Technology

The World Needs Better Batteries!

01

The problem

Why is battery technology evolving so slowly?

The main reason for the slow pace of battery improvement is chemistry. In conventional lithium-ion batteries the anode is made of carbon in the form of graphite, and graphite has reached its energy density limit.

A new anode material is required to improve battery performance, and that material is silicon. Silicon can store up to 10 times more lithium compared to graphite which enables batteries to have much greater energy. But silicon swells dramatically when it is charged with lithium and that can cause it to crack and stop working.

02

The Amprius Solution

Amprius’ 100% silicon nanowire* technology

In 2007, scientists at Stanford University discovered a solution to the swelling problem of silicon anodes. Silicon nanowires were shown to tolerate swell and resist cracking. Amprius has perfected this technology and the result is the world’s first 100% silicon nanowire* anode for lithium-ion batteries.

The 100% silicon nanowire* anode is a direct replacement for graphite anodes. The rest of the battery components and manufacturing methods leverage the established global supply chain for lithium-ion batteries.

Benefits of Using Nanowires

  • Nanowires tolerate volume expansion and are rooted to the substrate
  • Nanowires have micro and macro porosity that accommodate swell
  • Nanowires improve Solid-Electrolyte-Interphase & cycle life
  • Anode thickness is reduced to half of a graphite electrode thickness

Advantages of Amprius’ 100% silicon nanowire* batteries

Highest content active silicon material – 100% silicon*: Because silicon is the best material for energy density, using 100% silicon* means that we can provide lithium-ion batteries with the highest energy density.

High conductivity and connectivity: Silicon nanowires are connected directly to the substrate with no binders. This means that there is nothing to block the flow of current. Our nanowire technology enables the highest ratio of energy to power.

Excellent cycle life: Amprius Technologies’ 100% Silicon Nanowire* Batteries have excellent cycle life that is continuously improving. This has been demonstrated in real world use with multiple organizations including US National Labs and major aerospace companies.

03

Present and Future

Revolutionizing battery technology

Amprius Technologies’ 100% silicon* lithium-ion batteries are game-changers. Having the highest energy density in the industry, our batteries can substantially improve the performance of electric vehicles, aircraft, drones, and wearables.

Notes:

Urban Air Mobility – estimated flight time based on customer models

Soldier Power – real data based on Conformal Wearable Battery developed for US army

Smartwatch – customer-reported data

Electric Vehicle – estimated relative to Tesla Model 3 long-range battery specifications

Chart showing the present and future evolution of battery technology and performance

Our Roadmap

The future of batteries

Going forward, Amprius Technologies has an extensive product roadmap that further leverages 100% Silicon Nanowire* anodes. We are actively scaling silicon anode manufacturing to allow more industries to take advantage of our products. Our high performance lithium-ion batteries are currently being used in premium and mission critical applications and will soon expand to EV and consumer applications as our manufacturing capacity grows.