Charge storage device, method of making same, method of making an electrically conductive structure for same, mobile electronic device using same, and microelectronic device containing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9368290-B2
Application number	US-201514644632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2015
Priority date	Apr 2, 2010
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

In one embodiment a charge storage device includes first ( 110 ) and second ( 120 ) electrically conductive structures separated from each other by a separator ( 130 ). At least one of the first and second electrically conductive structures includes a porous structure containing multiple channels ( 111, 121 ). Each one of the channels has an opening ( 112, 122 ) to a surface ( 115, 125 ) of the porous structure. In another embodiment the charge storage device includes multiple nanostructures ( 610 ) and an electrolyte ( 650 ) in physical contact with at least some of the nanostructures. A material ( 615 ) having a dielectric constant of at least 3.9 may be located between the electrolyte and the nanostructures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charge storage device comprising:
a plurality of discrete nanostructures; and
an electrolyte in physical contact with at least some of the discrete nanostructures,
wherein:
at least some of the nanostructures are coated with a monolayer of mercury on a surface of the nanostructures;
the mercury prevents an electrochemical reaction between the nanostructures and the electrolyte; and
the discrete nanostructures are formed from a material selected from the group comprising silicon, silicon-germanium (SiGe), and a III-V compound.

2. The charge storage device of claim 1 further comprising:
a material having a dielectric constant of at least 3.9 between the electrolyte and the nanostructures.

3. The charge storage device of claim 1 wherein:
the electrolyte is an organic electrolyte.

4. The charge storage device of claim 1 wherein:
the nanostructures are nanoparticles.

5. The charge storage device of claim 1 wherein:
the nanostructures are nanowires.

6. The charge storage device of claim 5 wherein:
the nanowires are made at least in part of silicon.

7. The charge storage device of claim 1 wherein:
the group further comprises carbon; and
the nanostructures are carbon nanotubes.

8. The charge storage device of claim 1 wherein:
a first subset of the plurality of discrete nanostructures forms a first electrode of the charge storage device.

9. The charge storage device of claim 8 wherein:
a second subset of the plurality of discrete nanostructures forms a second electrode of the charge storage device; and
the charge storage device further comprises a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode.

10. A mobile electronic device comprising:
a microprocessor; and
a charge storage device comprising:
a plurality of nanostructures; and

an electrolyte in physical contact with at least some of the nanostructures wherein the nanostructures are formed from a material selected from the group comprising silicon, silicon-germanium (SiGe), and a III-V compound,
wherein:
the charge storage device is one of a plurality of charge storage devices;
the mobile electronic device further comprises a switching network associated with the charge storage devices; and
the switching network configures the plurality of charge storage devices so as to compensate for a voltage decay in the charge storage device.

11. The mobile electronic device of claim 10 further comprising:
a sensor network associated with the charge storage devices.

12. The mobile electronic device of claim 11 further comprising:
a voltage control unit associated with the sensor network and with the charge storage devices.

13. The mobile electronic device of claim 10 further comprising:
a temperature sensor associated with the charge storage devices.

14. A microelectronic device comprising:
a substrate;
a microprocessor over the substrate; and
a charge storage device associated with the microprocessor,
wherein:
the charge storage device comprises a plurality of nanostructures and an electrolyte in physical contact with at least some of the nanostructures;
at least some of the nanostructures are coated with a monolayer of mercury on a surface of the nanostructures;
the mercury prevents an electrochemical reaction between the nanostructures and the electrolyte; and
the nanostructures are formed from a material selected from the group comprising silicon, silicon-germanium (SiGe), and a III-V compound.

15. The microelectronic device of claim 14 wherein:
the charge storage device is located on the substrate.

16. The microelectronic device of claim 14 wherein:
the charge storage device is located on the microprocessor.

17. A charge storage device comprising:
a porous structure;
a plurality of nanostructures within the porous structure; and
an electrolyte in physical contact with at least some of the nanostructures,
wherein:
at least some of the nanostructures are coated with a monolayer of mercury on a surface of the nanostructures;
the mercury prevents an electrochemical reaction between the nanostructures and the electrolyte; and
the porous structure is made of a material selected from the group comprising silicon, germanium, silicon-carbide, silicon-germanium, aluminum, tungsten, and copper.

18. The charge storage device of claim 17 , wherein:
the nanostructures are formed from a material selected from the group comprising carbon, silicon, silicon-germanium (SiGe), and a III-V compound.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Gardner Donald S
• Hannah Eric C
• Chen Rong
• Gustafson John

Classifications

• H10D1/711

  having non-planar surfaces, e.g. formed by texturisation · CPC title

• H01G11/26 Primary

  characterised by their structure, e.g. multi-layered, porosity or surface features · CPC title

• H01G11/36

  Nanostructures, e.g. nanofibres, nanotubes or fullerenes · CPC title

• H01G11/54

  Electrolytes · CPC title

• H01G11/86 Primary

  specially adapted for electrodes (carbonisation or activation of carbon for the manufacture of electrodes H01G11/34) · CPC title