STMicroelectronics has announced a commercial agreement with Front-Edge Technology (FET) enabling ST to bring FET's NanoEnergy ultra-thin lithium battery technology to new markets and applications. These solid-state thin-film energy cells offer a better way of storing energy for ‘micro-power' devices, such as ‘one-time-password' smartcards; battery-assisted RFID (radio-frequency ID) tags; wireless sensor networks; RTC (real-time clock) back-up batteries; and multiple medical applications, including hearing aids, automatic insulin pumps and wearable health monitoring systems.
A key advantage of the ultra-thin solid-state battery technology is its physical flexibility, enabling different sizes and shapes of ‘bendable' batteries, as thin as 200 microns, making it suitable for portable and small form factor devices. The battery's solid electrolyte is LiPON (lithium phosphorus oxynitride), which enables the thin-film FET technology to deliver more power.
These solid-state micro-batteries offer longer life, short-circuit prevention for better safety and a lower environmental burden. Other key characteristics of the technology include long cycle life, with more than 1,000 cycles at 50% discharge; fast current charge enabling batteries to be charged to 80% of rated capacity within 15 minutes; and high stability, with a low self-discharge of less than 15% per year.
