Researchers from the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems in Chemnitz and research colleagues from TU Chemnitz and Menippos GmBH have devised a new battery technology that allows batteries to be printed using processes similar to those that are used to print T-shirts. The printable batteries are made using a silk screening process that forces a printing paste through a screen onto the substrate. A template is used to cover the area of the substrate that is not to be printed.

The battery is under a millimeter thick and is intended to be integrated into devices with a limited life span like bankcards and greeting cards. The technology for the battery uses no mercury and is environmentally friendly. Zinc is used for the battery's anode and manganese is used for the cathode, which react together to create electricity that can power electronic devices.

The process used to produce electricity gradually erodes the zinc leading to the limited lifespan. The researchers say that the normal single layer battery produces 1.5V of power and that the individual layers are thin enough to be combined to form 3V, 4.5V, 6V. The researchers say that at the end of the year products using the new battery technology could be finished. The researchers envision the battery powering bankcards that are able to transmit card information by touch rather than swiping.

"Our goal is to be able to mass produce the batteries at a price of single digit cent range each," states Dr. Andreas Willert, group manager at ENAS.

Much research money is being spent to develop new battery technologies. Last year scientists developed a new paper battery using nanotubes that could one day replace current battery materials.