Enhanced Performance of an Electric Double Layer Microsupercapacitor Based on Novel Carbon-Encapsulated Cu Nanowire Network Structure As the Electrode

In this work, the performance of a novel three-dimensional carbon-based planar microsupercapacitor (MSC) electrode structure is investigated. An in situ template-free fabrication of the Cu nanowire network structure acting as the current collector is first prepared through a chemical oxidation phase of sputtered Cu films, followed by a thermal reduction phase. Carbon is subsequently grown over the Cu nanostructure. In a two-electrode electrochemical test, the patterned interdigitated carbon/Cu nanowire network device exhibits an excellent maximum areal and volumetric capacitance of 1.45 and 7.43 mF cm–3, respectively, while retaining 94.2% of its capacitance after 10 000 charge–discharge cycles. This relatively simple foundry-compatible fabrication process provides an excellent method in which planar MSCs can be patterned and fabricated for energy storage solutions in microelectronics.