Japan’s TDK Corp claims that its new solid-state battery design has 100 times higher energy density than conventional products.
Part of TDK’s CeraCharge lineup, the battery has an energy density of 1,000 watt-hours per liter, the veteran tech company claims. TDK says this is thanks to newly developed materials made from an oxide-based solid electrolyte (described as “extremely safe”) and a lithium alloy anode. It also says its batteries are rechargeable, which is the standard these days.
High-capacity batteries are in high demand for automobiles, data centers and other power-hungry applications, and TDK says its new CeraCharge batteries are intended to replace button and coin batteries. The company predicts the next-generation batteries will be used in wearable devices such as wireless earbuds, hearing aids and smartwatches.
Registry We couldn’t easily find a watt-hours-per-liter specification for the coin cell, so we asked TDK for clarification on this point.
TDK’s CeraCharge battery. Click to enlarge
In fact, judging from the single image of the battery released by TDK, it seems incredibly small — and even with significant improvements in energy density, one alone probably wouldn’t be enough to power a full-fledged smartphone or laptop.
But it’s time to replace them, as button batteries are not always rechargeable, and even those that are may not have as high a capacity as disposable types, so TDK claims its new CeraCharge batteries meet EU regulations and reduce pollution.
But the giant may have a longer-term vision that goes beyond simply replacing coin batteries: “TDK aims to apply the production technologies it has cultivated in its electronic components business to increase battery capacity and expand the operating temperature range through multi-layer lamination technology,” the company said.
This suggests that larger batteries for electronics, automobiles and other applications are a promising future for the technology. Many companies are already working on electric vehicle batteries, including Samsung, which is developing an anode-free solid-state battery with a capacity of 900 watt-hours per liter, slightly lower than TDK’s upcoming CeraCharge model. Samsung plans to ship the battery in 2029 if all goes according to plan.®