Researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) and the French lab CEA-Leti unveiled a novel microactuator driving system at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) 2025. The system combines solid-state battery technology with integrated circuit designs for simultaneous energy storage and voltage boost conversion. The research, detailed in the paper “An Autonomous…
ULVAC announces lithium coating system aiming to boost battery performance
ULVAC, a Tokyo-based vacuum technology company, has developed the EWK-030, a roll-to-roll lithium deposition system designed to create ultra-thin lithium films for next-generation batteries. The company claims this system will significantly improve battery performance, potentially leading to longer-range electric vehicles (EVs) and enhanced energy storage capabilities. The EWK-030 is slated for release in May 2025,…
24 R&D trends that redefined 2024
In many respects, 2024 was a year of building upon the foundations laid by previous technological and scientific advances. While AI continued to evolve at a rapid clip, progress was in many ways more incremental than last year when GPT-4 redefined expectations for genAI. But AI continues to make definable improvements across a range of…
The secret to next-gen batteries? It could be in the binder, says ORNL
A recent study focused on polymer binders could point to future breakthroughs in solid-state batteries, enabling safer, more powerful, and longer-lasting energy storage. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered that the molecular weight of these often-overlooked components plays a crucial role in the performance and durability of sulfide solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), a key…