Japan’s Ulvac Inc have become the first to put next-generation, solid-state, thin-film lithium batteries into mass production, providing a “safe” alternative to current lithium-ion tech due to the absence of liquid electrolyte in the cells.

The company claims the batteries are light, thin and flexible, making them ideal power sources for small electronic devices. They are manufactured using a thin-film deposition process and make use of a solid lithium phosphate electrolyte, which supposedly makes them incapable of blowing up. This solid electrolyte is added to a substrate material along with lithium cobalt cathode and lithium anode layers, which after being sealed in a protective coating, apparently measures a mere 15µm (micrometers) thick.

Ulvac will be exhibiting their technology at the semiconductor expo, Semicon Japan 2008 which began today.

Sources:
TechOn and Register Hardware