The deployment of autonomous sensors for monitoring the everyday world around us (i.e., the internet of things) is promising to benefit our personal health, the condition of public infrastructure, and environmental quality. This widespread deployment requires new solutions for energy storage on the microscale in order to maintain a fully autonomous sensor networks. Microsupercapacitors are promising candidates, with high power capabilities and long cycling lifetimes. Here I will describe the development of silicon based nanomaterials for microsupercapacitor electrodes, synthesized via a low temperature process, well suited for on-chip application. Approaches to stabilize the materials and enhance their cycle lifetime through the incorporation of ultra-thin silicon carbide and carbon coatings deposited via chemical vapor deposition will be discussed. This work was performed during my PhD at the University of California, Berkeley.
IRAMIS/NIMBE/LEDNA