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使用更久、体积更小,智能手机公司押注硅碳负极电池

2024年07月18日 14:56

2024年下半年,除了影像之外,电池将成为手机公司竞争的胜负手

青海湖、金沙江、冰川、蓝海,这四个与水有关的名词是荣耀、小米、一加和vivo对于自己新电池的命名。从2023年开始,它们就对新电池技术进行了预热。 

在一众「*** 电池」的背后,除了尚在酝酿中、苹果重金押注的 TDK 下一代固态陶瓷电池方案,包括小米、OPPO 以及荣耀等手机厂商选择了 ATL(新能源科技有限公司)作为下一代硅碳负极电池方案供应商,而 vivo X100 系列搭载名为「蓝海电池」的硅碳负极方案,据传来自宁德时代提供。 

长期以来。电池属于智能手机红海竞争中长期被忽视:即使手机厂商从最初的不到 2000 毫安时升级至如今普遍超过 5000 毫安时,但没有换来手机续航的明显提升:其最根本的原因是因为传统石墨负极电池技术陷入瓶颈,难以继续以更低廉的价格获得更高的能量密度。 

电池是直接关乎智能手机用户体验的痛点:目前智能手机无论是功耗、影像还是续航,几乎都能从电池这一底层技术取得的突破中受益。 

但硅基电池将会彻底改变这种停滞不前的状态:在经过 2023 年大规模的试水后,随着第二代硅碳负极电池逐渐被确定为行业未来发展方向,这种直接竞争的首个高峰,将于 2024 年下半年到来。 

即使智能手机行业素有“供应链攒机”的说法,但与手机摄影算法类似,没有哪家厂商会天真到完全将赌注押注在供应链上。 

据接近供应链的手机厂商人士介绍,作为主要技术供应商的 ATL 并未采取与某家手机厂商签订独家供货或其他排他性条款,目前手机厂商在 2024 年发布的新品,搭载的均为 ATL 第二代商用硅碳负极电池。 

但在当下竞争早已进入深水区的旗舰手机市场,大笔砸钱在电池领域已经是一线厂商的必选项: 

为了避免出现自家电池技术“落后一代”的不利局面,一线厂商中包括华(荣耀)米OV,都组建了规模数百人的电池技术团队,致力于在这一关键领域谋求长期发展优势。 

目前,硅碳负极电池技术已经进入第二代,以天目先导为代表的头部硅碳负极厂解决膨胀率等瓶颈问题,产业化渐进;2024 年多次在荣耀青海湖电池新闻中出现的美国公司 Group14,也是通过发布新一代气相沉积硅碳材料确立了在硅碳负极电池应用的行业地位,这些行业技术进展的背后都有不同手机厂商的身影。 

一家主流手机公司的产品经理向记者介绍:除了确保与上游供应商更紧密的合作,更多测试来让新技术尽可能快的满足商业化需求,同时比竞争对手更了解现阶段硅碳负极电池的性能边界,即使发令枪同一时间打响,手机厂商仍然有机会通过更强的研发测试资源,实现超越竞争对手的态势。 

“(你)作为首发厂商投入的越多,你对这个技术的本质就越了解,后续发挥的也就更好。” 

归根结底,任何手机厂商都清楚一点:电池作为构成智能手机体验最重要的组成部分之一,电池的各种选择都需要慎之又慎;电池技术如果“翻车”,同样将会对品牌信任度产生巨大冲击:2016 年八月爆发由电池引起的三星 Galaxy Note7 手机全球多起自燃事件,几乎让三星彻底失去的了中国市场。 

硅碳负极电池虽然没有此类自燃风险,但目前所谓的“升级”中,隐含着的问题也有伴随爆发的可能:硅基负极电池的电池循环寿命过低成了大规模商用时所要面临的最棘手问题。 

虽然有着远高于石墨负极的能量密度,但硅基负极材料的充放电膨胀率同样是前者的 20-30 倍,膨胀率过高会直接导致硅颗粒破碎电极失效,进而导致电池容量迅速降低 —— 即电池寿命衰竭速度远超普通用户 2-3 年的换机周期。 

虽然手机规格电池寿命无需车规级电池组那样严格的寿命以及循环次数要求,但同样要保证用户不会因此产生明显的体验降级。 

也正是因为电池是构成手机体验的重要部分,因此电池寿命往往也与手机的残值率挂钩,如今手机厂商所标榜的快充技术,曾经也仅因为“快充伤电池”这一争议话题陷入激烈争议。 

为了不让技术升级的同时给现有的电池寿命带来太过明显的寿命衰减,手机品牌经历了数年的探索后,在 2024 年的旗舰手机上不约而同选择了碳硅负极材料作为当前阶段的最终回答。 

在 2021 年前后,智能手机厂商也曾通过与 ATL 合作,短暂掀起过一波通过采用硅氧负极电池技术来提升电池能量密度的解决方案,包括小米等厂商已经在当年的旗舰手机系列上得到应用,但这一技术路线最终并未成为主流选择。 

据长期关注硅碳负极电池领域的分析师介绍,硅氧负极电池技术相对成熟但上限较低,长期来看并没有如同硅碳负极能量密度指数级增长那样庞大的技术发展空间,因此上游技术供应商与手机厂商目前均已形成共识,2023 年开始逐步推广的手机厂商的新电池技术,无一例外均基于硅碳负极的技术路线。 

但 2023 年由于产能与需求等因素,硅碳电池尚未在主流旗舰手机上大规模应用;各家手机厂商虽陆续推出新品,但均通过数款机型“小规模实验”的方式测试了第一代硅碳负极电池,为 2024 年下半年大规模商用铺路。 

今年六月发布的一加「冰川电池」,同样采用的是硅碳负极电池技术,与其他厂商同类技术的主要区别在于电池硅含量更高,达到总容量的 6% —— 与今年三月小米公布的「金沙江电池」硅含量相同,同样都是“行业第一”。 

据介绍,当前技术阶段下,随着硅碳含量提升到一定比例之后,即使是相当微小的提升,都会打破现有的平衡,因此首发厂商在这一领域多年探索中取得的经验乃至实际产品应用中的教训,都变得异常重要。 

这种竞争伴随着智能手机厂商在技术细节上的最终选型与营销,会在用户端产生巨大的体感差异。 

根据目前已经公开的信息,今年年中问世的首批智能手机商用新一代硅碳负极电池在 6100 毫安时的容量下(这已经是当前智能手机中最大的电池容量),体积甚至还能逼 5000 毫安时的石墨电池更小。 

这种高兼容性不仅意味着更大的电池容量,同时还意味着“错位竞争”的可能:既有维持现有容量、通过电池体积缩减来降低智能手机整体重量/厚度,也有将容量增至 6000 毫安时、同时追求让手机更加轻薄的中庸方案。 

据消息人士指出,目前在欧加集团的产品测试中,甚至已经出现容量超过 7000 毫安时的智能手机,该机型目前定位中端产品线。 

这种竞争维度并不新鲜,毕竟今年 OPPO 在 K12 系列上已经将外送员对智能手机的需求:长续航、导航精准、防水效果等功能点进行整理,并将其纳入中端产品线的规划中。 

相比大部分已经养成充电习惯、对于智能手机极限续航并非硬性需求的用户群,借助电池技术突破进一步让这种定位精准人群的专用机获得更好的体验,已经是被验证过的一条可行之道。 

此外,更高能量密度的电池对于现有折叠屏形态手机来讲,也是一次重大升级的机会:Moto Razr 系列首发搭载的联想「星海电池」,能量密度达到了 822Wh/L,目前处于行业内最高水准。 

轻薄对于旗舰手机来讲也是老生常谈的话题:小米将于今年下半年发布的小米 15 系列中,就选择了在电池容量接近的情况下大幅降低手机本身的重量,将其中至少一款的重量控制在 200g 以内。 

由此可见,随着硅碳电池技术在未来的逐渐成熟,这种差异化竞争同时也会给智能手机用户直接带来更多的产品选择。这些都会在 2024 年下半年的新品发布中展开竞争。 

本文来自微信公众号“电厂”,作者:张勇毅,36氪经授权发布。



Silicon-carbon batteries are the next big thing in phones — and Apple and Samsung are quickly falling behind

Features

By Myriam Joire 2024 April 06

This new tech is rewriting smartphone battery rules

OnePlus 15 showing cameras.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / Myriam Joire)

Silicon-carbon (Si-C) batteries are here, and are here to stay. Almost every flagship and mid-range phone made by Chinese manufacturers in the past two years — even those sold in the US (like the OnePlus 15) — now pack fast-charging Si-C batteries with capacities ranging from 6,000mAh (Xiaomi 17 Ultra) to 10,000mAh (Realme P4 Power). Yet Apple, Google, and Samsung have been reluctant to adopt this new battery technology.

That’s why ultra-thin handsets like Apple’s iPhone Air (3,190mAh) and Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge (3,900mAh) deliver merely adequate battery life, while Honor’s 6.1mm thick Magic8 Pro Air (5,500mAh Si-C) easily cruises along for over a day on a charge. It’s the same with many of the best foldable phones. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7 comes with a measly 4,400mAh cell, while Oppo’s Find N6 and Honor’s Magic V6 boast 6,000 and 6,660mAh Si-C batteries, respectively.

Poke around the Internet, and you’ll find a lot of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) about Si-C batteries. Last year, I asked a Google exec on the Pixel team when Google would start using Si-C batteries in Pixel handsets, and the response I received was — and I paraphrase — that Si-C batteries aren’t mature, safe, or durable. Meanwhile, every Chinese phone I’ve used with a Si-C battery (like Oppo’s awesome Find X9 Pro) has been a revelation.

Because, as it turns out, two-day battery life is a game changer. So what’s going on here? Are Si-C batteries really unsafe? Are durability and longevity an issue? Is there a cost or manufacturing barrier? I decided to go directly to the source and interview experts at Honor, OnePlus, and Oppo about Si-C batteries. I talked to Hope Cao, Honor senior product expert, and Rudolf Xu, senior product marketing manager, OnePlus. Here’s what I found out.

Note: Oppo was unable to participate in this interview because of scheduling constraints (Chinese/Lunar New Year followed by Mobile World Congress). But since OnePlus and Oppo are related companies, it’s safe to assume that OnePlus and Oppo share almost identical Si-C battery technology.

Si-C batteries are mature and improving rapidly

Oppo Find N6 and Honor Magic V6 held in the hand.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / Myriam Joire)

It’s pretty clear that standard Lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells with traditional graphite anodes have hit a limit when it comes to energy density. By adding silicon content to the anode, Si-C batteries offer vastly higher capacities in the same physical space. But silicon in anodes expands and contracts a lot during charges and discharges, and is challenging to integrate safely into cells. And that’s where each manufacturer’s secret sauce comes in.

Honor was an early player, delivering the industry’s first Si-C battery in a phone back in 2023, with the Magic5 Pro. The company’s progress has been remarkably aggressive ever since. For the Magic V6’s fifth-generation Si-C battery, Honor and partner ATL were able to achieve 25% silicon content. But the 1TB Chinese market version of the Magic V6 features 32% silicon content, resulting in a folding phone with a massive 7,150mAh battery. As Honor’s Cao puts it, this milestone is “marking the start of the 7,000 mAh era for foldable phones”.

OnePlus joined the party a bit later with the OnePlus 13, which featured 10% silicon content. For its latest flagship, the OnePlus 15, the company’s proprietary Silicon NanoStack design managed to raise the silicon content to a 15% industry high. By combining this with a custom dual-cell architecture, the OnePlus 15 packs a whopping 7,300mAh Si-C battery into a standard candy-bar smartphone footprint.

Si-C batteries are enabling ultra-sleek designs

Oppo Find N6 and Honor Magic V6 held in the hand.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / Myriam Joire)

Flagship-level capability does not necessarily require sacrificing a slim, lightweight in-hand experience.Hope Cao, Honor

The most immediate consumer benefit of Si-C batteries is their profound impact on industrial design. Since these cells deliver significantly higher energy densities, manufacturers like Honor, OnePlus, and Oppo are able to offer thinner form factors with outstanding battery life. This also makes Si-C batteries ideally suited for folding phones like the Honor Magic V6 and Oppo Find N6, or ultra-sleek flagships like the OnePlus 15.

For Honor, Si-C batteries are critical to the company’s folding phone strategy. Keeping these devices highly pocketable requires a split battery design with two smaller, thinner cells. Thanks to Si-C batteries, the Magic V6 manages to pack up to 7,150mAh into a chassis that’s merely 8.75mm thick when folded. Honor”s Cao emphasizes that “Flagship-level capability does not necessarily require sacrificing a slim, lightweight in-hand experience.”

OnePlus is focused on using Si-C batteries to improve the look and feel of traditional candy-bar smartphones, noting that consumers are showing a “fresh appetite for compact flagships”. Si-C batteries allow the company to slightly reduce device thickness while greatly increasing battery capacity. As a result, the OnePlus 15, which boasts a 7,300mAh Si-C battery, combines a slim, premium design with industry-leading battery life. It’s no wonder that it has the best phone battery life of any device that Tom’s Guide has tested.

Si-C batteries are more expensive and more difficult to manufacture

OnePlus 15 showing cameras.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / Myriam Joire)

We do not foresee Si-C anode batteries becoming cheaper than conventional graphite-anode cells in the near term.Rudolf Xu, OnePlus

Despite all the aforementioned benefits, the transition to Si-C batteries faces a couple of significant hurdles. As you’d expect, Si-C batteries are fundamentally more difficult to manufacture and more expensive than standard Li-ion cells.

Honor is transparent about the higher cost, and states that Si-C batteries are typically 20% to 40% more expensive to manufacture than Li-ion batteries at the cell level. This premium reflects higher material costs, stricter production environments, and more complex manufacturing processes the company has developed to mitigate the rapid expansion and contraction of silicon in anodes while charging and discharging.

OnePlus also confirms that Si-C batteries are more expensive. Xu is candid about current prices, saying, “We do not foresee Si-C anode batteries becoming cheaper than conventional graphite-anode cells in the near term.”

Si-C batteries require state-of-the-art engineering

Oppo Find N6 held in the hand.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / Myriam Joire)

The challenge with using silicon in anodes is its extreme volatility. As the silicon in the anode absorbs lithium ions, it expands drastically, which creates extreme mechanical stress within the cell. Both companies overcome this obstacle in their Si-C batteries through impressive engineering feats.

Honor handles this problem in multiple ways. Cao explains that the company broke away from traditional anode designs “by layering the silicon and graphite systems like a ‘sandwich’.” It also developed a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process that allows the silicon in the anode to expand in a more uniform way, reducing mechanical stress. Honor also uses a microscopic “spider-silk” adhesive, an elastic binder that keeps the cell’s internal dimensions stable under compression.

OnePlus tackles this issue by using spherical silicon-carbon particles and an aerospace-grade coating that the company developed in house. Beyond the Silicon NanoStack battery itself, the OnePlus 15 uses an AI-based battery management system (BMS) to prevent the cells from degrading over time.

Si-C batteries are safe and durable

Oppo Find N6 held in the hand and folded halfway.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / Myriam Joire)

Given how much silicon in anodes expands while charging, and the resulting mechanical stress, both companies have taken exceptional steps to ensure that their Si-C batteries remain safe and durable for years to come. This includes extreme testing that exceeds the certification requirements used for Li-ion cells.

​Honor’s testing goes far beyond industry standards. Besides obtaining mandatory CB (IEC 62133), UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed), and CE (European Union) certifications, the company subjects its Si-C batteries to tests in extreme conditions to ensure stability. As Cao notes, “In response to the unique expansion characteristics of Si-C batteries, Honor conducts even more rigorous evaluations, such as puncture resistance tests, extreme stress tests, structural deformation tests, and high-temperature stability tests.”

​OnePlus is similarly thorough, and runs more than seventy unique tests on its Si-C batteries. The company evaluates cells in a broad range of temperature, voltage, and stress conditions to make sure its Si-C batteries meet strict durability and safety targets. According to Xu, device longevity is critical to OnePlus, and the Silicon NanoStack battery used in the OnePlus 15 is designed to maintain “over 80% of its original health after 4 years of use.”

Bottom line: two-day battery life for all

Oppo Find N6 and Honor Magic V6 held in the hand.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / Myriam Joire)

So there you have it. After hearing from experts at Honor and OnePlus, two leaders in the field of Si-C batteries, I hope you have a better understanding of what this technology brings to the table — the benefits, the limitations, and the remaining challenges. What’s abundantly clear is that Si-C batteries today aren’t some exotic fad. They are a mature, safe, and durable technology that drastically improves the smartphone user experience, and are here to stay.

With Chinese manufacturers relentlessly marching forward, it’s only a matter of time until Apple, Google, and Samsung join the Si-C battery party. And that’s a good thing, because their manufacturing volume and marketing power will make this technology accessible to everyone — in other words, ubiquitous. After all, who doesn’t want a fast-charging smartphone with two-day battery life?



20260422

生成式AI帶動的算力需求正從雲端一路燒到供應鏈深處:矽陽極電池廠Enovix衝刺手機與軍用市場,後端電力解決方案商Solaris卡位資料中心供電,華爾街資金則湧入科技股、黃金與比特幣ETF。AI狂潮背後,資本開支與風險同樣飆升。

生成式AI橫掃全球後,市場焦點常落在Nvidia、雲端巨頭與ChatGPT,但真正支撐這場「算力軍備競賽」的,還有最底層的電池與電力基礎建設,以及默默調整資金配置的華爾街。從矽陽極電池新創Enovix(ENVX)、專攻「機房自備電廠」的Solaris Energy Infrastructure,到ETF資金大搬風,AI正改寫整條能源與資本鏈條的遊戲規則。

Enovix:用矽陽極電池搶AI手機與軍工大餅

在電池端,Enovix執行長Raj Talluri在最新財報說明中強調,公司核心任務就是把100% active silicon anode電池商業化,鎖定「空間受限、高體積能量密度」的裝置,包括智慧手機、AR/VR、IoT與部分國防與運算設備。第三季營收達800萬美元、年增85%,毛利率21%,雖然仍虧損,但營運效率明顯改善,調整後EBITDA年增約10%。

技術上,Enovix主打的AI-1平台被Polaris Labs認證為智慧手機領域能量密度最高的電池,體積能量密度達900 Wh/L,同時兼具快充能力,被Talluri視為「不只是手機電池,而是一個平台」。公司已與中國手機品牌Honor簽署開發協議,作為領先客戶,目標在2026年推出搭載Enovix電池的旗艦機種。Honor要求電池須通過1000次充放電循環,Enovix為此已完成一次設計迭代,改變化學配方以拉長壽命,預計在今年第四季送出新一輪樣品,2026年上半年有望進入商用。

除了Honor,第二家智慧手機OEM也進入驗證階段,並預期同樣在2026年量產。Talluri表示,第一家手機客戶最難,後續客戶因規格相似,認證流程可大幅縮短。Enovix目前已向全球前八大手機品牌中的七家送樣,並獲得正面回饋。為支應需求,公司在馬來西亞Fab2工廠持續拉升良率與產能,按規劃滿載時單線年產量可達900萬顆電池,2026年被管理層形容為「breakout year」。

AI裝置不只手機,輕量智慧眼鏡與AR眼鏡被Enovix視為「意外加速」的鄰近市場。公司已向10家智慧眼鏡OEM/ODM送樣,為兩種形態產品設計不同電芯:一種是不帶顯示器、以語音互動為主的輕量眼鏡;另一種則是高運算量的AR顯示裝置。Talluri預期,將在2026年CES上與其中一個品牌公開展示成品,意味著AI-1平台有望跨足更多穿戴式終端。

國防市場則是Enovix當前營收的主力之一。韓國工廠今年累計出貨約2000萬美元,大多供應國防與工業客戶,其中包括韓國軍方三大主承包商中的兩家。產品強調高倍率放電、耐低溫、高壓環境可靠性以及60安培小時的大容量電芯,鎖定航空與水下無人載具等高要求應用,未來訂單管線規模約8,000萬美元。這些軍工與工業訂單不僅提供現金流,也讓公司在大規模手機出貨前就能驗證矽陽極架構的可靠性。

為加速量產與擴張,Enovix透過股權與可轉債籌資,第三季完成權證股利計畫,募資約2.24億美元,同時回購5,800萬美元庫藏股;九月再發行4.75%、2030年到期的可轉債,募得約3.03億美元淨額,並搭配多梯度 capped call 結構,盡量降低潛在稀釋。季末現金與有價證券合計達6.48億美元,管理層強調已排除「融資陰霾」,有能力把馬來西亞Fab2建滿,並視情況進行策略性併購。

Solaris:資料中心不等電網,自己蓋電廠

若說Enovix是在解決「裝置端續航焦慮」,那Solaris Energy Infrastructure則是正面迎戰「機房缺電恐慌」。執行長William Zartler在2025年全年財報指出,Solaris已從原本的油氣物流服務商,完成向「整合型電力解決方案」的戰略轉型。2025年公司營收年增近一倍至6.22億美元,調整後EBITDA達2.44億美元,電力事業已貢獻約七成獲利,未來預期將上看九成。

Solaris專精所謂「molecule to electron」,從潔淨天然氣供應、燃氣渦輪發電,到變壓、配電與儲能,一條龍在資料中心園區內自建電力系統,相當於幫雲端巨頭「蓋在機房院子裡的電廠」。公司已與首家大型資料中心客戶成立15年合資企業,長約提供500到900 MW電力。更關鍵的是,2026年二月Solaris又宣布與一間投資級全球科技巨頭簽下10年、附帶5年延長選項的合約,將自2027年第一季起分階段供電,規模逾500 MW,並計畫進一步提供平衡電廠設備、儲能與場址工程服務,換取更高資本報酬。

AI數據中心的資本支出規模驚人。Zartler指出,全球前四大科技公司預估2026年合計CapEx將超過6,000億美元,較2025年成長約70%,幾乎是2024年的兩倍,其中大部分指向資料中心與運算資源。Solaris認為,自備電廠方案相較依賴電網,不僅建置速度更快,從長期來看在某些地區也具有成本優勢,尤其在美國ERCOT等電網系統面臨併網壅塞、排隊案量高達230 GW的情況下,能先「島狀運轉」再視情況接入電網,成為雲端客戶加速上線的關鍵選項。

為了提升系統整合能力,Solaris在2025年收購一家具備電壓分配與控制設備專長的公司HVMVLV,將變壓器、開關設備與電力控制室等製造與工程能力納為己用。公司也在排放控制上布局,內部開發並投資選擇性觸媒還原(SCR)技術,配合美國環保署最新Quad K修訂,延長移動式燃氣渦輪在暫時性應用的合規運轉時間至24個月,等於替「臨時機房電廠」打開更大的合法空間。

Solaris財務體質亦同步升級。公司在2025年透過兩檔可轉債完成再融資,償還到期借款並鎖定較低利率,並為與資料中心客戶的合資專案建立專案融資結構。總裁Kyle Ramachandran表示,按目前已訂購設備,Solaris預期最終可掌握2,200 MW發電容量,若全數上線,保守估計每年可貢獻超過6億美元EBITDA,且現有現金流足以支應既定交貨計畫,未動用額外抵押融資額度。

資金怎麼押?ETF流向透露市場下一步

當實體世界為AI擴建電池與電力基礎設施時,華爾街資金也在悄悄挪位。最新一週數據顯示,追蹤美股大盤的SPDR S&P 500 Trust(SPY)單週吸金35億美元,指數同期間上漲3.5%,顯示投資人對股市風險胃納回升。不過,資金並非只湧向股市,避險與「數位黃金」同樣受捧。

黃金ETF SPDR Gold Shares(GLD)單週流入19.3億美元,金價漲幅約2.43%;白銀ETF iShares Silver Trust(SLV)雖然規模較小,但價格一週勁揚逾7.8%。在加密貨幣部分,現貨比特幣ETF iShares Bitcoin Trust(IBIT)流入9.06億美元,比特幣價格約上漲2.1%。相較之下,美國石油基金USO則出現約3.78億美元資金淨流出,顯示部分資金從傳統能源多頭部位撤出,轉往避險與高Beta資產。

觀察標普11大類股ETF,能源(XLE)與科技(XLK)是最大贏家,分別吸金11.4億與8.76億美元,金融(XLF)亦有7.06億美元流入;公用事業(XLU)與非必需消費(XLY)則見資金淨流出。這種結構透露出一個耐人尋味的圖像:市場一方面押注受惠AI與能源轉型的成長板塊,另一方面也不忘透過黃金與比特幣分散宏觀與政策風險。

AI基礎設施投資的風險與問號

從Enovix到Solaris,再到ETF資金流,AI帶來的是橫跨半導體、裝置、電力乃至資本市場的全面性再定價。不過,風險也同樣不小。Enovix雖然技術指標耀眼,但手機量產時程高度依賴少數客戶認證進度與工廠良率提升,任何一次化學配方調整都可能讓測試週期延長3到4個月;公司本業仍在虧損,6億多美元現金是否足以撐到多條高產線滿載,仍待觀察。

Solaris則面臨政策與集中度風險。其電力專案高度依賴少數雲端巨頭長約,一旦客戶AI資本支出節奏放緩,或監管機構收緊對自備電廠與碳排的規範,都可能影響未來擴張。雖然公司強調自備電廠在時間與成本上的優勢,長期來看,隨著電網擴建與再生能源儲能成本下降,這種「島狀運轉」模式是否仍具壓倒性優勢,仍存在變數。

對投資人而言,當前局勢更像是一場「AI基礎建設大投資」的早期階段。電池供應鏈、機房電力、伺服器與網路設備,乃至背後的資金調度,都在為AI算力鋪路。究竟哪一環能轉化為穩定、高品質的現金流,哪一環又會在技術迭代與政策轉向中被淘汰,仍有待時間驗證。但可以確定的是,AI帶來的不是單一公司的盛宴,而是一場從矽片、電芯到發電機組與ETF資金流的全方位洗牌。

3 Comments on “使用更久、体积更小,智能手机公司押注硅碳负极电池

  1. 手机品牌经历了数年的探索后,在 2024 年的旗舰手机上不约而同选择了碳硅负极材料作为当前阶段的最终回答

  2. 随着电动汽车、移动通信、储能系统等领域的飞速发展,锂电池已成为新能源存储与转换的核心技术。
    传统石墨负极材料的能量密度已接近理论极限(372 mAh/g),难以满足市场需求。
    硅基负极材料因其极高的理论比容量(4200 mAh/g)、适宜的工作电压(0.4V)、不存在析锂隐患、储量丰富、价格低廉且环境友好等优点,被视为理想的下一代负极材料。

  3. Rick Luebbe, CEO and Co-Founder of battery technology innovator Group14, tells us about the use cases, benefits and future potential of silicon batteries
    The race to decarbonise the global economy runs on batteries.

    From electric vehicles to the storage systems that make the distribution of renewable energy possible, the demand for better, cheaper and faster energy storage has never been more urgent.

    For years, the paradigm in the battery sector has been a combination of lithium and graphite – the former to hold the electrical charge, the latter to act as the anode, facilitating the reaction.

    All in, graphite can be found in nearly 95% of all lithium-ion batteries, but the pre-eminence of graphite is increasingly being challenged. One particularly formidable challenger is silicon.

    As an anode material, silicon can hold ten times more lithium than graphite, meaning silicon batteries have the potential to perform at levels previously unseen.

    One of the foremost innovators in the silicon battery sector today is Group14, a fast-growing firm out of Washington, US.

    With huge things on the horizon for the company in 2026, Energy Digital spoke with Group14’s CEO and Co-Founder Rick Luebbe to understand how this technology works, what it costs, and whether it truly has the potential to redefine energy storage as we know it.

    Rick Luebbe, CEO of Group 14. Credit: Group14
    What is a silicon battery and how do they work?
    A silicon battery is a next-generation lithium-ion battery that replaces the graphite traditionally used in the anode with a silicon-carbon composite, dramatically increasing energy storage capacity and charging speeds while maintaining compatibility with existing battery manufacturing.

    Group14 manufactures a silicon battery material, SCC55, that houses the silicon inside a porous, nano-carbon scaffold. This solves silicon’s tendency to swell, because the microscopic pores accommodate expansion and contraction during charging and discharging.

    How are they different from other batteries on the market?
    Most batteries today still rely heavily on graphite anodes.

    Silicon fundamentally raises the performance ceiling for today’s lithium ion batteries because it can hold ten times more lithium than graphite and the charging mechanism is completely different.

    Lithium simply moves into the silicon much more efficiently than it moves into graphite when charging or discharging.

    Together, this translates to higher energy density, faster charging, and faster charge/discharge cycles. Silicon batteries powered by SCC55 achieve about 50% higher energy density and charge in under ten minutes.

    The SCC55 battery elements. Credit: Group14
    What kind of use cases do they have?
    Anything that runs on a lithium-ion battery can realise dramatically better performance with silicon batteries.

    Silicon batteries using SCC55 are already powering EVs, electric aircraft and AI-enabled devices worldwide.

    Electric vehicles are a primary driver because higher energy density extends range, and faster charging both improves convenience and streamlines infrastructure needs.

    This helps eliminate charge and range anxiety, which is critical to EV adoption.

    We’re also seeing an increase in use cases for AI data centres, where silicon’s fast discharge and recharge capacity is critical for managing power spikes.

    I expect to see silicon batteries emerge as a central component of the infrastructure within the next year.

    How much does silicon battery technology cost compared to other batteries?
    Because silicon increases energy density, you can achieve better performance with fewer cells or less weight, which improves pack-level economics.

    As production scales, the cost per mile driven or per kilowatt-hour delivered over the life of the battery becomes increasingly competitive.

    I expect to see silicon batteries emerge as a central component of the infrastructure within the next year.

    Rick Luebbe, CEO and Co-Founder of Group14
    Youtube Placeholder
    Do silicon batteries require rare earth minerals?
    No. Silicon is one of the most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust and that abundance supports long-term supply security and resilience.

    By reducing dependence on graphite – most of which is exported from China – we’re reducing dependence on a single source of material and diversifying regional supply chains.

    What is their lifespan?
    Historically, silicon anodes struggled with cycle life due to material expansion during charging. We solved for that by housing silicon in a porous, nano-carbon scaffold that allows for expansion while maintaining stability.

    As a result, recent data from more than 20 Group14 customers shows SCC55-based cells regularly exceed 1,500-3,000 charge cycles.

    For automakers, that means you no longer have to trade energy density or fast charging for durability. You can have all three.

    Can silicon battery production be scaled to compete with traditional batteries?
    Yes, and that scale-up is well on its way. The key is designing both the material and the manufacturing process to scale from the outset.

    We’re already producing SCC55 at EV-scale volumes out of our BAM-3 factory in South Korea, which supplies material to over 100 EV and consumer electronics battery manufacturing customers worldwide.

    Performance plus manufacturability is what really enables adoption on a global scale.

    The BAM-3 factory in South Korea. Credit: Group14
    What is the importance of battery technology for the energy transition?
    Electrification only moves as fast as energy storage allows, and demand is accelerating exponentially.

    Every major growth sector – from EVs, to consumer electronics, to AI infrastructure – depends on better batteries.

    Materials innovation at the anode level is one of the most immediate and practical ways to unlock the necessary performance improvements.

    What role will silicon technology play going forward?
    Silicon batteries are the new standard for energy storage. They represent the biggest leap forward in battery technology since graphite became standard in the early 1990’s.

    Silicon is commercially ready today, and its adoption will influence not just mobility, but emerging infrastructure like AI-driven data centers that require near-instantaneous power response.

    In the near term, we expect to see the first large-scale deployment of silicon batteries in EVs in 2026, which will shift competition toward fundamental battery capability, rather than incremental design changes.

    As manufacturers begin to compete on those performance gains, silicon will increasingly define product differentiation across EVs and consumer electronics.

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