, Cu2SnS3/rGO nanocomposites were synthesized via a rapid microwave-assisted one-step method, followed by post-synthetic annealing. The incorporation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) not only significantly improves its electrical conductivity, but also effectively inhibits the agglomeration of CTS nanoparticles. The nanocrystal size in the CTS/rGO nanocomposites has been dramatically downsized, transitioning from the pristine CTS dimensions of 0.9–1.5 μm to a mere 100 nm. This downsizing is a critical advancement in the electrode, as it enhances the surface area and reactivity of the composite. The subsequent high-temperature annealing process shrinks the pore size in the CTS/rGO nanocomposite, decreasing from an average of 42.13 nm to a more confined range of 7.81 to 8.77 nm, depending on the annealing temperatures. Electrochemical testing reveals that the CTS/rGO-A nanocomposite annealed at 300 °C exhibits superior electrochemical performance to the unmodified CTS and non-annealed CTS/rGO composite. The performance is evidenced by an initial capacity of 1856.97 mAh g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 and retains a capacity of 1250.32 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms governing the lithium ion diffusion kinetics, capacitance and diffusion behavior of the CTS/rGO-A electrode, advanced techniques such as galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) and rate cyclic voltammetry (CV) were utilized. These analyses revealed that the synergistic effect of an increased Li+ diffusion coefficient (DLi+), coupled with a notable capacitive contribution, is demonstrated to the enhanced electrochemical performance observed. Furthermore, the COMSOL Multiphysics simulation also indicates improved structural stability of CTS/rGO-A, attributed to minimized stress from volume expansion during discharge. The CTS/rGO-A nanocomposites, featuring enhanced electrochemical performance, coupled with a straightforward and efficient fabrication method, emerge as a promising material for scalable and practical energy storage solutions.