Community Research and Development Information Service - CORDIS

On-board microbattery power is fast becoming essential in many of today s emerging technologies. Down-scaling in the micro-electronic industry has far outpaced advances in small-scale electrical power supplies. The absence of on-board power is a hinder to advances in many critical areas: micro-electronic devices and biomedical micro-machines. However, nano-materials and -structures provide new resources to attack the problem. MEMS devices will change our lives completely - given micropower sources.

These include microsensor arrays, micro-vehicles, identification cards, memory backup, and biomedical micro-machines (pacemakers, defibrillators, neural stimulators, drug delivery systems). Insufficient power from 2D-MB configurations inspires this search for a 3D-MB using cheap and light micro-/nano-fabrication materials. We also probe whether related techniques can improve the performance of conventional Li-ion batteries. Can multi-component assembly be replaced by a single interpenetrating nano-architectured anode/cathode element separated by an electrolyte? This would greatly cheapen conventional rechargeable Li-ion batteries for typically EV/HEV applications. Our major objectives are: Synthesis and fabrication of novel nano-architectured battery materials and MB components.