Summary:
A UK company has developed a patented solid-state battery technology that uses ceramic ion conductor instead of conventional electrolytes. It has distinct benefits over lithium-ion batteries in number of areas, incl. energy efficiency, faster charge and longer life-span. The company is looking for manufacturing partners to transfer their pilot production process into a fabrication plant environment under either a license or manufacturing agreement.
Description:
The UK company has been a solid-state battery technology innovator since 2008. It has developed a type of lithium-ion battery, which, instead of using the usual liquid or polymer electrolyte, uses a ceramic ion conductor. This is particularly important because battery technology is a major challenge in the electronics space, with the Internet of Things (IoT) being a key driver of growth in the market and battery technology development.
IoT devices offer a different set of battery challenges compared to other electronic devices. They have similar pressures, such as cost and availability, but they also have some specific requirements, such as:
- Small size in both footprint and thickness
- Ability to be trickle charged
- Charged only when an energy harvester can get energy
- Longer life span to match those of sensors and Microcontroller Units (MCU)
- Support wider temperature ranges
These challenges need a different approach to battery technology. In response to that, the company has developed very small footprint, energy dense batteries, with distinct benefits over the conventional lithium-ion batteries. Instead of a liquid or polymer electrolyte, the company's patented technology uses a ceramic ion conductor. Among the benefits this provides are faster charging and up to 10 years' life span because of the battery's very low leakage currents. It is non-flammable and can be integrated into integrated circuit components to reduce end device size. When paired with an energy harvester, the battery can provide a truly fit-for-life performance and it is particularly designed for IoT applications.
The company is looking to offer a manufacturing or license agreement to partners interested in transferring the pilot line process for making thin film solid state batteries into a fabrication plant environment (fab).
Type (e.g. company, R&D institution…), field of industry and Role of Partner Sought:
The company is requesting manufacturing partners who are interested in transferring the pilot line process for making thin film solid state batteries into a fab environment. The fab is likely to already have 6-8” MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical) or compound semiconductor capabilities.
Technical Specification or Expertise Sought:
The company is looking for manufacturing partners making thin film solid state batteries for original equipment manufacturers (OEM), principally in the medical device and industrial sensor sectors.
The manufacturing partner should have experience using vacuum deposition equipment, preferably physical vapour deposition techniques in the compound semiconductor or MEMS (microelectromechanical) industries.
External code:
BRUK20180601002