[Changing the Common Sense of Smartphones] Towards a Future Without Carrying Chargers! The Great Reversal Brought About by Solving the 'Biggest Mystery' of All-Solid-State Batteries

Hello! How many times a day do you charge your smartphone? Many of you must have experienced the 'charging dilemma' where the battery that was supposed to be at 100% in the morning is in a pinch by the evening, making it impossible to let go of your mobile battery. The stress of looking for an outlet while out or worrying about the remaining percentage is quite a burden for modern people, isn't it?

The 'all-solid-state battery,' a dream battery, is expected to solve these smartphone life worries all at once.

And just the other day, a historic research result was announced that broke through the 'biggest wall' that has hindered the spread of these all-solid-state batteries for many years. A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials (MPI-SusMat) in Germany announced in the scientific journal 'Nature' that they had identified the true cause of battery degradation.

In this article, I will explain in an easy-to-understand manner, with as little technical jargon as possible, how this major discovery will change our future and the 'significant challenges' that cannot be overlooked!

1. Why is it difficult for current smartphone batteries to evolve?

Most of the smartphones we currently use are equipped with what is called a 'lithium-ion battery.' While these lithium-ion batteries are excellent and compact, they have served as the mainstay for mobile devices for many years because they can store a large amount of energy.

However, these lithium-ion batteries have a 'weakness' that is structurally unavoidable. That is, a 'liquid' (electrolyte) is used inside.

Electrolyte is essential for electricity to flow smoothly, but because it is a liquid, it has been accompanied by the following risks.

• There is a risk of liquid leakage or ignition (thermal runaway) when subjected to strong impact or heat.

• It becomes difficult to ensure safety if you try to pack in any more energy.

Even if we wish for 'better battery life,' as long as we use the lithium-ion battery mechanism, we hit a wall of safety, and it has become difficult to evolve them dramatically any further.

That is where the 'all-solid-state battery,' which uses 'solids' instead of liquids, comes in.

2. Why all-solid-state batteries are called 'dream batteries'

As the name suggests, all-solid-state batteries have electrolytes inside that are made entirely of 'solids' (materials such as ceramics).

What changes because of this? The biggest advantages are 'overwhelming safety and performance improvement.'

1. Drastic reduction in the risk of liquid leakage and ignition: Because it is not a liquid, it is highly safe and less prone to leakage or ignition even at high temperatures.

2. Large capacity despite being compact: Because safety is high, more energy can be condensed and packed in.

3. Enables ultra-fast charging: The movement of electricity becomes smoother, allowing for rapid charging in a short time.

If this is put into practical use, it will be possible to increase battery capacity by several times, even with a smartphone of the same size as today. A dream-like world where 'a smartphone lasts for several days on a single charge' is becoming a reality.

3. The monster named 'dendrite' that was holding back practical application

However, despite having such wonderful benefits, why have all-solid-state batteries not become widely used until now?

The cause is the 'dendrite' that a German research team has now set out to solve.

Dendrites are crystals that grow like tree branches or roots from lithium metal electrodes as charging is repeated. The troublesome thing about these dendrites is that if they grow and pierce through the solid electrolyte (the ceramic wall) to reach the other side, they cause a short circuit inside the battery.

When a short circuit occurs, the battery loses its function in an instant and becomes unusable.

Here, there was a major mystery that scientists had held for many years.'How can dendrites made of soft lithium metal pierce through a ceramic wall that should be hard and difficult to break?'

Because this 'mechanism by which soft things break hard things' was unknown for many years, it was difficult to develop countermeasures.

4. The 'mechanism of destruction' exposed by the German research team

The research team at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials (MPI-SusMat) in Germany unraveled this mystery.

To thoroughly eliminate unnecessary influences such as air and moisture, the research team observed the inside of an all-solid-state battery during charging under special conditions: a vacuum environment and extremely low temperatures.

The result revealed was the 'intense pressure generated inside the dendrite.' As lithium grows, significant pressure accumulates inside it. It was found that this enormous pressure causes microscopic cracks in the ceramic solid electrolyte, which should be hard. The dendrites then weave through these cracks to advance further, eventually reaching the other side and destroying the battery.

In other words, it is not that they 'lose easily because they are soft,' but rather that 'they were slowly destroying the hard wall from the inside out through the intense pressure created by their growth force.'

5. Now that the cause is known, how will the future change?

The elucidation of the fundamental mechanism of 'why it breaks' has immeasurable value for the practical application of all-solid-state batteries. Once the cause is clear, 'concrete countermeasures' can be taken against it.

Currently, there are two main approaches being considered by research teams and related companies.

• Make the solid electrolyte itself more robust: Improve the ceramic material to develop a material that is more resistant to cracking and will not crack even under the pressure of dendrites

• Protect the surface of the lithium electrode: Coat the surface of the electrode with a special protective layer so that dendrites themselves do not form

While this discovery does not solve all problems in an instant, it can be said that we have evolved from a state of groping in the dark to a stage where we can proceed with a reliable map.

Furthermore, a concrete schedule for commercialization is already underway. For example, Samsung SDI, the battery division of the major company Samsung, has already announced plans to mass-produce all-solid-state batteries by the end of 2027.

6. Discussion

From here on, please allow me to share my personal thoughts as a gadget-loving user, along with some honest, tough opinions.

How will a future where smartphone batteries last for several days change our lives?

Let me say this from the heart, 'A future where smartphone batteries last for several days' is absolutely wonderful, and I want to see it put into practical use as soon as possible! Imagine a life where the stress of plugging in a charging cable the moment you get home every night, or packing heavy mobile batteries and charger sets into your bag for every trip or business trip, all becomes a thing of the past. The peace of mind that comes from knowing your smartphone will stay alive for several days, even during disasters or emergencies, brings immeasurable benefits to our safety and the security of our lifelines. Business efficiency will also improve, and the mental ease of being freed from the anxiety of a dead battery should be the greatest gift for modern people.

However, I want to raise my voice here to express my 'strong concern about price hikes'.

No matter how wonderful the technology is and how brightly it illuminates the future, there is a point that cannot be overlooked and must never be compromised. That is the strong opinion that 'there must absolutely be no further price hikes'.

In recent years, due to the soaring cost of semiconductors, global inflation, and the impact of the weak yen, the prices of the latest smartphones and computers have continued to rise steadily. It has become a world where it is normal for high-end models, including the iPhone, to exceed 200,000 or 300,000 yen.

If the unit price jumps even higher because it is 'a next-generation smartphone equipped with the latest all-solid-state battery!' and it becomes a 'luxury item' that the average person cannot easily afford... that would be putting the cart before the horse. Technological evolution should not be just for the wealthy, but should exist to enrich and make life more convenient for people all over the world. I strongly urge manufacturers to develop groundbreaking new technologies while simultaneously promoting mass production effects and streamlining manufacturing processes, so that they can bring them to market at a 'price we can buy with the same feeling as our current smartphones'.

7. Conclusion: For the Smartphones of the Future

This 'elucidation of the dendrite destruction mechanism' by the German research team is a historic step toward the practical application of all-solid-state batteries that we have been waiting for for many years.

The footsteps of the future, such as the mass production plan for 2027, are definitely being heard. The day we get a smartphone that is completely free from the stress of charging and can be used with peace of mind all day—no, for several days—is just around the corner.

While watching the evolution of technology, I will continue to provide the latest information in an easy-to-understand manner on how it will change our lifestyles.

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See you again in the next exciting world of technology!