According to a report from NanoMarkets, the value of the thin-film and printed battery market will reach US$5.6 billion by 2015.
According to the report, thin-film and printed batteries with their customisable shapes, flexible form factors and ultra-low weight are enabling new functionality to be added to a broad range of electronic products, such as smartcards, RFID and sensors both increasing their usefulness and the size of their addressable markets.
While many of the players in this space are smaller firms, several big name firms including Air Products, Dow Chemical, Intel, and NEC have invested in this space underscoring its strategic importance, the company said.
This technology segment is also one where volume is everything both in terms of manufacturability and sales prospects. Thin film and printable batteries can be delivered at attractive price points when produced in significant quantities and with the right processes. For technologies such as RFID, sensors, smart cards and medical devices that are also high volume and cost sensitive, the ability for manufacturers to add cheap power sources is crucial.
When you also factor in the ability for these batteries to extend these applications beyond their current usage, battery manufacturers can create a winning proposition for their customers. In terms of market potential, NanoMarkets report projects that the thin film and printed battery markets will be driven primarily RFID which by 2015 will generate US$4.6 billion revenues, smart cards which will generate US$346 million in revenues and sensors that will create US$434 million in revenues.
The NanoMarkets study predicts that printing will have a growing role in the next generation of smart batteries resulting in the growth in demand for zinc manganese dioxide or carbon zinc inks. The study also predicts that there will be a growing number of alternatives for the dominant LiPON electrolytes, with improved conductivity and thermal properties. While thin-film batteries using conventional lithium-based materials will remain the dominant factor, non lithium battery revenues will grow to US $2.5 billion by 2015