From simple gadgets to complex devices for the industrial IoT – they all require compact, reliable and extremely safe power supplies. In order to meet all these demands, TDK has developed CeraCharge™, the world’s first rechargeable solid-state SMD battery.

Life today would be unimaginable without batteries and accumulators using a wide variety of technologies and with widely differing capacities.

The Internet of Things in all its facets will in future require billions of special power supplies tailored to the requirements of new ultra-low-power semiconductors and sensors. These devices must function for years, independently of external power supplies, by using energy-harvesting technologies. The demands made on energy storage media are as follows: small dimensions, rechargeability, intrinsically safe, easy to assemble, low cost and long service life. Not all of these requirements can be met simultaneously using currently available technologies. For many applications, the TDK CeraCharge now offers a way out of this dilemma. Unlike most common technologies, this involves a solid-state rechargeable battery with no liquid electrolyte through which the lithium ions move during charging or discharging. CeraCharge is based on a multilayer technology, similar to MLCCs.

Main features and benefits

  • Compact EIA 1812 case size
  • Wide temperature range from -20 °C to +80 °C
  • Up to 1000 recharging cycles
  • Easy placement and processing using reflow soldering techniques
  • Solid ceramic electrolyte rules out the risk of fire, explosion or leakage of liquid electrolyte

Possible applications

  • IoT devices
  • Real-time clocks
  • Bluetooth beacons
  • Systems for energy harvesting