Zinc micro-energy storage devices powering microsystems

Abstract

The increasing popularity of the Internet of Things and the growing microelectronics market have led to a heightened demand for microscale energy storage devices, such as microbatteries and microsupercapacitors. Although lithium microbatteries have dominated the market, safety concerns arising from incidents like self-ignition and explosions have prompted a shift towards new microscale energy storage devices prioritizing high safety. Zinc-based micro-energy storage devices (ZMSDs), known for their high safety, low cost, and favorable electrochemical performance, are emerging as promising alternatives to lithium microbatteries. However, challenges persist in the fabrication of microelectrodes, electrolyte infusion, device packaging, and integration with microelectronics. Despite these challenges, significant progress has been made over the last decade. This review focuses on the challenges and recent advancements in zinc-based micro-energy storage, offering unique insights into their applications and paving the way for the commercial deployment of high-performance ZMSDs.