Thin-Film and Printed Battery Markets 2012
The thin-film/printed battery sector has sent out mixed messages in the past year. Several of longstanding firms in this space have established entirely plausible business models that could lead to profitability in a year or so. Yet, at the same time, a few notable thin-film/printed battery firms have quit altogether.
With these changes in mind, it seems that the thin-film/printed battery space is in need of re-examination and this is the goal of this report. Building on NanoMarkets six years of covering the thin-film/battery, space, this report analyzes in detail the current strategies of the firms that now dominate this space and develops an extensive forecast of thin-film/printed batteries over the next eight years. The report also examines where firms in this business are likely to get funding in the near-term future.
The report begins with an examination of the latest trends in manufacturing and technology for thin-film and printed batteries and the main drivers for these trends. This discussion includes considerations of role of latest generation of functional printing technology, how manufacturing infrastructure is being shaped by supply chain considerations, as well as product design and performance trends.
Finally, the report identifies and quantifies the major applications that NanoMarkets believes can create a viable market for thin-film and printed batteries. We take a look, in particular, at the current state of smartcards and RFID as applications for the kinds of batteries that are covered in this report, since these have been touted in the past as “killer apps.” We also examine how value can be created by thin-film/printed battery firms by building their strategies around evolving product/market ecosystems supporting low-cost electronics applications.
As with all NanoMarkets reports, this report contains detailed forecasts with breakouts by type of application and type of manufacturing. Both volume and value forecasts are included. We also include detailed profiles of the key firms to watch in this space.
With these changes in mind, it seems that the thin-film/printed battery space is in need of re-examination and this is the goal of this report. Building on NanoMarkets six years of covering the thin-film/battery, space, this report analyzes in detail the current strategies of the firms that now dominate this space and develops an extensive forecast of thin-film/printed batteries over the next eight years. The report also examines where firms in this business are likely to get funding in the near-term future.
The report begins with an examination of the latest trends in manufacturing and technology for thin-film and printed batteries and the main drivers for these trends. This discussion includes considerations of role of latest generation of functional printing technology, how manufacturing infrastructure is being shaped by supply chain considerations, as well as product design and performance trends.
Finally, the report identifies and quantifies the major applications that NanoMarkets believes can create a viable market for thin-film and printed batteries. We take a look, in particular, at the current state of smartcards and RFID as applications for the kinds of batteries that are covered in this report, since these have been touted in the past as “killer apps.” We also examine how value can be created by thin-film/printed battery firms by building their strategies around evolving product/market ecosystems supporting low-cost electronics applications.
As with all NanoMarkets reports, this report contains detailed forecasts with breakouts by type of application and type of manufacturing. Both volume and value forecasts are included. We also include detailed profiles of the key firms to watch in this space.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
E.1 Important Changes in the Thin-Film/Printed Battery Market Since Last Year's Report
E.1.1 Mixed Messages: Progress and Market Exits in the Past Year
E.1.2 Killer Apps: Not So Much – But Smartcards are Still Important
E.1.3 Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Get a Boost from the 'Intelligence Everywhere' Meme: Interactive Media, Disposable Electronics and Sensor Networks
E.2 Technology-Related Opportunities for Thin-Film and Printed Batteries
E.2.1 Improving Battery Manufacture
E.2.2 Opportunities for Materials Suppliers
E.3 Firms to Watch
E.3.1 Blue Spark: Printed Batteries for Value-Added RFID Solutions and Interactive Media
E.3.2 Cymbet: Thinking of Batteries as Chips
E.3.3 Enfucell: Printed Batteries for Interactive Media and Other Applications
E.3.4 Infinite Power Solutions (IPS): Solid-State Batteries with a Stress on Energy Harvesting
E.3.5 Planar Energy Devices: Thin-Film Batteries with a Broad Range of Applications
E.3.6 Rocket Electric: Major Korean Battery Supplier
E.3.7 Solicore: Dominant in the Powered Smartcard Market
E.3.8 Ultralife
E.4 New Money for 'Thin' Batteries: VCs, Government and other Funding Sources
E.4.1 Venture Capitalists and 'Thin Batteries'
E.4.2 Strategic Investments
E.4.3 Government Funding
E.5 Summary of Eight-Year Market Forecasts for Thin-Film and Printed Batteries
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to this Report
1.1.1 The Thin-Film/Printed Battery Sector Must Focus on Applications and Create Realistic Strategies to Develop Them
1.1.2 The Best Prospects for Thin-Film Batteries are Smartcards, Sensors and the 'Internet-of-Things'
1.1.3 Timing and Strategies for the Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Sector
1.2 Objective and Scope of this Report
1.3 Methodology of this Report
1.4 Plan of this Report
CHAPTER TWO: IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTED AND THIN-FILM BATTERIES IN THE PAST YEAR
2.1 Current Manufacturing, Materials and Technology Trends for Thin-Film and Printed Batteries
2.2 New and Future Designs for Printed and Thin-Film Batteries
2.2.1 Form Factor: Size and Shape
2.2.2 Environmental and Safety Advantages
2.2.3 Temperature Stability
2.2.4 Energy/Power Density
2.2.5 Lifetime
2.2.6 Flexibility
2.3 Printed Batteries and the Recent Revival of Interest In Functional Printing
2.3.1 Printing Technologies for Batteries: Screen Printing and Beyond
2.3.2 Batteries and Printed Electronics 'Ecosystems'
2.3.3 Printing, Batteries and the Limits to Performance and Addressable Markets
2.3.4 How Printing is Currently Used in Printed Batteries
2.4 Other Recent Manufacturing Improvements for Thin-Film Batteries
2.5 Opportunities for Substrate Manufacturers?
2.6 Electrolytes: LiPON and Beyond
2.6.1 Compelling Arguments for Solid-State Batteries
2.6.2 LiPON Batteries
2.6.3 Lithium Polymer Batteries
2.6.4 thio-LISICON Batteries
2.7 Novel Electrode Materials and Chemistries
2.7.1 Thin-Film Batteries
2.7.2 Printed Battery Chemistries
2.8 Key Points in this Chapter
CHAPTER THREE: APPLICATIONS AND EIGHT-YEAR MARKET FORECASTS FOR PRINTED AND THIN-FILM BATTERIES
3.1 Forecasting Methodology
3.1.1 Information Sources
3.1.2 Economic Assumptions
3.1.3 Pricing Assumptions and Strategies
3.1.4 A Note on Evolving Product 'Ecosystems' as an Applications Development Model
3.2 Are Powered Smartcards Still a Killer App for Thin-Film and Printed Batteries?
3.2.1 For Which Applications Will Smartcards Need Batteries?
3.2.2 Opportunities and Challenges for Thin-Film and Printed Battery Makers in the Smartcard Space
3.2.3 Eight-Year Forecast of Printed/Thin-film Battery Consumption by Smartcards
3.3 Sensors and Energy Harvesting as Future Markets for Thin-Film and Printable Batteries
3.3.1 Impact of Sensor Product/Market Trends on the 'Thin' Battery Industry
3.3.2 Wireless Sensor Networks: An Opportunity for Combining Sensing and Thin-Film Batteries?
3.3.3 Large-Area Sensors: They Will Use Thin-Film and Printable Batteries, But are They a Real Market?
3.3.4 Military Sensors and 'Thin' Batteries
3.3.5 Energy Harvesting, Batteries and Sensors
3.3.6 Eight-Year Forecast of Printed and Thin-Film Batteries in Sensors and Sensor Networks
3.4 Batteries for RFID, Smart Packaging and Disposable Electronics
3.4.1 Can RFID Still Provide a Substantial Market for 'Thin' Batteries? – An Eight-Year Market Forecast
3.4.2 Is There a Market for 'Thin' Batteries in the Smart Packaging Sector–An Eight-Year Market Forecast
3.4.3 Batteries for Disposable Electronics and Interactive Media—An Eight-Year Market Forecast
3.5 Medical Applications for Printed and Thin-Film Batteries
3.5.1 Medical, Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Patches–An Eight-Year Forecast
3.5.2 Medical Implants–An Eight-Year Market Forecast
3.5.3 Other Medical Products: Diagnostics and CPR Devices
3.6 'Thin' Batteries in the Semiconductor and Computer Industry Applications
3.6.1 Battery-Backed-Up Computer Memory and Clocks: Can Thin-Film Batteries Displace Conventional Batteries?
3.6.2 Other Applications for Thin-Film Batteries in the Computer and Semiconductor Industry
3.6.3 Eight-Year Forecasts of Thin-Film and Printed Batteries in Semiconductor/IT Applications
3.7 Summary of Eight-Year Thin-Film Battery Forecasts by Application
3.8 Eight-Year Forecast Of Printed/Thin-Film Battery Consumption by Battery Chemistry and Manufacturing Process
3.9 Eight-Year Forecast of Thin Battery-Powered Products
3.10 Key Points in this Chapter
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS REPORT
E.1 Important Changes in the Thin-Film/Printed Battery Market Since Last Year's Report
E.1.1 Mixed Messages: Progress and Market Exits in the Past Year
E.1.2 Killer Apps: Not So Much – But Smartcards are Still Important
E.1.3 Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Get a Boost from the 'Intelligence Everywhere' Meme: Interactive Media, Disposable Electronics and Sensor Networks
E.2 Technology-Related Opportunities for Thin-Film and Printed Batteries
E.2.1 Improving Battery Manufacture
E.2.2 Opportunities for Materials Suppliers
E.3 Firms to Watch
E.3.1 Blue Spark: Printed Batteries for Value-Added RFID Solutions and Interactive Media
E.3.2 Cymbet: Thinking of Batteries as Chips
E.3.3 Enfucell: Printed Batteries for Interactive Media and Other Applications
E.3.4 Infinite Power Solutions (IPS): Solid-State Batteries with a Stress on Energy Harvesting
E.3.5 Planar Energy Devices: Thin-Film Batteries with a Broad Range of Applications
E.3.6 Rocket Electric: Major Korean Battery Supplier
E.3.7 Solicore: Dominant in the Powered Smartcard Market
E.3.8 Ultralife
E.4 New Money for 'Thin' Batteries: VCs, Government and other Funding Sources
E.4.1 Venture Capitalists and 'Thin Batteries'
E.4.2 Strategic Investments
E.4.3 Government Funding
E.5 Summary of Eight-Year Market Forecasts for Thin-Film and Printed Batteries
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to this Report
1.1.1 The Thin-Film/Printed Battery Sector Must Focus on Applications and Create Realistic Strategies to Develop Them
1.1.2 The Best Prospects for Thin-Film Batteries are Smartcards, Sensors and the 'Internet-of-Things'
1.1.3 Timing and Strategies for the Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Sector
1.2 Objective and Scope of this Report
1.3 Methodology of this Report
1.4 Plan of this Report
CHAPTER TWO: IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTED AND THIN-FILM BATTERIES IN THE PAST YEAR
2.1 Current Manufacturing, Materials and Technology Trends for Thin-Film and Printed Batteries
2.2 New and Future Designs for Printed and Thin-Film Batteries
2.2.1 Form Factor: Size and Shape
2.2.2 Environmental and Safety Advantages
2.2.3 Temperature Stability
2.2.4 Energy/Power Density
2.2.5 Lifetime
2.2.6 Flexibility
2.3 Printed Batteries and the Recent Revival of Interest In Functional Printing
2.3.1 Printing Technologies for Batteries: Screen Printing and Beyond
2.3.2 Batteries and Printed Electronics 'Ecosystems'
2.3.3 Printing, Batteries and the Limits to Performance and Addressable Markets
2.3.4 How Printing is Currently Used in Printed Batteries
2.4 Other Recent Manufacturing Improvements for Thin-Film Batteries
2.5 Opportunities for Substrate Manufacturers?
2.6 Electrolytes: LiPON and Beyond
2.6.1 Compelling Arguments for Solid-State Batteries
2.6.2 LiPON Batteries
2.6.3 Lithium Polymer Batteries
2.6.4 thio-LISICON Batteries
2.7 Novel Electrode Materials and Chemistries
2.7.1 Thin-Film Batteries
2.7.2 Printed Battery Chemistries
2.8 Key Points in this Chapter
CHAPTER THREE: APPLICATIONS AND EIGHT-YEAR MARKET FORECASTS FOR PRINTED AND THIN-FILM BATTERIES
3.1 Forecasting Methodology
3.1.1 Information Sources
3.1.2 Economic Assumptions
3.1.3 Pricing Assumptions and Strategies
3.1.4 A Note on Evolving Product 'Ecosystems' as an Applications Development Model
3.2 Are Powered Smartcards Still a Killer App for Thin-Film and Printed Batteries?
3.2.1 For Which Applications Will Smartcards Need Batteries?
3.2.2 Opportunities and Challenges for Thin-Film and Printed Battery Makers in the Smartcard Space
3.2.3 Eight-Year Forecast of Printed/Thin-film Battery Consumption by Smartcards
3.3 Sensors and Energy Harvesting as Future Markets for Thin-Film and Printable Batteries
3.3.1 Impact of Sensor Product/Market Trends on the 'Thin' Battery Industry
3.3.2 Wireless Sensor Networks: An Opportunity for Combining Sensing and Thin-Film Batteries?
3.3.3 Large-Area Sensors: They Will Use Thin-Film and Printable Batteries, But are They a Real Market?
3.3.4 Military Sensors and 'Thin' Batteries
3.3.5 Energy Harvesting, Batteries and Sensors
3.3.6 Eight-Year Forecast of Printed and Thin-Film Batteries in Sensors and Sensor Networks
3.4 Batteries for RFID, Smart Packaging and Disposable Electronics
3.4.1 Can RFID Still Provide a Substantial Market for 'Thin' Batteries? – An Eight-Year Market Forecast
3.4.2 Is There a Market for 'Thin' Batteries in the Smart Packaging Sector–An Eight-Year Market Forecast
3.4.3 Batteries for Disposable Electronics and Interactive Media—An Eight-Year Market Forecast
3.5 Medical Applications for Printed and Thin-Film Batteries
3.5.1 Medical, Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Patches–An Eight-Year Forecast
3.5.2 Medical Implants–An Eight-Year Market Forecast
3.5.3 Other Medical Products: Diagnostics and CPR Devices
3.6 'Thin' Batteries in the Semiconductor and Computer Industry Applications
3.6.1 Battery-Backed-Up Computer Memory and Clocks: Can Thin-Film Batteries Displace Conventional Batteries?
3.6.2 Other Applications for Thin-Film Batteries in the Computer and Semiconductor Industry
3.6.3 Eight-Year Forecasts of Thin-Film and Printed Batteries in Semiconductor/IT Applications
3.7 Summary of Eight-Year Thin-Film Battery Forecasts by Application
3.8 Eight-Year Forecast Of Printed/Thin-Film Battery Consumption by Battery Chemistry and Manufacturing Process
3.9 Eight-Year Forecast of Thin Battery-Powered Products
3.10 Key Points in this Chapter
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS REPORT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LIST OF EXHIBITS
Exhibit E-1: Phases in the Development of Thin-Film and Printed Battery Business Strategy
Exhibit E-2: Firms to Watch in the Thin-Film and Printed Battery Sector
Exhibit E-3: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Total Market ($ Millions)
Exhibit 1-1: Issues Facing the Thin-Film and Printed Battery Business in 2012 and 2013
Exhibit 1-2: Three Applications That Could Lead to Profitability in the Thin-Film and Printed Battery Sector
Exhibit 2-1: 'Thin' Battery Technology Trends
Exhibit 3-1: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Smartcard Applications
Exhibit 3-2: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Sensor Applications
Exhibit 3-3: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: RFID Applications
Exhibit 3-4: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Non-RFID Packaging Applications
Exhibit 3-5: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Disposable Electronics and Interactive Media
Exhibit 3-6: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Patches and Smart Bandages
Exhibit 3-7: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Medical Implants
Exhibit 3-8: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Semiconductor and Computer Industry Applications
Exhibit 3-9: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Total Market ($ Millions)
Exhibit 3-10: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Revenues by Chemistry Type ($ Millions)(Named Applications Only)
Exhibit 3-11: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Total Market (Named Applications Only)
Exhibit 3-12: Worldwide Market for Products Powered by Thin-Film Batteries
Exhibit E-1: Phases in the Development of Thin-Film and Printed Battery Business Strategy
Exhibit E-2: Firms to Watch in the Thin-Film and Printed Battery Sector
Exhibit E-3: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Total Market ($ Millions)
Exhibit 1-1: Issues Facing the Thin-Film and Printed Battery Business in 2012 and 2013
Exhibit 1-2: Three Applications That Could Lead to Profitability in the Thin-Film and Printed Battery Sector
Exhibit 2-1: 'Thin' Battery Technology Trends
Exhibit 3-1: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Smartcard Applications
Exhibit 3-2: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Sensor Applications
Exhibit 3-3: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: RFID Applications
Exhibit 3-4: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Non-RFID Packaging Applications
Exhibit 3-5: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Disposable Electronics and Interactive Media
Exhibit 3-6: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Patches and Smart Bandages
Exhibit 3-7: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Medical Implants
Exhibit 3-8: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Semiconductor and Computer Industry Applications
Exhibit 3-9: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Total Market ($ Millions)
Exhibit 3-10: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Revenues by Chemistry Type ($ Millions)(Named Applications Only)
Exhibit 3-11: Thin-Film and Printed Batteries Market: Total Market (Named Applications Only)
Exhibit 3-12: Worldwide Market for Products Powered by Thin-Film Batteries
