Carbon Nanotube Based Microbattery

Abstract

The inspiration for the presented work was an investigation by Madou and Wang of UC-Irvine using amorphous carbon pillars as electrodes for a microbattery. These pillars were fabricated in alternating rows of anodes and cathodes on an interdigitated array. It is believed that the use of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes could improve upon the Madou and Wang’s design, and create a battery with greater charge density and voltage. Focusing on the evolution of a process flow for lab scale testing, the main variables examined were the material of the interdigitated array, creation and comparison of several fabrication protocols as well as selection of the photoresist. Madou and Wang’s interdigitated array was a gold thin film, but poor growth in the past lead to the selection of TiN and TiW as possible substitutes. Three different fabrication protocols were theorized; two using Microchem’s SU8-2002 photoresist, and one using Microchem’s S-1818 photoresist.