Silver nanowires as the current collector for a flexible in-plane micro-supercapacitor via a one-step, mask-free patterning strategy

The fabrication of a current collector-contained in-plane micro-supercapacitor (MSC) usually requires the patterning of the current collector first and then subsequent patterning of the active material with the assistance of a photoresist and mask. However, this two-step patterning process is too complicated and the photoresist used is harmful to the properties of nanomaterials. Here, we demonstrate a one-step, mask-free strategy to pattern the current collector and the active material at the same time, for the fabrication of an all-solid-state flexible in-plane MSC. Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are used as the current collector. An atmospheric pressure pulsed cold micro-plasma-jet is used to realize the one-step, mask-free production of interdigitated multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/AgNW electrodes. Remarkably, the fabricated MWCNT/AgNW-based MSC shows good flexibility and excellent rate capability. Moreover, the performance of properties including cyclic stability, equivalent series resistance, relaxation time and energy/power densities of the MWCNT/AgNW-based MSC are significantly enhanced by the presence of the AgNW current collector.