NGK Insulators has released further details of its EnerCera range of rechargeable batteries for IoT use.

They include parts that can be reflow soldered and others that can be hot laminated.

There are two sorts:

• EnerCera Coin – coin cells 1 – 2mm thick for PCB mounting – some can be reflowed
• EnerCera Pouch – bendable cells 0.4 – 0.45mm thick for embedding in cards – some can be hot-laminated

“EnerCera Coin is the world’s first SMD-type Li-ion battery which can be mounted by solder reflow,” according to NGK. “EnerCera Coins are made by adding a small amount of liquid electrolyte to its all-ceramic stacked monolithic body with electrodes and separator – a semi-solid state battery.”

The electrode ceramic is LiCoO2, with Li ion conductivity by crystal orientation.

Unusually for Li-ion cells, some can be charged below 0°C. “There is the table of the product lineup with ‘Operating Temp.(recommended)’. Within the range of the temperature, it is possible to charge and discharge,” an NGK spokesperson confirmed to Electronics Weekly.

Electronics Weekly has now confirmmed with NGK that this the product page has the bast available information.

Claimed lifespan is “up to 10 years”

Within the coin cell, small amounts of liquid electrolyte are infused into multi-layered ceramic battery materials. The high heat resistance type cell can, said the company, maintain at least 95% of its capacity even after 1,000 charging and discharging cycles at 85°C. It is intended for use in automotive equipment, factory automation and outdoor IoT devices.

Renasas and NGK have built a wireless soil-sampling proof-of-concept that mates an EnerCera cell to an RE01 FDSoI microcontroller.

*1 Maximum current within 0.5V drop for 1 sec.
*2 Maximum current within 0.5V drop for 1 sec
*3 80% capacity is charged for 10 min