-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueSupply Chain Strategies
A successful brand is built on strong customer relationships—anchored by a well-orchestrated supply chain at its core. This month, we look at how managing your supply chain directly influences customer perception.
What's Your Sweet Spot?
Are you in a niche that’s growing or shrinking? Is it time to reassess and refocus? We spotlight companies thriving by redefining or reinforcing their niche. What are their insights?
Moving Forward With Confidence
In this issue, we focus on sales and quoting, workforce training, new IPC leadership in the U.S. and Canada, the effects of tariffs, CFX standards, and much more—all designed to provide perspective as you move through the cloud bank of today's shifting economic market.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Thinfilm Completes First Solid-State Lithium Batteries on Steel Substrates
July 10, 2020 | GlobeNewswireEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Thin Film Electronics ASA, a developer of ultrathin, flexible, and safe energy storage solutions for wearable devices and connected sensors, today announced attainment of a major milestone in the development of its solid-state lithium battery (SSLB) technology: the successful fabrication of functional batteries, on Thinfilm's stainless steel substrates, in its San Jose, California manufacturing facility.
Initial characterization testing has demonstrated expected energy densities, thereby enabling differentiated product performance compared to alternatives. Following the completion of this milestone, the Company announced plans to accelerate the transfer of the remaining essential tool from its process technology development partner to Thinfilm's San Jose facility in order to speed development cycle times and guard against potential delays related to the ongoing pandemic.
To successfully produce SSLBs on Thinfilm stainless steel substrates, Thinfilm's technical team integrated multiple proprietary manufacturing processes despite processing delays at the partner location due to tightening operational protocols associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Electrical test results indicate that the Company is on track to deliver differentiated batteries with superior performance characteristics compared to competitors, including rechargeable lithium-ion pouch and coin cells widely used in target markets.
Thinfilm's proprietary, production-proven steel substrate technology is a critical enabler for the scalable production of SSLB products with milliamp-hour-class energy capacities. The favorable mechanical and thermal properties of ultrathin steel – together with Thinfilm's proprietary encapsulation technology – enable the production of larger batteries with superior volumetric energy densities compared to alternatives. Furthermore, the mechanical flexibility of steel enables Thinfilm's highly scalable, roll-based production process that cannot be replicated by competitors dependent on rigid silicon substrates.
In support of the Company's next phase of technology development, the Company is accelerating existing plans to transfer ownership of remaining process equipment, responsible for a key manufacturing step, to control development of proprietary intellectual property and increase flexibility in the scheduling and operation of the complete equipment set. Furthermore, Thinfilm's technical team has been augmented by recent key hires in battery technology, process integration, packaging, and equipment engineering.
Following this milestone, Thinfilm's development priorities now shift to the delivery of customer evaluation samples to a range of prospects and partners in the wearable device and connected sensor markets, in order for them to validate key performance characteristics of Thinfilm SSLB technology.
Based on positive engagements with leading manufacturers of wearable devices and connected sensors, the Company has expanded its potential market to include applications with forecasted annual volumes totaling more than one billion units by 2025. As Thinfilm has continued to validate applications for its differentiated microbattery products, the Company has identified specific market demand in medical wearables and hearables applications for improved energy density and extended cycling. Discussions with leading OEMs have validated demand for the advantages of Thinfilm SSLB technology by emphasizing a desire for smaller batteries, higher energy densities, customized form factors, and longer lifetimes compared to competing rechargeable options. Furthermore, to streamline the integration of Thinfilm SSLBs in next-generation applications within existing markets, the Company plans to partner with leading providers of wireless charging and energy harvesting technology to leverage the superior cycling performance of Thinfilm products.
"We are pleased to deliver on another important milestone by producing our first complete solid-state lithium batteries on stainless steel substrates," said Kevin Barber, CEO of Thinfilm. "With more than one billion units of market opportunity in targeted segments, Thinfilm looks forward to delivering premium microbattery products that minimize battery size and extend battery life for thinner, more comfortable wearable devices and connected sensors."
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
Nvidia’s PCB Vendor Victory Giant Plans to Raise Funds in Hong Kong IPO
08/07/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamNvidia supplier Victory Giant Technology, based in Huizhou, Guangdong, China, released plans at the end of July for a Hong Kong share offering. The move came after regulators eased fundraising rules to support high-tech companies, the South China Morning Post reported.
Curtiss-Wright Signs Strategic Partnership With Rolls-Royce SMR for Its Small Modular Reactor Technology
08/04/2025 | BUSINESS WIRECurtiss-Wright Corporation announced that its UK-based Curtiss-Wright Nuclear business (formerly Ultra Energy) signed a multi-million dollar strategic partnership with Rolls-Royce SMR to deliver critical safety systems for its Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology. Under the contract, Curtiss-Wright will provide design, qualification, testing and supply of the non-programmable diverse Reactor Protection Systems for a global fleet of Rolls-Royce SMRs.
Brent Laufenberg Appointed CIO of the Global Electronics Association, Advancing Technology and Member Services
07/31/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association (formerly IPC International Inc.) announces the appointment of Brent Laufenberg as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO).
Microchip Enters into Partnership Agreement with Delta Electronics on Silicon Carbide Solutions
07/18/2025 | Globe NewswireThe growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and the electrification of everything are driving an ever-increasing demand for higher levels of power efficiency and reliability.
ViTrox’s HITS 5.0 Empowers Global Partners with Innovative Solutions and Stronger Bonds
07/16/2025 | ViTroxViTrox, strives to be the World’s Most Trusted Technology Company, proudly announces the successful conclusion of its fifth edition of High Impact Training for Sales (HITS 5.0), held from 23rd to 27th June 2025 at ViTrox Campus 2.0 and 3.0, located in Batu Kawan Industrial Park, Penang, Malaysia.