Ultra-Lightweight, High Power Density Lithium-Ion Batteries

Current fabrication methods for lithium-ion batteries impose a limit on how light a high power battery can be made. The lack of lightweight (< 300 mg), high power batteries is a significant constraint to the development of untethered micro-robots, wearable haptics, mobile computing, and biomedical applications. We have developed a laser micro-machining and assembly process which can produce batteries up to 30 times lighter than the lightest high power commercial cell, at comparable power densities (> 1 kW/kg). Our process is versatile and can be adapted to make custom geometries, miniature high voltage cells, and more, all while using a broad range of starting materials. We see this technology as a path to highly versatile miniature power sources, that will enable a wide range of small-scale applications.