IP : Ilika plc - Patent grant for solid-state batteries in USA

Ilika (AIM: IKA), a pioneer in materials innovation and solid-state battery technology, announces it has received a granted patent in the USA for its proprietary process for making solid-state batteries which was jointly filed with Toyota Motor Company ('Toyota') on 21 July 2011.

This granted patent follows the successful grant of applications from the same patent family in China, Europe and Britain in September 2015, July 2015 and May 2014 respectively. The patent is a member of the patent families that cover Ilika's proprietary vapour deposition processes used in producing solid-state batteries directly from the basic elements.

This particular joint filing resulted from collaborative work undertaken by Ilika and Toyota, which commenced in 2008. This patent family is one of the two earliest filings of a growing portfolio of intellectual property ('IP') exemplifying Ilika's unique approach to solid-state battery production using evaporation sources. The more recent applications in the portfolio contain both jointly-owned and solely owned IP.

In January 2015, three international patent applications from the portfolio were filed under the Patent Co-operation Treaty based upon earlier British priority applications. These were published in July 2015 and are progressing through the international patent examination process.

The highly scalable stacked cell architecture which Ilika can produce, enables the simple fabrication of cells over a wide range of sizes. Ilika is initially focusing on micro-batteries designed to power wireless sensors, particularly for industrial and medical applications.

Commenting on this latest development, Graeme Purdy, Ilika's CEO, said:'The grant of this patent further demonstrates the strength of Ilika's growing internationally protected IP portfolio in solid-state batteries. The USA is one of the most globally significant markets for batteries. This patent forms part of the extensive package of know-how and expertise that Ilika intends to license to manufacturing partners.'

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