Washington startup XNRGI plans to launch "porous" silicon cells. Compared with traditional lithium-ion batteries, such batteries have high energy density, low manufacturing costs, and are safer to use.
XNRGI is used to make silicon wafers for batteries, similar to those used by semiconductor companies to make chips. They etch a very dense 20 * 20 micron honeycomb pattern on a silicon wafer and coat it with lithium and other metals to form the positive and negative electrodes of a "micro battery." The company said that its patented technology has been brewing for 15 years and is planned to be launched in the market in 2020. Silicon batteries using this technology have four times the energy density of lithium-ion batteries and cost only half of the latter.
The concept of using silicon to increase energy density is not new. The biggest obstacle is that when the battery is charged, the silicon will swell and cause the battery to decline. As time progresses, "lithium dendrites" will appear, making the electrodes short-circuited, which is a big safety taboo. XNRGI said that there is enough space between the electrodes of each micro-battery, and the low charge is sufficient to prevent these situations. There are 36 million vertical miniature batteries on every 12-inch silicon wafer, forming a huge battery. This unique structure makes charging faster. It is worth mentioning that XNRGI's batteries are recyclable and not as easy to escape from heat as traditional lithium-ion batteries. Its energy density exceeds 400wh / kg, so the manufacturing cost is lower, and it is an ideal energy storage option for electric vehicles and power grids.
Christine Hallquist, head of Cross Border Power, is a key player in driving the technology. She said that the development of this battery technology has received $ 80 million in investment support from Intel, Motorola, and the public sector such as the US Navy and the Department of Energy. Hallquist's company has exclusive rights to sell these batteries to North American utilities and plans to begin shipping early next year.
The current global battery technology production capacity is about 150GWh. It cannot be ignored that even a CAGR of 40% will not be enough to meet future power demand. Batteries are also not cheap, accounting for 35-45% of the price of electric vehicles. If things don't change, even if we could make more electric cars, they would be too expensive for the average consumer. With mature manufacturing technology, XNRGI company stores more energy in a smaller space at a lower cost, while improving the safety of the car, which is of great significance.