Silicon–air batteries are a new battery technology invented by a team led by Prof. Yair Ein-Eli at the Grand Technion Energy Program at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.
Silicon–air battery technology is based on electrodes of oxygen and silicon. Such batteries can be lightweight, with a high tolerance for both extremely dry conditions and high humidity. Like other anode-air batteries, in particular metal-air batteries, silicon–air batteries rely on atmospheric oxygen for their cathodes; they accordingly do not include any cathodes in their structures, and this permits economies in cost and weight.
Experimental cells using a room-temperature ionic liquid electrolytes have produced between 1 and 1.2 volts at a current density of 0.3 milliamperes per square centimeter of silicon.