Ilika Plc Regulatory News (IKA)

Ilika plc

("Ilika" or the "Company")

Update on patents for solid-state batteries

Ilika (AIM: IKA), the accelerated materials innovation company, announces international progress with two of its patent applications supporting solid-state batteries.

These two patent applications, of which Ilika announced the successful British grant in May 2014, are part of the patent families that cover Ilika's proprietary vapour deposition processes used in producing solid-state batteries directly from the elements. Ilika has received a Communication of Intention to Grant in Europe for one of its patent applications and a Notice of Allowance in the United States for another. Both patent applications were jointly filed with Toyota Motor Company on 21st July 2011. 

Further new international patent applications have also recently been filed under the Patent Co-operation Treaty (PCT) based upon earlier British priority applications. It is the Company's intention to apply for patents in all significant economic jurisdictions.

These particular joint filings resulted from collaborative work undertaken by Ilika and Toyota, which commenced in 2008. These two patent families are the 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.

The scalable stacked cell architecture which Ilika can produce enables the simple fabrication of cells over a wide range of sizes. Ilika intends initially to produce micro-battery prototypes designed for powering wireless sensors, commonly referred to as the "Internet of Things", which is a rapidly growing segment expected to create an addressable market for micro-batteries in excess of £1bn by 2017. The battery architecture will subsequently be scaled-up, using the same process but with faster fabrication rates, to produce devices suitable for the largest markets for lithium ion batteries in wearables and consumer electronics, including mobile phones.

Commenting on this latest development, Graeme Purdy, Ilika CEO, said: "This announcement underlines the uniqueness of the technology developed by Ilika for the production of solid-state batteries. Securing granted patents in Europe and the USA, two of the major markets in our field, is a significant milestone in reinforcing the value of Ilika's technology position and is a key value driver for the business. We also plan to secure granted patents in all other major economic jurisdictions."

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