Semiconductor process fabrication of multiscale porous carbon thin films for energy storage devices

A multi-scale porous carbon thin film is highly demanded as an electrode for next-generation compact energy storage devices. However, conventional solution coating/printing has limitations in preparing well-defined sub-micrometer-resolution pores. Here, we demonstrate a semiconductor process for fabricating multi-scale porous carbon thin films. This is achieved by carbonization of oxide-coated multi-beam interference lithography photoresist patterns. The interference lithography defines macropore patterns, and the oxide shell inhibits py-rolytic condensation to engrave mesopores in the pattern skeleton. Our hierarchically porous carbon thin film exhibits a high BET surface area of 539 m2/g and a high porosity of about 80%. We demonstrate these porous carbon thin films as microsupercapacitor (MSC) and lithium oxygen battery (LOB) electrodes. The electrode achieves a microsupercapacitor of high energy density (3.61 mu Wh/cm2) and power density (1.30 mW/cm2) and also achieves a lithium-oxygen battery with high discharge capacity (6,123 mAh/g) and reversible charge/ discharge.

Automated summary

This study developed a semiconductor process for fabricating multi-scale porous carbon thin films by carbonization of oxide-coated multi-beam interference lithography photoresist patterns. The resulting hierarchically porous carbon thin film exhibited a high BET surface area and porosity. These porous carbon thin films were used as electrodes for microsupercapacitors and lithium-oxygen batteries, demonstrating high energy density, power density, discharge capacity, and reversible charge/discharge characteristics.