Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Markets

Abstract

There is a growing interest in new types of thin-film batteries better suited than conventional batteries to powering RFIDs, sensors, smart cards, smart packaging and labels, small displays, embedded processors and memory, and medical devices. In fact, these new forms of power sources will be crucial for the advancement of these printed and organic electronics devices. A slew of new firms have appeared in the past few years all promising to serve this part of the battery market. Each firm has its own take on what the market really needs in terms of flexibility, recharge-ability and footprint. There are also a variety of battery chemistries emerging, each having its own special set of pros and cons.

While the need for thin-film batteries is uncontested, there are still many open questions regarding the adoption of thin-film batteries.

• Are lithium chemistries so well established that it will be hard for the industry to move away from them and adopt novel approaches?
• Can thin-film battery technologies reach acceptable price points for disposable electronics applications?
• Can printing batteries help bring down the cost of batteries and how far will it be possible to integrate the printing of batteries with facilities for printing the electronics itself?
• Which new battery chemistries lend themselves best to mass manufacturing?
• And which battery manufacturers will be the movers and shakers of the next wave of battery technology?

This report is essential reading for those interested in the answers to these and many other related questions.

This NanoMarkets report quantifies the opportunities for next generation batteries and includes a detailed eight-year forecast in both volume and value terms, broken out by battery chemistry and by application. The report discusses in depth the new materials and manufacturing technologies that will be brought to bear on the creation of thin-film batteries. It also provides an analysis of the technical and market needs of the many applications areas at which these batteries may be used, as well as profiles of all the leading manufacturers of thin-film and printable batteries that focus on each firm' s product and marketing strategy and how they are funding their business expansion.

NanoMarkets is the industry' s leading industry analyst firm for thin film, organic and printable electronics. We focus on all aspects of the value chain from materials to manufacturing to application markets and present the most integrated analyses available today. Contact us for additional information about this and other NanoMarkets reports.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

• E.1 Introduction
• E.2 Key drivers and retarding factors for the thin-film/printed batteries market
• E.3 Summary of technical and materials developments
• E.4 Summary of main opportunities in the thin-film/printed batteries market
• E.5 Firms to watch
• E.6 Sources of finance for thin-film batteries/commercialization
• E.7 Summary of eight-year market forecasts for thin-film/printed batteries

Chapter One Introduction

• 1.1 Background to this report
• 1.2 Goals and scope of this report
• 1.3 Methodology of this report
• 1.4 Plan of this report

Chapter Two: Evolution of Thin-Film/Printed Battery Technology

• 2.1 Market Drivers
• 2.2 The economics of thin film batteries and necessary price points
• 2.3 The costs of switching from lithium ion
• 2.4 Alternatives to thin-film batteries
  • 2.4.1 Thin-film and organic photovoltaics
  • 2.4.2 Thin-film fuel cells
  • 2.4.3 Energy harvesting and passive devices
  • 2.4.4 Biothermal devices
  • 2.4.5 Conventional batteries

Chapter Three: Materials and Manufacturing

• 3.1 Available and emerging battery chemistries
  • 3.1.1 Lithium ion
  • 3.1.2 Lithium polymer
  • 3.1.3 Lithium metal and lithium metal alloy
  • 3.1.4 Lithium manganese dioxide
  • 3.1.5 Lithium thionyl chloride
  • 3.1.6 Lithium phosphorus oxynitride
  • 3.1.7 Lithium oxygen
  • 3.1.8 Carbon zinc
  • 3.1.9 Zinc manganese dioxide
  • 3.1.10 Biomaterials-based batteries
  • 3.1.11 Radioisotope batteries
  • 3.1.12 Nanowire based devices and other nanotechnology based batteries
  • 3.1.13 Other battery chemistries
• 3.2 Performance requirements and capabilities of thin-film/printable batteries
  • 3.2.1 Power density and generation capabilities
  • 3.2.2 Service lifetimes
  • 3.2.3 Recharge-ability
  • 3.2.4 Flexibility
  • 3.2.5 Footprint and thinness
  • 3.2.6 Operating temperature
  • 3.2.7 Environmental protection and safety requirements
• 3.3 Manufacturing
  • 3.3.1 Printing technologies
  • 3.3.2 Vapor deposition and sputtering
  • 3.3.3 Attachment to devices being powered and to PCBs
  • 3.3.4 Other manufacturing technologies and proprietary processes
  • 3.3.5 R2R and mass production
  • 3.3.6 Integration with other manufacturing technologies

Chapter Four: Applications for Thin-Film and Printable Batteries

• 4.1 Introduction 4.2 RFID, smart packaging and other retail applications
  • 4.2.1 Active RFID
  • 4.2.2 Semi-active RFID
  • 4.2.3 Other smart packaging/labeling applications
  • 4.2.4 Smart shelves and POP displays
• 4.2 Financial services and security applications
  • 4.2.1 Smart cards
  • 4.2.2 Biometric ID and other access devices
  • 4.2.3 People and animal tracking
• 4.3 Sensors
  • 4.3.1 Wireless sensor networks and other distributed sensor applications
  • 4.3.2 Labs on a chips and diagnostic devices
  • 4.3.3 Vital sign sensors
  • 4.3.4 Military sensors
  • 4.3.5 Other sensor related applications
• 4.4 Other medical and cosmetic devices
  • 4.4.1 Drug delivery systems and other implants
  • 4.4.2 Cosmetic, therapy and stimulation patches
  • 4.4.3 Smart bandages
• 4.5 Embedded chips
  • 4.5.1 Battery-backed up memory and clocks
  • 4.5.2 Embedded processors
• 4.6 Greetings cards, games, toys and other novelties

Chapter Five: Profiles of Leading Thin Battery Firms

• 5.1 Biophan
• 5.2 Cymbet
• 5.3 Enable IPC
• 5.4 Enfucell
• 5.5 Excellatron
• 5.6 Front Edge Technology
• 5.7 Infinite Power Solutions
• 5.8 mPhase
• 5.9 NanoEner (Ener1)
• 5.10 NEC
• 5.11 Oak Ridge Micro-Energy
• 5.12 Power Paper
• 5.13 Rocket
• 5.14 Solicore
• 5.15 Thin Battery Technologies
• 5.16 Ultralife Batteries Inc.
• 5.17 VTT
• 5.18 Other Interesting and Innovative Companies

Chapter Six: Eight-Year Market Forecasts

• 6.1 Forecasting methodology
• 6.2 Forecast of thin-film and printable battery by application
• 6.3 Forecast of thin-film and printable battery by battery chemistry/materials
• 6.4 Forecast of thin-film and printable battery by fabrication method