Al and Si-based intermetallic alloys are considered as attractive anode materials for lithium ion batteries due to their ultra-high theoretical capacities. In this study, we adopted radio frequency magnetron sputtering to deposit a 400-nm-Al0.6Si0.4/40-nm-Al bilayer thin film anode. The effects of Ag doping and vacuum annealing on the charge-discharge characteristics of the prepared binary and ternary alloys were analyzed. It was observed that Ag doping significantly improved the electrical conductivity. The resistivities of the as-deposited and annealed samples were determined using a four-point probe method. The relationship between cycling performances and the electrochemical characteristics of the Al1 - x - ySixAgy thin film anodes was investigated via cyclic voltammetry and alternating-current electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.