Scaling Printable Zn–Ag2O Batteries for Integrated Electronics

Abstract

AbstractPrinted batteries are an emerging solution for integrated energy storage using low‐cost, high accuracy fabrication techniques. While several printed batteries have been previously shown, few have designed a battery that can be incorporated into an integrated device. Specifically, a fully printed battery with a small active electrode area (<1 cm2) achieving high areal capacities (>10 mAh cm−2) at high current densities (1–10 mA cm−2) has not been demonstrated, which represents the minimum form‐factor and performance requirements for many low‐power device applications. This work addresses these challenges by investigating the scaling limits of a fully printed Zn–Ag2O battery and determining the electrochemical limitations for a mm2‐scale battery. Processed entirely in air, Zn–Ag2O batteries are well suited for integration in typical semiconductor packaging flows compared to lithium‐based chemistries. Printed cells with electrodes as small as 1 mm2 maintain steady operating voltages above (>1.4 V) at high current densities (1–12 mA cm−2) and achieve the highest reported areal capacity for a fully printed battery at 11 mAh cm−2. The findings represent the first demonstration of a small, packaged, fully printed Zn–Ag2O battery with high areal capacities at high current densities, a crucial step toward realizing chip‐scale energy storage for integrated electronic systems.