AbstractsEngineering

The overall objective of this research is to achieve compact supercapacitors with high capacitance, large power density, and long cycle life for using as micropower sources to drive low power devices and sensors. The main shortcoming of supercapacitors as a power source is that its energy density typically is about 1/10 of that of batteries. To achieve compact supercapacitors of large energy density, supercapacitors must be developed with high capacitance and power density which are mainly depended on the effective surface area of the electrodes of the supercapacitors. Many studies have been done to increase the effective surface area by modifying the electrode materials, however, much less investigations are focus on machining the electrodes. In my thesis work, micro- and nano-technologies are applied as technology approaches for machining the electrodes with three dimensional (3D) microstructures. More specific, Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) fabrication process flow, which integrates the key process such as LIGA-like (German acronym for Lithographie, Galvanoformung, Abformung, which mean Lithography, Electroplating and Molding) technology or DRIE (deep reactive ion etching), has been developed to enable innovative designs of 3D MEMS supercapacitors which own the electrodes of significantly increased geometric area. Two types of 3D MEMS supercapcitors, based on LIGA-like and DRIE technology respectively, were designed and successfully created. The LIGA-like based 3D MEMS supercapacitor is with an interdigital 3D structure, and consists of silicon substrate, two electroplated nickel current collectors, two PPy (polypyrrole) electrodes, and solid state electrolyte. The fabrication process flow developed includes the flowing key processes, SU-8 lithography, nickel electroplating, PPy polymerization and solid state electrolyte coating. Electrochemical tests showed that the single electrode of the supercapacitor has the specific capacitance of 0.058 Fcm-2 and the specific power of 0.58 mWcm-2 at 20mVs-1 scan rate. The 3D MEMS supercapacitor fabricated in this project has the specific capacitance and the specific power of 0.029 Fcm-2 and 2.2 mWcm-2 respectively at a relative large discharge rate of 5 mAcm-2. It is also found vi that the supercapacitors have the performance of broad frequency range up to 300Hz. For DRIE based 3D MEMS supercapacitor, the innovative designs were developed based on silicon micromachining process flow which includes the key processes such as thermal oxidation, RF sputtering, wet etching, DRIE, electroless plating and PPy polymerization. The optimized PPy electrode doping with TOS- performed ideal supercapacitor properties in NaCl electrolyte. The single PPy electrode of the 3D MEMS supercapacitors can provide 0.128 Fcm-2 specific capacitance and 1.28 mWcm-2 specific power at 20 mVs-1 scan rate. The specific capacitance of the 3D MEMS supercapacitors equals 0.056 Fcm-2, and the specific power at 20 mVs-1 scan rate equals 0.56 mWcm-2. In addition, novel supercapacitors based on wafer…