Apple Supplier TDK has developed a game changing next-gen Solid State battery branded 'CeraCharge' potentially for Apple Watch & more
Tokyo-based Apple supplier maker TDK announced today that they've successfully developed a material for CeraCharge, a next-generation solid-state battery with an energy density of 1,000 Wh/L, approximately 100 times greater than the energy density of TDK’s conventional solid-state battery. TDK’s technology is aimed at a solution that can be utilized in various wearable devices
Utilizing TDK’s proprietary material technology, TDK has managed to develop a material for the new solid-state battery with a significantly higher energy density than TDK’s conventional mass-produced solid-state batteries (Type: CeraCharge) due to the use of oxide-based solid electrolyte and lithium alloy anodes. The use of oxide-based solid electrolyte makes batteries extremely safe. It is intended for use in wearable and other devices that come in direct contact with the human body.
Solid-state batteries are viewed as a potentially game-changing technology because they can store more energy than lithium-ion batteries and charge faster.
TDK will strive to develop the battery cells and package structure design and advance toward mass production, targeting the development of its new product, the solid-state battery. Moreover, TDK aims to enhance the capacity of the batteries through multi-layer lamination technology and expand its operating temperature range by applying the production engineering technology TDK has accumulated in the electronic components business.
Main applications
- Various wearable devices such as wireless earphones, hearing aids and smartwatches
- Environmental sensors
- Replacement of coin cell batteries
- IoT devices e.g., smart meters, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), smart home sensors, real-time clocks (RTC)
- Bluetooth beacons (BLE)
- Systems for energy harvesting
This could definitely be a game changer for Apple Watch in the not-too-distant future. One can only hope of a similar technological breakthrough for iPhone and MacBooks.