Ultrahigh areal number density solid-state on-chip microsupercapacitors via electrohydrodynamic jet printing

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Microsupercapacitors (MSCs) are crucial for powering microelectronics and portable devices.
• Manufacturing complexity and size limitations hinder practical MSC applications.
• There is a need for advanced fabrication techniques to create high-performance, miniaturized power sources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for fabricating ultrahigh areal number density solid-state microsupercapacitors (UHD SS-MSCs) on a chip.
• To overcome the manufacturing complexity and dimensional limits of traditional MSCs.
• To demonstrate the potential of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet printing for MSC fabrication.

Main Methods:

• Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet printing was used to deposit activated carbon-based electrode inks, creating fine interdigitated electrodes.
• A drying-free, UV-cured solid-state gel electrolyte was employed for electrochemical isolation.
• Dense integration of SS-MSCs on a chip with flexible in-series/in-parallel cell connections was achieved.

Main Results:

• The study achieved an ultrahigh areal number density of 54.9 cells cm^-2 (36 unit cells on an 8.0 mm × 8.2 mm chip).
• Exceptional areal operating voltage of 65.9 V cm^-2 was demonstrated.
• The EHD jet printing method enabled precise electrode patterning and efficient device integration.

Conclusions:

• Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet printing offers a viable and efficient method for fabricating ultrahigh areal number density solid-state microsupercapacitors (UHD SS-MSCs).
• The developed UHD SS-MSCs are suitable for advanced microelectronics, wearable devices, and integrated power systems.
• This work represents a significant advancement in miniaturized energy storage solutions.