Fully Printed Flexible Zinc-Ion Micro-Batteries (Flexi-Zinc)

Developing on-chip planar micro-batteries with high-capacity, environmentally safe, cost-effective, and stable electrodes is essential for powering future miniaturized systems-on-chip smart devices. Planar-type device configurations, where electrodes are organized in an interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) pattern on the same substrate, provide several advantages over traditional sandwich types, such as controllable internal resistance and ionic diffusion distance, without a separator. These configurations reduce battery size and facilitate seamless integration with on-chip microelectronic devices. However, processing on-chip planar micro-batteries presents challenges, particularly in patterning metal IDEs current collectors using lithography techniques and loading active materials using traditional electrodeposition methods. These processes can hinder the direct printing of micro-batteries onto on-chip sensors, especially biomedical or related flexible sensors, making the realization of a systems-on-a-chip approach difficult. This project focuses on designing fully printed flexible on-chip planar zinc-ion micro-batteries (Planar-ZIMBs) using advanced Microplotter techniques. Printing the cathode and anode on metal-free exfoliated graphene current collectors eliminates complicated lithography and allows direct printing of Planar-ZIMBs with on-chip microelectronics. The innovation lies in exploring high-capacity manganese vanadium cathode and zinc anode materials without compromising material properties and integrating with a lithium-free compatible gel electrolyte, enabling micro-battery processing in environmentally friendly conditions and reducing overall processing costs. This new and innovative approach to developing micro-batteries is a critical advancement for the evolution of advanced miniaturized systems-on-chip smart devices.