THINERGY® Micro-Energy Cell (MEC)
Product Overview
July 2012
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Innovative Thin Power Solutions
For Next-Gen Wireless, Portable, & Self-Powered Systems
Solid-State, Rechargeable,
Thin-Film Micro-Energy Cells
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THINERGY® Micro-Energy Cells
Permanent, Solid-State, Thin-Film Batteries
 THINERGY Micro-Energy Cells (MECs) are a new type of battery:
 All solid-state battery that is “designed-in” for the life of the system
 Outlasts other small battery types and supercapacitors
 Uniquely enables new power solutions for electronics
 Ideal for Energy Harvesting
 Combines best performance features of batteries and supercaps:
 High current/power (more like supercapacitors)
 High energy density and ultra-low leakage current (like batteries)
 Much thinner (0.17mm) than comparable prismatic
supercaps (>3.0mm) or any other batteries
 Easily recharged and has lowest leakage
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Solid-State Always Wins
Yesterday’s Solution
Today’s Solution
Driver
Vacuum
Tube
ICs
Light Bulb
LED Light
Efficiency,
Regulations,
Cost of Ownership
Polaroid
Camera
Digital
Camera
Permanent,
Ease of Use
“Wet Chemistry”
Batteries
(Organic)
Solid-State
Micro-Battery
(Inorganic)
Size, Reliability,
Longevity, Cost
Size, Longevity
Efficiency,
Regulations,
Permanent,
Cost of Ownership
It’s Inevitable & Happening Now!
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World’s Most Powerful Battery
… for its size!
The Ideal Battery:
 Permanent
 Lifetime Rechargeable
 Paper-Thin / Flexible
 All Solid-State Construction
 High Discharge Rate
 ~ Zero Leakage
 Inherently Safe / Eco-Friendly
Available Now!
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THINERGY MEC200-Series Product Family
Easy to Use Flex Circuit Package with Supported Tabs
Solid-State, Rechargeable, Thin-Film
Micro-Energy Cells
Size reference
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THINERGY Micro-Energy Cell
Energy Storage Benefits of SuperCap & Battery in One!
MEC = Best of Both
 High Energy Density
 50 X SuperCap
 Lowest Leakage
Super Cap
Higher Drive Current
 High Drive Current
 4,000 X < SuperCap
 Rechargeable / Long Life
 Superior Lifetime Energy
Battery
 Single MEC with lifetime recharge
= many disposable coin cells
Higher Energy Density & Lower Leakage
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Clean, Green & Eco-Friendly
Safe, Solid-State, Rechargeable, RoHS Compliant
Conventional Organic Batteries
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Industry Leading Rechargeability
Decades of Operation with Zero Maintenance Cost

Battery cycling always depends on the
Depth of Discharge (DOD)

100% DOD (0% State of Charge) is difficult
or impossible for many battery types

THINERGY MECs:
 10,000 cycles (100% Depth of Discharge)
 100,000 cycles (10% Depth of Discharge)
 Other Rechargeable Batteries:
 <1,000 cycles at 80%-100% DOD
When replacing a
battery is
expensive and
hazardous, use
THINERGY MECs!
“A permanent battery for the life of the system.”
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Unique MEC Construction
Uses all solid-state chemistry (no liquid organic components)





Metal foil substrate
Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LiCoO2) cathode
Lithium Phosphorus Oxynitride (LiPON) electrolyte
Li Metal Anode
Flex-circuit encapsulation with supported connection terminals
Insulating Material
Metallized Flex Circuit Encapsulation
Insulating Material
170μm
Negative
vias
LiPON
Electrolyte
Li Metal Anode
LiCoO2 Cathode
Human
Hair
(~80µm)
Metal Foil Substrate (cathode current collector)
Positive
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High Discharge Rate – MEC201
High Power Delivery and Efficient Energy Storage
 Industry leading power!
 40 C-rate capability (MEC201-10P)
 Peak power delivered as a pulse
or continuously
THINERGY MEC201-10P
4V, 1.0mAh
 No external capacitors required like
other solutions
 No pulse width limitations
 Useful voltage is sustainable at
high currents
 Voltage maintains flat profile unlike
supercaps or other batteries
 Majority of capacity can be
delivered at very high C-rates
 Not possible with other batteries
~50% cell capacity
delivered at 40 C-rate!
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THINERGY MEC Product Selection Guide
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Universal Applicability
Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSN)
Powered Cards / Secure ID
Smart Meters/Memory/
RTC Backup
Military & Commercial Aviation
Medical Devices & Sensors
Consumer Electronics
Active RFID / RTLS / Asset Tracking
Flexible / Printed Electronics
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Application Space
Low Power Applications <500mW
Peak Power
100W
10W
1W
Power Tools
100mW
Laptop Computer
10mW
1mW
GPS
100µW
10µW
Sensor/Remotes
RFID Tag
10nW
Bluetooth Transceiver
Hearing Aid/Wireless Sensor
1µW
100nW
GSM Cell Phone
Texas Instruments
MSP430 RF2500
Wireless Sensor Demo
(~60mW Peak)
Watch/Calculator
Real Time Clock (RTC)
µP Standby
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THINERGY MECs
vs.
Coin Cells & Supercaps
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Energy Storage Choices
Conventional
Batteries
Supercapacitors
Vs.
+ High discharge current
+ High energy density
+ Inexpensive
- Limited life
- Replacement labor cost
- Unsafe, polluting
- Form factor
THINERGY MECs
Vs.
+ Peak power delivery
+ Long life
+ Inexpensive
- High leakage
- Very low energy density
- High temperature degradation
- Form factor
+ High discharge current
+ High energy density
+ Near Zero Leakage
+ Long life / Permanent
+ Low cost of ownership
+ Form factor
+ Safe / Eco-Friendly
+ Broader Temp Range
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THINERGY MEC vs. Coin Cell
MEC201 Outlasts Handful of CR2032 Li Coin Cells!
Large difference in initial capacity per cell, but MEC is rechargeable:
Single MEC201-10P provides
1.0mAh capacity per charge cycle
with >10,000 full recharge cycles
available
Vs.
Single CR2032 provides 220mAh of
lifetime capacity with no recharge
capability (one time use).
A single MEC201 delivers the same capacity in the first 220 charge cycles!

Huge difference in usable capacity per cell:
=
Single MEC201 delivers
10,000mAh of usable
capacity over its
>10,000 cycle life.
It takes ~45 220mAh
CR2032 coin cells to deliver
the same capacity over the
application’s lifetime
Requires frequent
replacement and
disposal/recycling.
Lasts lifetime of system.
A single MEC201 delivers the same lifetime capacity as 45 coin cells!
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Available Eval Kits
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Application Development Platform (ADP)
Available Now!
 Easily evaluate THINERGY MEC products
powering your application
 Pre-programmed utilities (Microprocessor-based)
 LCD display of voltage, current & time
 Easy button user interface for options
THINERGY® Application Development Platform (ADP-201)
 Safely attach and power your application
from the THINERGY MEC
 Provides charge and short circuit protection
 Interface for Energy Harvesting devices &
quantifies harvested energy
 Includes solar EH module
 Additional EH modules available
 Powered from USB or wall power
 Kit includes ADP, 3 MEC Cards, solar EH
module, power supply, and User Guide
Simplifies & Accelerates Your System Design!
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IPS-EVAL-EH-01 MEC/EH Eval Kit
Available Now!
 MEC and universal Energy Harvesting
evaluation platform for microelectronics
 Integrated THINERGY solid-state, rechargeable,
Micro Energy Cell for efficient energy storage
 Integrated Power Management IC to manage
energy harvesting and storage
 Accepts external AC & DC charge sources up to
5V & 150mW
IPS-EVAL-EH-01 MEC/Energy Harvesting Eval Kit
 Integrated boost converter enables low voltage
energy sources >700mV as charge sources
 Output regulation supplies up to 100mW (continuous) from the integrated MEC
 Three regulated output voltages: 1.8V, 2.3V, 3.3V
 Unique low energy output regulation mode reduces active quiescent currents to <75nA for
output currents <100µA
 Output header interfaces with common low power µP development tools available from
Microchip, TI and others
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IPS-EVAL-EH-02 Wireless Environment
Sensor Energy Harvesting Eval Kit
Available Now!
 Complete self-powered indoor envirosensor reference design
 Powered by THINERGY MEC201
 Measures humidity, occupancy,
temperature, light, & MEC voltage
 2.4GHz/802.15.4 compliant radio
 Features:
 Microchip MiWi™ wireless radio module
(Zigbee compatible)
 Maxim MAX17710 PMIC to manage
energy harvesting, storage & delivery
 Pluggable Sanyo Solar EH module for
autonomous recharge
 Dynamic TX duty cycle based on
available harvested energy input
MiWi Wireless
Module
Humidity
Sensor
Light
Sensor
PIR Occupancy
Sensor
PMIC
THINERGY MEC
for Energy Storage
Solar EH Module
IPS-EVAL-EH-02 Wireless Environment Sensor EH Eval Kit
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Summary
 THINERGY MECs are "game changing” energy
storage solutions
 Higher performance & longer life than any other
micro-battery
THINERGY MEC Std Product Family
 Unrivaled cycle life & near loss-less storage for embedded micro-electronics
 Never needs replacement for life of system
 Ambient energy harvesting is THE emerging power solution for low
power autonomous applications – THINERGY MECs are key enabler!
MEC Evaluation Tools Are Available Now!
IPS-EVAL-EH-01
IPS-EVAL-EH-02
ADP-201
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