IEC 62830-8:2021

Semiconductor devices - Semiconductor devices for energy harvesting and generation - Part 8: Test and evaluation methods of flexible and stretchable supercapacitors for use in low power electronics

IEC 62830-8:2021(E) specifies terms, definitions, symbols, test, and evaluation methods used to determine the performance characteristics of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor for practical use in low power electronics such as energy storage devices for energy harvesting, flexible and stretchable electronics, low-power devices, IoT applications, etc. This document is applicable to all the flexible and stretchable supercapacitor for consumers and manufacturers, without any limitations of device technology and size.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 21-Oct-2021
• ICS: 31.080.99 - Other semiconductor devices
• Technical Committee: TC 47 - Semiconductor devices
• Drafting Committee: WG 7 - TC 47/WG 7
• Current Stage: PPUB - Publication issued
• Start Date: 22-Oct-2021
• Completion Date: 19-Nov-2021

Overview

IEC 62830-8:2021 - "Semiconductor devices for energy harvesting and generation - Part 8" defines standardized test and evaluation methods for flexible and stretchable supercapacitors intended for low‑power electronics. The standard specifies terms, definitions, symbols, essential ratings and measurement procedures to determine performance characteristics of flexible/stretchable supercapacitors used in energy harvesting, IoT, wearable and other low‑power devices. It applies to all device technologies and sizes for both manufacturers and consumers.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Terms, definitions & symbols used for consistent reporting of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor performance.
• Essential ratings and characteristic parameters: identification, limiting values, operating conditions and information required on device labels and datasheets.
• Measurement procedures under controlled atmospheric conditions, including:
  • Flat (planar) status: measurement circuits and procedures for basic electrical characterization (V‑t, I‑t, V‑I curves).
  • Bending tests: test setup, curvature radius, repeated bending cycles and evaluation of capacitance retention and reliability under flex conditions.
  • Stretching tests: strain application, test procedure and performance metrics for stretchable device formats.
• Performance metrics covered: capacitance, equivalent series resistance (ESR), charge/discharge cycling, capacitance retention, and reliability indicators.
• Test report requirements to ensure comparability of results between labs and manufacturers.
• Informative annexes covering supercapacitor classification and working principles (EDLC, pseudocapacitor, hybrid), endurance tests (temperature & voltage), bending tester types and device structural classifications (sandwich, in‑plane, wire‑shaped, textile).

Applications and practical value

IEC 62830-8:2021 is directly relevant for:

• Energy harvesting systems that store harvested energy in flexible form-factors.
• Wearables and flexible electronics where mechanical deformation (bending/stretching) affects energy storage performance.
• IoT and low‑power devices requiring reliable, compact energy storage with mechanical resilience. Practical benefits include consistent test methods for product development, performance benchmarking, supplier claims verification, and improving device durability under mechanical stress.

Who should use this standard

• Product designers and engineers developing flexible/stretchable supercapacitors or integrating them into devices.
• Test and qualification laboratories validating mechanical and electrical performance.
• Manufacturers preparing datasheets, quality control protocols and reliability reports.
• Procurement, certification and compliance teams that require standardized test evidence.

Related standards

• Other parts of the IEC 62830 series (Semiconductor devices for energy harvesting and generation) for complementary requirements.
• General IEC guidance on standard development and conformity assessment as referenced in the IEC foreword.

Keywords: IEC 62830-8:2021, flexible supercapacitor, stretchable supercapacitor, test methods, low‑power electronics, energy harvesting, capacitance retention, bending test, stretching test, performance evaluation.

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC 62830-8 ®
Edition 1.0 2021-10
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Semiconductor devices – Semiconductor devices for energy harvesting and
generation –
Part 8: Test and evaluation methods of flexible and stretchable supercapacitors
for use in low power electronics
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IEC 62830-8 ®
Edition 1.0 2021-10
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Semiconductor devices – Semiconductor devices for energy harvesting and

generation –
Part 8: Test and evaluation methods of flexible and stretchable supercapacitors

for use in low power electronics

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 31.080.99 ISBN 978-2-8322-1040-1

– 2 – IEC 62830-8:2021 © IEC 2021
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
3.1 General terms . 6
3.2 Characteristic parameters . 10
4 Essential ratings and characteristic parameters . 11
4.1 Identification and type . 11
4.2 Limiting values and operating conditions . 11
4.3 Additional information . 12
5 Test method . 12
5.1 General . 12
5.1.1 General . 12
5.1.2 Standard atmospheric conditions for test . 13
5.1.3 Standard atmospheric conditions for measurement . 13
5.2 Flat status . 13
5.2.1 Measurement circuit . 13
5.2.2 Measurement procedure . 14
5.2.3 Essential parameters calculation . 16
5.3 Bending status . 18
5.3.1 General . 18
5.3.2 Test procedure . 19
5.4 Stretching status . 22
5.4.1 General . 22
5.4.2 Test procedure . 23
6 Test reports . 26
Annex A (informative) Classification of supercapacitors and its working principles . 28
A.1 General . 28
A.2 Classification . 28
A.3 Working principles . 28
A.3.1 Electrical double layer capacitor (EDLC) . 28
A.3.2 Pseudocapacitor . 29
A.3.3 Hybrid supercapacitor . 29
Annex B (informative) Endurance test (continuous application of rated voltage at low
or high temperature) . 30
B.1 General . 30
B.2 Test method . 30
B.2.1 Test conditions . 30
B.2.2 Test procedure . 30
B.2.3 Recommendations . 30
Annex C (informative) Other bending testers . 32
C.1 Bending stage using fixed and moving stage . 32
C.2 Bending stage using rotating motor . 32
Annex D (informative) Classification of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor . 34
D.1 Flexible and stretchable supercapacitor with sandwich structure . 34
D.2 Flexible and stretchable supercapacitor with in-planar structure . 34
D.3 Flexible and stretchable supercapacitor with wire-shaped structure . 34
D.4 Flexible textile made by using wire-shape supercapacitor . 35

Bibliography . 36

Figure 1 – Schematic of curvature radius . 10
Figure 2 – Measurement procedure of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor . 13
Figure 3 – Measurement circuit of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor . 14
Figure 4 – Schematic illustration of the voltage-time (V-t) curve of the tested flexible
and stretchable supercapacitor . 15
Figure 5 – Schematic illustration of current-time (I-t) curve of the tested flexible and
stretchable supercapacitor . 15
Figure 6 – Schematic illustration of the voltage-current (V-I) curve of the tested flexible
and stretchable supercapacitor . 16
Figure 7 – Voltage-time curves during ten continuous charging-discharging processes
of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor . 17
Figure 8 – Calculated capacitance retention after certain number of repeated
charging-discharging processes of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor . 18
Figure 9 – Bending method of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor using bending stage . 19
Figure 10 – Test setup for the performance reliability of flexible and stretchable
supercapacitor under bending condition . 20
Figure 11 – Comparison of charging-discharging curves with different curvature values
of a flexible and stretchable supercapacitor . 21
Figure 12 – Capacitance retention of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor under

bending status . 21
Figure 13 – Performacne reliability of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor under
bending status . 22
Figure 14 – Stretching method of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor using
stretching stage . 23
Figure 15 – Test setup for the performance reliability of flexible and stretchable

supercapacitor under stretching condition . 24
Figure 16 – Comparison of charging-discharging processes of flexible and stretchable
supercapacitor under various strain status . 25
Figure 17 – Capacitance retention of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor under
stretching status . 25
Figure 18 – Reliability of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor under stretching status . 26
Figure A.1 – Classification of supercapacitor according to its operation principles . 28
Figure A.2 – Schematic illustration of the configuration of EDLC . 28
Figure A.3 – Schematic illustration of the configuration of psuedocapacitor . 29
Figure A.4 – Schematic illustration of the configuration of asymmetric hybrid

supercapacitor . 29
Figure C.1 – Bending stage using fixed and moving stage . 32
Figure C.2 – Bending stage using rotating motor . 33
Figure D.1 – Flexible and stretchable supercapacitor with sandwich structure . 34
Figure D.2 – Flexible and stretchable supercapacitor with in-planar interdigital
structured electrodes . 34
Figure D.3 – Flexible and stretchable supercapacitor with wire-shaped structure . 35
Figure D.4 – Flexible and stretchable supercapacitor with textile structure . 35

Table 1 – Table of specification parameters for flexible and stretchable supercapacitor . 12

– 4 – IEC 62830-8:2021 © IEC 2021
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES –
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES FOR ENERGY
HARVESTING AND GENERATION –
Part 8: Test and evaluation methods of flexible and stretchable
supercapacitors for use in low power electronics

FOREWORD
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rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
IEC 62830-8 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 47: Semiconductor devices. It is
an International Standard.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
FDIS Report on voting
47/2724/FDIS 47/2733/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.

This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/standardsdev/publications.
A list of all parts in the IEC 62830 series, published under the general title Semiconductor
devices – Semiconductor devices for energy harvesting and generation, can be found on the
IEC website.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to
the specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
– 6 – IEC 62830-8:2021 © IEC 2021
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES –
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES FOR ENERGY
HARVESTING AND GENERATION –
Part 8: Test and evaluation methods of flexible and stretchable
supercapacitors for use in low power electronics

1 Scope
This part of IEC 62830 specifies terms, definitions, symbols, test, and evaluation methods used
to determine the performance characteristics of flexible and stretchable supercapacitor for
practical use in low power electronics such as energy storage devices for energy harvesting,
flexible and stretchable electronics, low-power devices, IoT applications, etc. This document is
applicable to all the flexible and stretchable supercapacitor for consumers and manufacturers,
without any limitations of device technology and size.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 60068-1:2013, Environmental testing – Part 1: General and guidance
IEC 62391-1, Fixed electric double-layer capacitors for use in electric and electronic equipment
– Part 1: Generic specification
IEC 62576, Electric double-layer capacitors for use in hybrid electric vehicles – Test methods
for electrical characteristics
IEC 62813, Lithium ion capacitors for use in electric and electronic equipment – Test methods
for electrical characteristics
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1 General terms
3.1.1
flexible and stretchable supercapacitor
electrochemical capacitor which can be incorporated into clothing or worn on the body as
accessories
Note 1 to entry: Figure A.1 in Annex A shows classification of the supercapacitor.

3.1.2
electrical double layer capacitor
EDLC
electrochemical capacitor in which energy storage predominantly is achieved by double-layer
capacitance
Note 1 to entry: Figure A.2 shows a schematic illustration of the EDLCs.
3.1.3
pseudocapacitor
electrochemical capacitor in which electrical energy is stored faradaically by electron charge
transfer between electrode and electrolyte
Note 1 to entry: Figure A.3 shows a schematic illustration of the pseudocapacitor.
3.1.4
hybrid capacitor
supercapacitor which consists of two different types of supercapacitors such as EDLC and
pseudocapacitor
Note 1 to entry: Figure A.4 shows a schematic illustration of the asymmetric hybrid supercapacitor.
Note 2 to entry: In the symmetric supercapacitor, both EDLC-like behaving material and pseudocapacitor-like
behaving material are on each anode and cathode. In the asymmetric supercapacitor, EDLC-like behaving material
is on cathode and pseudocapacitor-like behaving material is on anode.
3.1.5
electrode mass
M
mass of electroactive material for a supercapacitor
3.1.6
cell volume
V
volume of a supercapacitor cell
3.1.7
electrode area
geometric area of electroactive material for supercapacitor
3.1.8
category temperature
range of ambient temperatures for which the supercapacitor has been designed to operate
continuously
[SOURCE: IEC 62391-1:2015, 3.8, modified – "capacitor" has been replaced by
"supercapacitor" and the note has been omitted.]
3.1.9
lower category temperature
minimum ambient temperature for which the supercapacitor has been designed to operate
continuously
[SOURCE: IEC 62391-1:2015, 3.9, modified – In the definition, "a capacitor" has been replaced
by "the supercapacitor".]
– 8 – IEC 62830-8:2021 © IEC 2021
3.1.10
upper category temperature
highest ambient temperature including internal heating in which the supercapacitor is designed
to operate continuously
[SOURCE: IEC 62391-1:2015, 3.10, modified – In the definition, "a capacitor" has been
replaced by "the supercapacitor".]
3.1.11
rated voltage
U
r
maximum direct current (DC) voltage or peak value of pulse which may be applied continuously
or repetitively to the supercapacitor at category temperature
[SOURCE: IEC 62391-1:2015, 3.12, modified – In the definition, "a capacitor" has been
replaced by "the supercapacitor" and "at any temperature between the lower category
temperature and rated temperature" has been replaced by "at category temperature"]
3.1.12
charging
storage of energy in a supercapacitor
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-436:1990, 436-01-08, modified – "of a capacitor" has been removed from
the term and "capacitor has been replaced by "supercapacitor in the definition.]
3.1.13
charging current
I
ch
current which flows during the charging of a supercapacitor
3.1.14
charging time
Δt
ch
time needed for accumulating above 90 % of the total charges to the supercapacitor
3.1.15
discharging
release of all or part of the energy stored in a supercapacitor
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-436:1990, 436-01-10, modified – The term and definition have been
adapted to supercapacitor.]
3.1.16
discharging current
I
disch
current which flows during the discharging of a supercapacitor
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-436:1990, 436-01-11, modified – The term and definition have been
adapted to supercapacitor and a letter symbol for discharging current has been added.]
3.1.17
discharging time
Δt
disch
time needed for dissolving above 90 % of the total charges in the supercapacitor

3.1.18
energy efficiency
ratio of the electric energy provided from a supercapacitor during discharge to the electric
energy supplied to the battery during the preceding charge
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-482:2004, 482-05-53, modified – The definition has been adapted to
supercapacitor.]
3.1.19
voltage drop
U
drop
instantaneous change of voltage when the operation condition of a supercapacitor changes
from the charging to discharging process
3.1.20
strain
change of the relative positions of parts of a supercapacitor, excluding a displacement of the
body as a whole under stretching status
ll−
σ ×100 %
(1)
l
where
σ is the strain;
l is the stretched length of supercapacitor after elongation;
l is the original length of supercapacitor before elongation.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-113:2011, 113-03-57, modified – The definition has been adapted to
supercapacitor, and Equation (1) added.]
3.1.21
radius of curvature
bending radius
r
point of a curve, radius of the osculating circle under bending status
Note 1 to entry: The osculating circle is the circle tangent to a curve at a point that approaches at best the curve in
the vicinity of the point. Figure 1 shows a schematic of curvature radius.
Note 2 to entry: The other methods to bend the supercapacitor are indicated in Annex C.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-113:2011, 113-01-30, modified – The admitted term, letter symbol and
Note 2 to entry have been added.]
=
– 10 – IEC 62830-8:2021 © IEC 2021

Figure 1 – Schematic of curvature radius
3.2 Characteristic parameters
3.2.1
nominal capacitance
C
N
calculated capacitance value from galvano charging/discharging curve
3.2.2
specific capacitance
2 3
capacitance per unit mass/area/volume of the supercapacitor, F/g, F/cm , F/cm
3.2.3
equivalent series resistance
internal resistance
ESR
resistance component in an equivalent series circuit of capacitance and resistance of the
supercapacitor
Note 1 to entry: The internal resistance in given in ohms (Ω).
[SOURCE: IEC 62391-1:2015, 3.20, modified – The terms "equivalent series resistance" and
"ESR" have been added and in the definition, "a capacitor" has been replaced by "the
supercapacitor".]
3.2.4
energy density
ε
amount of energy that can be stored per area/mass/volume of the supercapacitor, Wh/cm ,
Wh/kg, Wh/cm
3.2.5
maximum power density
P
max
speed at which energy can be delivered per area/mass/volume of the supercapacitor
2 3
to/absorbed from the load, W/cm , W/kg, W/cm
3.2.6
life cycle
certain number of repeated charging and discharging processes resulting in 90 % of
capacitance retention
3.2.7
critical strain
strain at which the capacitance starts to decrease a predefined limit, and/or fracture of the
supercapacitor caused by delamination or initiation of the cracks occurs
Note 1 to entry: It is the minimum strain that the supercapacitor can tolerate.
Note 2 to entry: Manufacturer should indicate predefined limit of strain.
[SOURCE: IEC 62951-1:2017, 3.1.2, modified – In the definition, "bending radius", "electrical
resistance", "exceed", and "film" have been replaced by "strain", "capacitance", "decrease", and
"supercapacitor", respectively. In addition, Note 2 to entry has been added.]
3.2.8
critical radius of curvature
bending radius at which the capacitance starts to decrease a predefined limit, and/or fracture
of the supercapacitor caused by delamination or initiation of the cracks occurs
Note 1 to entry: It is the minimum radius of curvature that the supercapacitor can tolerate.
Note 2 to entry: Manufacturer should indicate predefined limit of radius of curvature.
[SOURCE: IEC 62951-1:2017, 3.1.2, modified – In the definition, "electrical resistance",
"exceed", and "film" have been replaced by "capacitance", "decrease", and "supercapacitor",
respectively. Note 2 to entry has been added.]
4 Essential ratings and characteristic parameters
4.1 Identification and type
The wearable electrochemical-glucose sensors shall be clearly and durably marked in
...