Research on magnetron sputtering thin films as electrode materials for supercapacitors

Supercapacitors are advanced energy storage devices that have been in development since the 1950 s, and the exploration of new electrode materials that can significantly improve the performance of supercapacitors never stops. In recent years, the binder-free electrode fabrication technology has attracted extensive attention from researchers. The direct growth of electrode materials with excellent performance on the substrate is a promising strategy for the preparation of binder-free electrodes. Magnetron sputtering, as a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) technique, has the advantages of fast deposition speed and easy control, and prepares films with high purity, corrosion resistance, good uniformity, and strong substrate bonding. Magnetron sputtering technology has shown great advantages in the preparation of supercapacitor electrodes by depositing various types of thin films on different substrate materials. In this paper, the influence of magnetron sputtering technology on the microstructure of supercapacitor thin film electrodes and the modulation of the performance are reviewed, as well as the study of nitride/sulfide/oxide, metal, and carbon-based, such as graphene, thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering as supercapacitor electrode materials in recent years, and then finally summarized and outlooked, which is an important reference significance for the development and application of the magnetron sputtering technology in the future as well as for the development of supercapacitors.