Laser-assisted fabrication of batteries on wax paper

Abstract

The functionality of paper-based diagnostic devices can be significantly enhanced by their integration with an on-board energy source. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of paper-based electrochemical cells on wax paper using CO2 laser surface treatment and micromachining. A four cell zinc–copper battery shows a steady open-circuit voltage of ∼3 V and can provide 0.25 mA for at least 30 min when connected to a 10 kΩ load. Higher voltages and current values can be obtained by adjusting the number and size of electrochemical cells in the battery without changing the fabrication process.

Printable on‐chip micro battery

“…There are some methods to boost voltage, such as charge pumps and micro transformers, but these methods require large capacitors or inductors that spoil the advantage of the onechip sensor. On the other hand, the serial connection of the on-chip batteries requires some structures to separate the electrolyte of each battery [15], which spoils the simplicity of the chip. Therefore, a single-cell battery should provide sufficient voltage for the CMOS circuit, e.g.…”

A Janus-Paper PDMS Platform for Lab-on-Chip Applications

“…More recently, paper [1], [2] has garnered significant attention as a low-cost disposable platform for chemical [3]- [6] and biological assays. [5], [7] Paper-based devices are often fabricated either by using a hydrophilic paper that is patterned and impregnated with wax to create hydrophobic regions [8], [9] or alternatively by lasertreating a hydrophobic paper to create hydrophilic regions [10], [11]. In both cases, the hydrophilic/hygroscopic pattern is then used to perform colorimetric or electrochemical analyses on aqueous samples.…”