A flexible high potential printed battery for powering printed electronics

Citation

Gaikwad, A. M.; Steingart, D. A.; Ng, T.; Schwartz, D. E.; Whiting, G. L. A flexible high voltage printed battery for powering printed electronics. Applied Physics Letters. 2013; 102: 233302.

Abstract

Mechanically flexible arrays of alkaline electrochemical cells fabricated using stencil printing onto fibrous substrates are shown to provide the necessary performance characteristics for driving ink-jet printed circuits. Due to the dimensions and material set currently required for reliable low-temperature print processing of electronic devices, a battery potential greater than that sourced by single cells is typically needed. The developed battery is a series interconnected array of 10 low resistance Zn-MnO2 alkaline cells, giving an open circuit potential of 14 V. This flexible battery is used to power an ink-jet printed 5-stage complementary ring oscillator based on organic semiconductors.

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