Advances in 3D silicon-based lithium-ion microbatteries are discussed in this review, focusing on material compatibility, cell designs, fabrication methods, and performance in various applications. The review highlights the relationship between device architecture and performance, as well as comparisons between different fabrication technologies. It suggests possible future studies to improve 3D silicon-based lithium-ion microbatteries. Micro-/nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) play a crucial role in portable and wearable devices. The miniaturization of such devices requires independent energy-storage systems that are small and integrable on-chip. Current developments of energy storage devices are mainly concentrated on tackling the problems of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for high power purposes in kilowatt regimes. Meanwhile, micro-lithium-ion-batteries (micro-LIBs) emerge as a more promising candidate to energize smart devices since they can provide power in micro- to milliwatt regimes with a relatively small footprint area. The fabrication of such a small energy storage device is not as simple as reducing the size of a conventional battery. Different challenges exist from the performance and fabrication point of view, which require optimization. Furthermore, the ability of micro-LIBs to be fully integrated into electronic circuits, where other components such as sensors and transducers are packed into a small footprint area, needs to consider many aspects for example the areal capacity, efficiency, and heat distribution. The addition of an electrochemical cell into a dry electrical environment also needs to consider the safety aspect. Durability is of paramount importance since on-chip integration disables the easy replacement possibility of micro-LIB components. Hence, the lifetime of the battery is highly concerned. From the processing point of view, the compatibility of micro-LIB fabrication needs to comply with the existing semiconductor fabrication technology. The ability to upscale micro-LIB fabrication can highly influence production cost, which can also affect the interest of the market. Here, high-throughput production of micro-LIBs is preferable. The early development of micro-LIBs can be traced back to the first thin-film battery produced by Liang and Bro in 1969. They produced Li/LiI/AgI cells and introduced the concept of the solid-state thin-film battery. Since then, the development of sandwiched structures has become more popular and continued until the 2000s. The early modified structure in the form of an in-plane interdigitated architecture was proposed by Nakano et al. The idea was to increase energy and power density by employing different materials and processing techniques to produce a three-dimensional (3D) structure. With regard to the anode, many researchers have explored materials such as TiO2 nanotubes due to their favorable operational potential, cost-effectiveness, and non-toxic properties. However, their notable drawbacks (i.e., poor conductivities) hinder their further application as they impede charge transfer.Advances in 3D silicon-based lithium-ion microbatteries are discussed in this review, focusing on material compatibility, cell designs, fabrication methods, and performance in various applications. The review highlights the relationship between device architecture and performance, as well as comparisons between different fabrication technologies. It suggests possible future studies to improve 3D silicon-based lithium-ion microbatteries. Micro-/nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) play a crucial role in portable and wearable devices. The miniaturization of such devices requires independent energy-storage systems that are small and integrable on-chip. Current developments of energy storage devices are mainly concentrated on tackling the problems of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for high power purposes in kilowatt regimes. Meanwhile, micro-lithium-ion-batteries (micro-LIBs) emerge as a more promising candidate to energize smart devices since they can provide power in micro- to milliwatt regimes with a relatively small footprint area. The fabrication of such a small energy storage device is not as simple as reducing the size of a conventional battery. Different challenges exist from the performance and fabrication point of view, which require optimization. Furthermore, the ability of micro-LIBs to be fully integrated into electronic circuits, where other components such as sensors and transducers are packed into a small footprint area, needs to consider many aspects for example the areal capacity, efficiency, and heat distribution. The addition of an electrochemical cell into a dry electrical environment also needs to consider the safety aspect. Durability is of paramount importance since on-chip integration disables the easy replacement possibility of micro-LIB components. Hence, the lifetime of the battery is highly concerned. From the processing point of view, the compatibility of micro-LIB fabrication needs to comply with the existing semiconductor fabrication technology. The ability to upscale micro-LIB fabrication can highly influence production cost, which can also affect the interest of the market. Here, high-throughput production of micro-LIBs is preferable. The early development of micro-LIBs can be traced back to the first thin-film battery produced by Liang and Bro in 1969. They produced Li/LiI/AgI cells and introduced the concept of the solid-state thin-film battery. Since then, the development of sandwiched structures has become more popular and continued until the 2000s. The early modified structure in the form of an in-plane interdigitated architecture was proposed by Nakano et al. The idea was to increase energy and power density by employing different materials and processing techniques to produce a three-dimensional (3D) structure. With regard to the anode, many researchers have explored materials such as TiO2 nanotubes due to their favorable operational potential, cost-effectiveness, and non-toxic properties. However, their notable drawbacks (i.e., poor conductivities) hinder their further application as they impede charge transfer.