Thin Film Lithium-ion Battery Vs Lithium-ion Battery: What’s the Difference?
In the rapidly evolving world of battery technology, thin film lithium-ion batteries have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries. These batteries, with their ultra-thin structure and solid-state electrolyte, offer distinct advantages in flexibility, safety, and application potential. This article delves into the fundamental differences between thin film lithium-ion batteries and conventional lithium-ion battery, exploring their respective structures, manufacturing processes, and applications across various industries.
Fig.1
What's a Thin Film Lithium Ion Battery?
The thin-film lithium-ion battery is a form of solid-state battery. Its development is motivated by the prospect of combining the advantages of solid-state batteries with the advantages of thin-film manufacturing processes. This battery is a variant of the conventional lithium-ion polymer battery. What makes it a bit different is that it is made of thinner materials ranging from nanometers to micrometers in total thickness. A packaged thin-film Li-ion battery measures only about a few millimeters thick. Li-poly batteries are often available in “pack” and “pouch” packaging and therefore measure up to a few centimeters.
Thin Film Lithium-ion Battery Vs Lithium-ion Battery: What's the Difference?
The primary difference between a thin film lithium-ion battery and a traditional one lies in their physical structure and manufacturing process.
Structure:
Thin Film Battery: Composed of very thin layers, including a solid electrolyte, cathode, and anode. The entire structure is often less than a millimeter thick.
Regular Lithium-Ion Battery: Typically much thicker, with liquid or gel electrolytes housed in a larger, more rigid structure.
Electrolyte:
Thin Film Battery: Uses a solid electrolyte, which reduces the risk of leakage and improves safety by eliminating flammable liquids.
Regular Lithium-Ion Battery: Uses a liquid or gel electrolyte, which can pose a risk of leakage and flammability.
Flexibility:
Thin Film Battery: Highly flexible and can be bent or shaped to fit various applications, making it suitable for flexible electronics.
Regular Lithium-Ion Battery: Generally rigid and not suitable for applications requiring flexibility.
Manufacturing Process:
Thin Film Battery: Involves more complex and costly deposition techniques that require precise control over layer thickness.
Regular Lithium-Ion Battery: Manufactured using more conventional processes like winding or stacking of electrodes.
Energy Density:
Thin Film Battery: Typically lower energy density compared to regular lithium-ion batteries, due to the thin layers and solid-state electrolyte.
Regular Lithium-Ion Battery: Generally higher energy density, suitable for power-hungry devices.
Cost:
Thin Film Battery: Usually more expensive to produce due to advanced manufacturing processes.
Regular Lithium-Ion Battery: More cost-effective, benefiting from established large-scale production methods.
What's the Applications of Thin Film Lithium-ion Battery?
Advancements in thin-film lithium-ion batteries have opened up many new possibilities, especially for consumer and medical products. These batteries allow for thinner portable electronics by reducing battery thickness, making them ideal for devices like implantable medical devices (e.g., defibrillators, neural stimulators), smart cards, RFID tags, and wireless sensors. Their flexibility in size and shape enables integration into various designs without compromising space.
●Internet of Things (IoT)：RFID tags benefit from the thin-film battery’s flexibility and power, supporting more complex tags and potentially enabling disposable applications due to low-cost production methods. In smart cards, which undergo high-temperature and pressure conditions during production, thin-film batteries withstand extreme temperatures, making them suitable for such applications.
●Medical Devices: For implantable medical devices, thin-film rechargeable batteries offer reliability, a low self-discharge rate, and the ability to last up to 50,000 cycles, making them ideal for devices like pacemakers and defibrillators.
●Wireless sensors: Wireless sensors require long-lasting, size-specific, and cost-effective batteries. Thin-film lithium-ion batteries meet these needs, ensuring that sensors remain operational throughout their applications, from package tracking to environmental monitoring.
●Wearable Technology: Fitness trackers, smart clothing, and augmented reality glasses could incorporate thin film batteries for seamless integration and improved comfort.
Advantages of Thin Film Lithium-ion Battery
Thin-film lithium-ion batteries offer several advantages over typical rechargeable lithium-ion batteries:
●Higher Performance: They have a higher average output voltage, are lighter (leading to 3x higher energy density), and have a longer cycle life (lasting 1500 cycles without degradation).
●Efficiency: Both electrodes in thin-film lithium-ion batteries can reversibly insert lithium, forming a Li-ion transfer cell, which is promising for achieving high specific energy and power at lower manufacturing costs.
●Solid Electrolyte: Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, which use liquid electrolytes, thin-film batteries use a solid electrolyte that conforms to the battery's shape, allowing for a more compact design and higher energy density. The solid electrolyte also eliminates the risk of leakage and combines the roles of electrolyte, separator, and binder in flexible battery designs.
●Simplified Separator: The separator in thin-film rechargeable batteries is a thin, flexible solid, typically polymer-based, which simplifies the design compared to liquid-based systems and can even use materials like Xerox paper. This separator still allows ion transport while preventing short-circuiting and resisting degradation.
Conclusion
As the demand for more compact, flexible, and reliable power sources continues to grow, thin film lithium-ion batteries are carving out a unique niche in the battery market. Their advantages in safety, design flexibility, and performance make them ideal for cutting-edge applications in medical devices, wearable technology, and the Internet of Things (IoT). As a global leading lipo battery manufacturer, Grepow offers custom rechargeable urta-thin lithium-ion battery that are as thin as 0.5 millimeters to meet the needs of all knids of IoT, wearable and medical device applications.
- +1 Like
- Add to Favorites
This document is provided by Sekorm Platform for VIP exclusive service. The copyright is owned by Sekorm. Without authorization, any medias, websites or individual are not allowed to reprint. When authorizing the reprint, the link of www.sekorm.com must be indicated.
Recommend
What Is an Ultra Thin LiPo Battery?
2024-07-25 - Technical Discussion The Lithium-ion battery (LIB) has revolutionized our lives and is widespread from small-scale devices such as mobile phone to emergency distributed power supply, electric vehicle, etc. Lithium-ion batteries are evolving even now. Many current types of research for LIB focus on life extension, energy density, safety, cost reduction, and charging speed. Thin film LIB is one of the forms of LIB, it has attracted much interest for use as power sources of smart cards, implantable medical devices, micro-sensors, and soon.
Sodium-ion Battery vs Lithium-ion Battery: What’s the Difference?
2024-03-14 - Technical Discussion As the demand for energy storage solutions grows, researchers are exploring alternative technologies to the ubiquitous lithium-ion batteries. One such contender is the sodium-ion battery, which offers potential advantages but also faces significant challenges. In this article, we will delve into the key differences between sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries, evaluating their strengths, weaknesses, and prospects for the future.
Lithium-ion Battery Cycle Life VS. Calendar Life VS. Shelf Life
2024-01-04 - Technical Discussion Lithium-ion batteries have become an integral part of our daily lives, powering everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. As these batteries play a crucial role in various applications, understanding their life expectancy is essential. In this article, we will explore the concepts of cycle life, calendar life, and shelf life of lithium-ion batteries, shedding light on their individual characteristics and implications.
Introducing the Tattu Neo Series: Next-Gen Semi-Solid State Smart Batteries for Industrial Drones
2025-08-27 - Product Introduction Grepow’s Tattu Neo Series Smart Batteries represent a breakthrough in drone energy systems, built with next-generation semi-solid state high-energy-density cells and integrated smart battery management. Designed for diverse drone applications—from aerial surveying and infrastructure inspection to logistics, agriculture, and filmmaking—the Tattu Neo Series sets a new standard in performance, safety, and operational efficiency. Whether you’re optimizing for endurance, payload, or extreme conditions, these batteries deliver the advanced capabilities modern drone professionals demand.
What is a Silicon Anode Lithium-Ion Battery?
2024-06-19 - Technical Discussion This article delves into the specifics of silicon anodes, their benefits, and the challenges they present.
Battery material - lithium ion battery separator
2025-08-14 - Technical Discussion Because of its insulating property, good thermal stability and excellent electrolyte retention capacity, the porous inorganic membrane has been taken into account as lithium-ion battery separator for the first time. This dissertation is focused on lithium-ion battery system, and aim at improving the safety performance and rate capability of the battery. The porous Al2O3, SiO2, and AAO separators have been prepared.
5 Factors That Affect the Lithium Ion Battery Life
2022-06-05 - Manufacturer News Grepow talks about 5 Factors That Affect the Lithium-Ion Battery Life.
What is a Lithium-ion Battery Cell, Battery Module, and Battery Pack?
2024-02-01 - Technical Discussion In the fast-paced world of technology and electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries have become the backbone of energy storage solutions. Whether it‘s powering your smartphone, laptop, or electric car, these high-energy-density batteries have revolutionized the way we store and utilize electrical energy. In this article, we will delve into the components that make up a lithium-ion battery system, exploring the intricacies of battery cells, battery modules, and battery packs.
Grepow 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 battery
2025-08-06 - Product Introduction Grepow 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 battery：Used on home solar system, UPS and other industrial applications. Embeds BMS system for Lithium Iron Phosphate cell (LiFePO4) that offers a high level of safety and long lifespan. And Grepow Lithium Iron Phosphate modular batteries are drop-in replacement for lead-acid batteries.
What Batteries Are Used In OTC Hearing Aids?
2023-02-23 - Technical Discussion OTC Hearing Aids‘ most common type is the rechargeable lithium-ion button cell battery； these rechargeable lithium-ion button batteries are small, usually round, about 10 to 12mm in diameter, and 3 to 6mm thick, similar to the size of a coin.
Top Lithium Polymer Battery Manufacturer Internationally Grepow Lithium Polymer battery manufacturer
2024-08-13 - Manufacturer News Grepow‘s new generation of polymer lithium-ion batteries can be thinned in shape (lithium polymer batteries up to 0.5 mm thinner, relative to the thickness of a card), arbitrarily area and arbitrarily shaped, greatly improved The flexibility battery design. Therefore, it can be made into a battery of any shape and capacity in accordance with product requirements. Provides application designers with a high degree of design flexibility and adaptability in power solutions to maximize the performance of their products.
What Is a BMS Battery?
2025-06-18 - Technical Discussion A Battery Management System (BMS) is a critical electronic system integrated into rechargeable battery packs, especially lithium-ion batteries, to ensure their optimal performance, safety, and longevity. It acts as the “brain“ of the battery pack by continuously monitoring and managing various parameters such as voltage, current, temperature, and state of charge (SoC), thereby preventing dangerous conditions and maximizing battery life. This article provides an in-depth exploration of BMS, addressing its functions, necessity, and common user queries.
What Is a NMC Battery?
2024-03-15 - Technical Discussion NMC batteries are a type of lithium-ion battery that has gained popularity in various industries due to their high energy density and long lifespan. These batteries use a combination of nickel, manganese, and cobalt in the cathode, which allows them to store a large amount of energy in a relatively small and lightweight package. NMC batteries are used in a wide range of applications, including electric vehicles, portable electronics, and renewable energy systems.
Can Lipo Battery Cells Be Shipped by Air?
2022-09-17 - Technical Discussion With the widespread use of electronic products, batteries nowadays have become household items that we can see everywhere. The most commonly encountered type of battery is the lithium-ion battery.
NMC Battery vs. LCO Battery: What’s the Difference?
2024-10-23 - Technical Discussion When it comes to lithium-ion batteries, two of the most commonly discussed chemistries are NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) and LCO (Lithium Cobalt Oxide). Both are widely used in a variety of applications, from electric vehicles to consumer electronics, but they differ significantly in terms of chemical composition, energy density, cycle life, and cost. Understanding the key differences between NMC and LCO batteries is essential for choosing the right battery for specific applications, whether you‘re powering a smartphone or an electric vehicle.
Electronic Mall
Auth. Dist.
Auth. Dist.
Auth. Dist.
Auth. Dist.
Auth. Dist.
Auth. Dist.
Auth. Dist.
Auth. Dist.
Integrated Circuits
Discrete Components
Connectors & Structural Components
Assembly UnitModules & Accessories
Power Supplies & Power Modules
Electronic Materials
Instrumentation & Test Kit
Electrical Tools & Materials
Mechatronics
Processing & Customization
