Integrated circuit integrated battery

With electronics ever shrinking, the biggest components these days are batteries. Electronics are shrinking because of integrated monolithic design. More and more functions can be included on a single chip. Often products are little more than the single chip and a battery. Let's take the next step and integrate the battery.

Layers of lithium anode and one of many cathode chemistries are stacked directly on top of the silicon wafer, and sealed inside the package. Thus, a single chip becomes a fully operational self powered device. This creates the lowest resistance path between the power source and consumer, increasing efficiency. Eliminating the battery packaging also eliminates weight.

This design is not without drawbacks, namely the non-replaceable battery. However, it has several advantages for niche applications. The smaller weight and bulk makes it ideal for miniature flying devices. Security dongles can be very tiny, and the integrated battery allows it to execute key dump routines if it detects tampering. It would even be a boon for cheap disposable novelty electronics.

If rechargeable battery chemistry is used, even more designs become available.