A small solid-state battery packs plenty of power into your pocket gadgets. • The Register

Japanese company TDK Corporation claims its new solid-state battery design has a hundred times greater energy density than its previous products.

The battery, part of TDK’s CeraCharge line, has an energy density of 1,000 watt-hours per liter, according to the experienced technology team. This is apparently thanks to a newly developed material made of a solid oxide-based electrolyte – considered “extremely safe” – and lithium alloy anodes, TDK claims. It also notes that its batteries are rechargeable, which is now the norm.

While high-capacity batteries are in high demand for vehicles, data centers and other power-hungry applications, TDK says the new CeraCharge batteries are intended to replace button or coin cell models. He predicts the next-generation battery will be used in wearable devices such as wireless headphones, hearing aids and smart watches.

Register watt-hour per liter specifications for button cells could not be easily found; We asked TDK for clarification on this matter.

Indeed, judging by the single photo of the battery that TDK posted, it appears to be incredibly small, and even if it did improve energy density significantly, let’s just say that one single battery probably wouldn’t be enough to power a full-sized smartphone or laptop.

However, coin cell batteries need to be replaced, especially since they are not always rechargeable and those that are may not have as much capacity as disposable models. For this reason, TDK says its newer CeraCharge batteries meet EU regulations and can reduce pollution.

However, the business giant may have a long-term vision for more than just replacing coin cell batteries. “TDK aims to increase battery capacity through multi-layer lamination technology and expand the operating temperature range by applying manufacturing engineering technology that TDK has accumulated in the electronic components industry,” he says.

This could mean that the future of this technology will include larger batteries for electronics and even cars or other applications. Many companies have already made progress with electric vehicle batteries, such as Samsung and its anode-free, all-solid-state batteries rated at 900 watt-hours per liter, just below TDK’s upcoming CeraCharge model. If all goes according to plan, Samsung is expected to release the battery in 2029. ®