Flexible energy storage devices based on lift-off of CNT films

We report a transfer process for CNT films with intrinsic bottom metal contacts to construct mechanically bendable, densely aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) forests for energy storage devices. The flexible electrode created and investigated as a supercapacitor has the following salient features: (1) excellent transfer of charge from the aligned CNTs to the substrate, (2) simple fabrication, and (3) easy integration with a variety of surfaces and topographies. Preliminary testing results with a CNT forest of 5 × 10 mm
²
in area on Au/Kapton® film show a specific capacitance of 7.0 mF/cm
²
.