Polymer battery thin enough to fit inside a credit card

28-Feb-14

As the use of electronics printed on extremely thin substrates increases, powering compact systems is becoming more of an issue. As per pcb007.com, Solicore Inc. is tackling this obstacle with a polymer battery that's thin enough to fit inside a credit card. Its thin film batteries are less than 0.45 mm thick, yet they offer lifetimes of up to five years. The lifetime is long enough to meet the demands of many extremely compact portable products. One of the target markets is an application that has received a lot of attention this year, credit card security. The polymer layers acts like a sponge, absorbing the electrolyte. It can be bent, twisted, broken or have holes drilled in it without leakage. It's also designed so there's no danger of overheating, which can be an issue with batteries. "Our primary market is authentication display cards--credit cards that have displays," said Dan Tillwick, COO of Solicore. "The displays enable information critical to validate the user and prevent fraud if the card data is breached. These next generation security cards enable the display of one-time passwords, card balances and other key card holder information." Display cards are already being used in other parts of the world, but U.S. manufacturers have been slow to implement to date. Tillwick states that the thin battery technology enables the deployment of display card technology into the market. While these cards are a primary market, the thin batteries can also be used in medical applications and a variety of sensor-based solutions. For example, grocery stores could use active shelf displays to alter pricing based on volumes and availability. Using thin-film batteries makes it possible to install wireless display modules throughout the store without the high cost of wiring each shelf. "In medical applications, the batteries can be used to power telemetry devices and sensors," Tillwick said. "They could also power patch delivery systems, letting a patch deliver medication with or without patient control."