Sputtered thin film deposited laser induced graphene based novel micro-supercapacitor device for energy storage application

Abstract Pioneering flexible micro-supercapacitors, designed for exceptional energy and power density, transcend conventional storage limitations. Interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) based on laser-induced graphene (LIG), augmented with metal-oxide modifiers, harness synergies with layered graphene to achieve superior capacitance. This study presents a novel one-step process for sputtered plasma deposition of HfO2, resulting in enhanced supercapacitance performance. Introducing LIG-HfO2 micro-supercapacitor (MSC) devices with varied oxygen flow rates further boosts supercapacitance performance by introducing oxygen functional groups. FESEM investigations demonstrate uniform coating of HfO2 on LIG fibers through sputtering. Specific capacitance measurements reveal 6.4 mF/cm2 at 5 mV/s and 4.5 mF/cm2 at a current density of 0.04 mA/cm2. The LIG-HfO2 devices exhibit outstanding supercapacitor performance, boasting at least a fourfold increase over pristine LIG. Moreover, stability testing indicates a high retention rate of 97% over 5000 cycles, ensuring practical real-time applications.