Tiny solid state battery provides instant power for the IoT
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Iten in France has developed a surface mount solid state battery that can discharge almost instantly for wireless IoT applications.
The battery has a discharge rate of 200C, or 200 times its capacity, and 100x faster than conventional lithium ion batteries. This can be used to provide the energy that wireless sensors need for the Internet of Things (IoT). For example, this discharge rate allows a 150 μAh model with an 18 mm² footprint to provide a peak current of 30mA for 50ms, enough to power a wireless transmission.
The technology is being used for a range of battery cells called Powency aimed at instant power delivery in applications such as asset tracking, smart homes and buildings, smart agriculture, metering, remote controls and wireless sensors.
- Iten starts production of solid state batteries
- Production boost for surface mount solid state battery
The cells use nanomaterials for a fully ceramic electrode with a patented mesoporous structure that significantly enhances their specific surface area without using materials such as cobalt or solvents. This provides a longer cycle life than lithium ion, enduring up to 250 cycles at 100% depth of discharge at 70°C, and recharge quickly, reaching 80% capacity typically in 6 minutes. This lends itself to a hybrid architecture where a larger primary battery or energy harvesting source can replenish the cell ready for the next transmission.
The cells also operate at low temperatures out in the field, which can be a problem for traditional lithium ion cells, The Powency batteries retain at least 50% of their capacity at -20°C, whereas conventional Li-ion batteries typically lose 80-90% of their capacity.
The cells are entering high volume production at the Iten factory in Dardilly in Lyon in the second half of this year. The line can produce 30m cells per year, and the company plans to launch an even higher capacity plant by 2028.
“Our breakthrough solid-state battery technology, driven by Iten’s expertise in nanomaterials, is redefining energy management in electronic devices,” said Vincent Cobée, chief executive. “With the power density and full manufacturing readiness, we are solving some of the IoT sector’s most pressing challenges.”
Beyond IoT, Iten is also developing the next generation of SMD solid-state batteries for wearables, consumer and healthcare applications. It sees its control of the manufacturing process to create customized battery designs tailored to specific applications.
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