Supercapacitor with electrolyte
The invention relates to a supercapacitor comprising: an electrolyte having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a first electrode in contact with the first end of the electrolyte, and a second electrode in contact with the second end of the electrolyte. In particular, the electrolyte is made of a solid material that is ion-conductive and electronically insulating.
1. A device comprising at least one supercapacitor comprising:
an electrolyte having a first end and a second end opposite the first end,
a first electrode in contact with the first end of the electrolyte, and
a second electrode in contact with the second end of the electrolyte,
wherein the electrolyte is made of a solid, inorganic, ion-conductive material having an ionic conductivity that is greater than its electronic conductivity,
and wherein the solid material is crystalline and has a lamellar crystallographic structure formed of planes having a composition of the type of A 2 B 2 O 5 and parallel to each other, ions of the material being able to move between said parallel planes, constituting said ionic conductivity of the material.
2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said planes are parallel to a defined direction between the first and second ends.
3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein element A comprises hydrogen.
4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein element A comprises an alkali.
5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the alkali comprises at least one element among rubidium and potassium.
6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein element B comprises titanium.
7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein element B comprises a mixture of titanium and niobium.
8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said planes have vacancies in oxygen sites.
9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein it further comprises encapsulation of at least the solid material, in a cell sealed against at least humidity.
10. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one mechanical actuator in contact with the solid ion-conductive material, and a control unit for controlling the actuator by applying a control signal, and producing:
a first force applied to the solid ion-conductive material, corresponding to a state of locking the electric charges in the electrolyte, and
a second force applied to the solid ion-conductive material, corresponding to a state of releasing the electric charges from the electrolyte, a difference of the first force minus the second force corresponding to a stressing of the atomic planes of the material.
11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the mechanical actuator comprises a piezoelectric component in contact with the solid ion-conductive material, and wherein the control unit is configured to control the piezoelectric component by application of an electrical signal.
12. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one member for adjusting the temperature of the solid ion-conductive material, and a control unit for controlling the temperature adjusting member by applying a control signal, and:
bringing the temperature of the solid ion-conductive material to a first temperature, in order to maintain the solid ion-conductive material in a state of locking the electric charge in the electrolyte, or
bringing the temperature of the solid ion-conductive material to a second temperature, in order to maintain the solid ion-conductive material in a state of releasing electric charge from the electrolyte, the first temperature being higher than the second temperature.
13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the solid ion-conductive material has variable resistivity as a function of an electrical signal previously applied to the solid ion-conductive material,
and wherein the device is configured as memory for storing data, with:
a write mode in which a signal value, selected from at least two values, is applied to the electrolyte for at least a predetermined duration, and
a read mode in which an electrical resistance of the electrolyte is measured in order to determine the signal value previously applied in write mode.
14. A method for fabricating a device with a supercapacitor, said supercapacitor comprising:
an electrolyte having a first end and a second end opposite the first end,
a first electrode in contact with the first end of the electrolyte, and
a second electrode in contact with the second end of the electrolyte,
the electrolyte being made of a solid, inorganic, ion-conductive material having an ionic conductivity that is greater than its electronic conductivity,
and the solid material being crystalline with a lamellar crystallographic structure formed of planes having a composition of the type of A 2 B 2 O 5 and parallel to each other, ions of the material being able to move between said parallel planes, constituting said ionic conductivity of the material,
the method comprising a step of activating the material of the electrolyte.
15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the activation step comprises thermal annealing in an inert atmosphere at a temperature of about 400K.
16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the activation step comprises soaking the solid material in water.
17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the activation step comprises the application of a voltage greater than 5 kV/m.