The Japanese company NGK Insulators has received the 2020 Technological Progress Award from the Japan Fine Ceramics Association, which was presented on May 25, 2021. The award recognizes its development of ceramic chip-type rechargeable batteries, EnerCera, which have been highly praised since its commercialization.
The award is given to whoever has made a significant achievement in the development of new products and technologies in the field of fine ceramics. EnerCera is an ultra-small, ultra-thin rechargeable battery made using NGK technology. The structure of the battery (in the semi-solid state) is unique, as small doses of electrolyte solution are infused into multi-layer ceramic battery materials, allowing it to achieve characteristics required to charge Internet of Things devices. In addition, it also includes features that until now have been difficult to incorporate into existing lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, such as being ultra-thin and ultra-small, having a large capacity and high resistance to heat or having a long life. These are the aspects that have been valued to grant the award.
The award:
Name: 2020 Japan Fine Ceramics Association Award for Technical Advancement.
Organization name: Japan Fine Ceramics Association.
Acknowledgment details: development of the series of rechargeable ceramic chip batteries, EnerCera.
Award winners: CCD project, Corporate R&D Division; Power Device Department, Advanced Device Components Division, Electronics Business Group of NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
The innovation that
Various types of compact Internet of things devices have been developed in conjunction with the progress of our digital society, and more and more power sources are needed to promote their spread. Conventional rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have generally been used in appliances, but they posed challenges that needed to be overcome, such as improved energy density, low heat resistance, and low overall resistance.
That is why NGK’s innovation with EnerCera is so important, since they are compact, thin, high-capacity batteries with high heat resistance and long life. In short, EnerCera solves the problems of the energy sources of the devices of the Internet of things and will contribute decisively to its large-scale diffusion.
