Global market for thin-film batteries to reach $600 million by 2015

NEW YORK, USA: The thin-film battery (TFB) market is an attractive and still-growing multimillion-dollar market characterized by very high production volumes of thin-film batteries that must be extremely reliable and low in cost. Thin-film lithium and lithium-ion batteries are ideally suited for a variety of applications where small power sources are needed. By using the available space within a device, the battery can provide the required power while occupying otherwise wasted space and adding negligible mass.

According to a recently published report from iRAP, Inc. (www.innoresearch.net), EN106: Rechargeable and Non-Rechargeable, Flexible, Thin-Film Batteries: A Global Industry and Market Analysis, the global market for thin-film batteries is expected to reach $90 million in 2010. This market will increase to $600 million by 2015.Source: iRAP, USA.

The range for the average annual growth rate (AAGR) is expected to be 37.9 percent to 67.8 percent for the six major regions surveyed for the period 2010 to 2015. Regionally, North America is expected to capture about 40 percent of the market in 2010, followed by Europe at 36 percent and the rest of the world (ROW) at 24 percent, dominated by Japan, Korea and China.

Three very distinct types of flexible TFB technologies exist – lower performance printed TFBs, single-use higher performance lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries, and solid-state rechargeable lithium phosphorous oxynitride (LiPON) batteries (which are the most expensive). Currently, non-rechargeable zinc batteries can be fully printed and used in roll-to-roll manufacturing processes.

Major findings of this report include:
* The market for thin-film batteries used in one-time password (OTP), display-type smart cards for banking will be highest in 2010.
* Disposable medical cosmetic patches, electronic games and entertainment devices, music greeting cards using non-rechargeable thin printed battery (zinc-manganese chemistry), low power semi-active tags used with sensors, and battery-assisted passive (BAP) radio frequency identification (RFID) devices will have a combined market share of over one-third of the total market in 2010.
* Ultra-low power energy harvesting devices (solar, thermal, vibration) using rechargeable lithium-ion or similar type batteries will be a distant third in 2010.
* The main factor slowing growth of the market for thin-film/printed batteries at present is high cost. Thin-film/printable batteries are currently unable to compete with conventional battery technology on price. This will change as volumes for thin-film/printed batteries ramp up and technology improves. By far the largest application for these batteries is likely to be found in OTP display smart cards and battery-assisted, semi-passive RFID. There is much talk in the RFID industry about battery-assisted technology as a solution to the cost issue surrounding active RFID tags. By 2015, forecasts indicate that OTP display smart cards and battery-assisted passive RFID devices will take off.
* Among the three technologies covered in this report, in 2010 the market share for non-rechargeable thin zinc-manganese printed batteries is the highest followed by the lithium polymer thin-film non-rechargeable batteries and rechargeable thin-film lithium-ion batteries as a distant third.