On-Chip Microsupercapacitors: From Material to Fabrication

Microsupercapacitors (MSCs) are integrated into microdevices or chip-based systems to store energy and power the chip efficiently, as they present excellent performance capabilities including high power density, fast charge/discharge rate, and long cycle time. Providing sufficient surface area and high electric conductivity are effective ways to enhance ion diffusion and charge transportation in electrodes, which in turn leads to high performance behavior. Herein, the novel progress of on-chip MSCs in the past few years ranging from active materials synthesis to high-resolution fabrication techniques is summarized, and the strategies to enhance the performance of MSCs are focused upon. From conventional materials to nanocomposite hybrid structures, the main active materials for MSC electrodes and the related fabrication techniques are reviewed in detail according to their different electrochemical performance. It is concluded that hierarchical porous-structured materials and high-resolution fabrication processes are of great importance in constructing high-performance devices, which also demonstrates the future developing direction of on-chip energy devices. The new developments of fabrication technologies such as microfabrication, laser direct writing, and inkjet printing are also discussed to show their advantages in forming high-performance electrodes.