No one likes the days when your Apple (AAPL) iPhone or Samsung (SSNLF) Galaxy is about to die, and of course you have no phone charger handy.

What everyone probably likes, though, is the idea of fully charging that phone in a mere 20 seconds.

And if you think that sounds impossible, think again.

Eesha Khare — an 18-year-old from Saratoga, Calif. — recently created a device called the supercapacitor. It’s a tiny gizmo that packs more energy into a smaller space than traditional phone batteries and holds the charge for longer. In fact, the supercapacitor is able to handle 10,000 recharge cycles — more than normal batteries by a factor of 10.

Khare has only used the invention to power an LED light, but it could easily fit inside cell phone batteries, be used in roll-up devices and possibly even work for car batteries.

Impressed? So were judged at the Intel (INTC) International Science and Engineering Fair, where Khare’s gadget was honored as one of two winners. Her prize was a hefty $50,000 and the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award.

Your prize, soon, might just be faster-charging, longer-lasting cell phones.