South Korean researchers and firms advance battery inspection and solid-state manufacturing

South Korean industry and research sectors are making significant strides in battery technology. Innomatry, a global leader in non-destructive X-ray and CT inspection equipment, is expanding its business from electric vehicle (EV) batteries into semiconductor sectors such as High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and glass substrates. The company has recently secured orders for ESS inspection equipment for the US market and is providing advanced inspection tools for the next-generation 46-phi cylindrical battery format.

Simultaneously, a research team at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) has developed a new manufacturing method for all-solid-state batteries. By utilizing a ‘transfer printing’ technique—similar to applying a sticker—researchers successfully created an ultra-thin, 15-micrometer solid electrolyte layer. This method overcomes previous challenges regarding thickness uniformity and electrode damage.

Testing showed that batteries produced with this transfer printing method maintained 83.6% of their initial capacity after 100 charge-discharge cycles, significantly outperforming traditional direct coating methods. The technology also demonstrated superior safety, maintaining stable voltage during high-temperature tests where conventional separators failed.