TDK Corp., a major supplier of batteries for Apple Inc.’s iPhones, will release an improved version this year of its most advanced product to help mobile devices meet the increasing power demands of embedded AI.
The Tokyo-based company plans to begin mass production of its third-generation silicon anode cells in late summer, CEO Noboru Saito said in an interview. Silicon batteries,which are more complex to manufacture but carry more energy than conventional ones, have already been adopted by most of the major Chinese phone makers and Saito foresees further growth in the future.
“Our continued investment in R&D is one of the strengths of our business and we plan to accelerate that momentum”said the 58-year-old executive, who has been with the company for more than three decades.
Hong Kong subsidiary Amperex Technology Ltd., the world’s leading supplier of mobile batteries, first introduced lithium-ion cells with silicon anodes in 2023 after years of research and adjustment. ANDThese had a 5% higher energy density than batteries with graphite anode, and the improvement has increased steadily to a 15% better capacity in the next edition of 2025. That has resulted in devices like the recent Vivo
The potential of silicon batteries has also been recognized by TDK’s rivals LG Energy Solution Ltd. and Samsung SDI Co., which are developing such products for use in electric vehicles. TDK and ATL’s silicon anode supplier, Group14 Technologies Inc. based in the US, counts Porsche AG as a strategic investor and sees electric vehicles as the next frontier of technology after smartphones.
“Virtually every automaker is considering silicon batteries” because their charging times are potentially much faster, Group14 CEO Rick Luebbe said in an interview. Silicon car batteries could be recharged in five to seven minutes, while current ones using graphite take 40 minutes or more, he added.
Saito stated that TDK is investing in capacity and continuous research and development.He sees the company’s advantage in its speed of mass production and ATL’s expertise in bringing the various elements together.. TDK is currently the only company capable of mass producing silicon batteries, according to Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda, due to the complexity of assembling them on a large scale. That’s a big advantage for the company, but not for its customers.
“A component that only one company can manufacture raises supply shortage concerns among customers, and that often blocks broad adoption of that technology,” Yasuda warned.
While the silicon anode segment of TDK’s business is still small, Saito is confident that customers will see the value of the technology and growth will come “step by step.”
