Kalpana Systems Unveils Roll-to-Roll Spatial ALD Tools for Solar, Batteries, and Packaging

Kalpana Systems, a Dutch thin film equipment manufacturer, has launched roll-to-roll spatial atomic layer deposition (sALD) tools, targeting industries such as solar PV, organic light-emitting diodes, batteries, and packaging. The technology focuses on depositing high-quality functional thin layers with atomic precision without causing sputter damage, with initial applications in barrier layer deposition. Since its founding in 2021, the company has developed its first operational machine, raising €3.5 million to transition from prototype to commercial production. The sALD technology supports high throughput industrial processes, enabling deposition of multiple layers with web speeds up to 10 m/min and is designed for integration with other deposition techniques. Two models, the K300 and K600, cater to different market needs, with specifications optimized for flexible electronics, solar cells, and high-speed applications like batteries and packaging.

The sALD equipment addresses stability and durability challenges faced by producers of perovskite and organic solar cells, offering cost-effective encapsulation methods. Both K300 and K600 models can process flexible substrates and are programmable for various operational parameters, making them versatile across roll-to-roll production processes. With lead times of 9–12 months, Kalpana Systems offers customizable customer onboarding support. Backed by investors such as Fairtree Elevant Ventures and SIG InnoVentures, the company emphasizes the uniqueness of its roll-to-roll technology in delivering high volume, rapid production, and wide market adoption. These innovations position Kalpana Systems as a competitive player in thin film deposition, advancing the development of efficient and scalable manufacturing solutions.

Kalpana Systems, founded in 2021 and headquartered in Delft, Netherlands, specializes in high-throughput spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (sALD) technology for thin film coatings on flexible substrates.Their innovative Superspatial ALD technology enables cost-effective production of thin films, facilitating the transition from technological promise to commercial application. The company's solutions are designed to advance sectors such as solid-state batteries, environmentally friendly packaging, and perovskite solar cells.

In July 2024, Kalpana Systems secured €3.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Fairtree Elevant Ventures, SIG InnoVentures, and the Energy Transition Fund Rotterdam.This investment aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of their sALD technology, positioning the company to meet the growing demand for advanced thin film deposition solutions across various industries.

SparkNano's Spatial ALD tool decreases the of Iridium while increasing the production capacity of electrolyzers for green hydrogen

SparkNano's Spatial ALD tool decreases the cost and use of scarce materials like Iridium while increasing the production capacity of electrolyzers for green hydrogen.

For more detail about SparkNanos lab-to-fab product portfolio, you can download the complete spec sheet for the Labline Series here: LabLine Series — SparkNano | Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology (spark-nano.com)

Technical features (12 inch system)

Substrate types flat substrates like polymer and metal foils, wafers, glass and porous substrates

Substrate size

A free envelope of 320 mm x 360 mm x 5 mm is available. In this volume any flat substrate can be placed with a substrate specific holder

Process

Both thermal and plasma enhanced s-ALD

 

SparkNano Raises EUR 5.5M to Scale Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition for Energy Applications in a round led by ALIAD Venture Capital by Air Liquide

SparkNano Raises EUR 5.5M to Scale Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition for Energy Applications in a round led by ALIAD Venture Capital by Air Liquide.

SparkNano - LINK (linkmagazine.nl)

ATLANT 3D Nanosystems Secures 15M USD Investments to Enable Atomic Layer Advanced Manufacturing for Electronics

Copenhagen September 12, 2022: ATLANT 3D Nanosystems (ATLANT 3D), today announced the closure of their capital raise of 15M USD. The round was led by UK venture capital firm West HillCapital and further supported by existing investors including a leading Japanese corporation. The funding is the largest joint Series A round in Denmark outside of life sciences and software.

The funding will be used to get one step closer to ATLANT 3D’s vision to create a network-centric smart advanced manufacturing infrastructure based on its proprietary technology and know-how and integrate it in the future with other advanced technologies. ATLANT 3D aims to develop a network of advanced manufacturing hubs – the A-hubs – across the globe to enable a radical innovation ecosystem for next-generation micro and nanoelectronics prototyping and manufacturing.

ATLANT 3D is the first and only company to crack the code for a radically new way of doing micro and nano processing. ATLANT 3D’sNanofabricator™ enables advanced manufacturing with AI solutions which allows direct patterning on complex surfaces, various substrate materials, plain wafers, and textures with existing structures or devices. ATLANT 3D technology has a unique configuration that allows atomically precise processing at micro and zero gravity. In general, it decreases the time and cost of processing from years and months to days, and gives unprecedented flexibility for material innovation, prototyping, and production of micro and nanodevices, replacing the previous cleanroom-based complex process flows.

“The existing process-intensive manufacturing method is a limiting factor in the future of electronics development. Due to its inflexibility, the current multi-step process is at the root of our current global supply chain crises, causing a shortage of electronics devices and bringing high barriers to innovation. “, says Dr. Maksym Plakhotnyuk, CEO and Founder of ATLANT 3D. “At ATLANT 3D, we have invented a unique technological platform that enables what was previously impossible. Imagine that new advanced materials, devices, and applications that you use today for your smart life or for the industry can be manufactured in-house, with flexibility, and sustainability in mind. The process can be fully digital, cost-effective, and provide a possibility for rapid innovation with atomic precision. The recently raised funding will enable us to continue the fast technology and product development and expand ATLANT 3D to the first international market.”

” We see a huge potential in ATLANT 3Ds' groundbreaking technology. We were impressed by the company’s grand vision and the way how ATLANT 3D technology is ready to disrupttodisrupt the conventional microfabrication approach” says Alan Richards, Partner, and Co-Founder of West Hill Capital.

About ATLANT 3DNanosystems

ATLANT 3D is a Danish deep-tech company founded in 2018 developing a fundamentally different and innovative micro and nanofabrication platform technology that enables atomically precise advanced manufacturing of advanced materials and electronics with the vision to revolutionize electronics atom by atom. Since 2020ATLANT 3D secured a number of customers, leading global industrial companies and organizations, in space, semiconductor, and electronics industries.

About West Hill Capital

Since 2014, West Hill Capital has arranged investment of $500 million into 40 early-stage high-growth companies in the UK and Denmark. In 2021, West Hill’sportfolio company Humio was acquired by USA Nasdaq-listed Crowdstrike Holdings for US$400 million, one of the largest Danish private company exits that year.b

Webinar Atonarp’s Aston in-situ metrology solution for Spatial ALD

 

Register

Can’t attend the live webcast?  Register and we will send you a link to watch the recording at your convenience.

Overview:   Spatial ALD is emerging as a critical technology for the deposition of thin films for advanced memory and logic selective processing found in gate-all-around FETs, high aspect ratio contacts, DRAM capacitors, advanced NVM technology, and even self-aligned double patterning (SADP) lithography.  It has the promise of high throughput, highly conformal thin films using low temperature and low or no vacuum processing chambers.  However spatial ALD has challenges, gas mixing, platform rotation speed optimization, optimized gas purge flow, the variable concentration of reactant gases and safety considerations are some of the issues process engineers are working to optimize.  Atonarp’s Aston in-situ metrology solution will be reviewed and its key differentiations, being used by several spatial ALD OEMs to address these challenges, will be discussed. What you’ll learn: Spatial ALD advantages and challenges   Why speed with sensitivity and robustness matter in Spatial ALD metrology solutions   Aston Impact and Plasma metrology solutions and differentiation that is leading them to be used as key in-situ process control metrology in spatial ALD applications

Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) Opts for SALD

The Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) gears up perovskite solar cells for industrial tandem cell production

Eindhoven/Netherlands, Singapore, 18 June 2022 - The Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) announces that it will upgrade its "Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition" (SALD) equipment. SoLayTec and SERIS have been working closely together for over a decade in the field of silicon solar cells. Now, SERIS states that SoLayTec will upgrade its existing ALD system using the latest technology of SALD BV, a Dutch technology start-up, for development of scalable perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells.

"Upgrading to the new SALD equipment brings us significant advantages," explains Dr. Shubham Duttagupta, Deputy Director of the Next-Generation Industrial Solar Cells & Modules Cluster at SERIS. The Dutch company SALD BV has developed a unique, patented technology for applying precise coatings on an industrial scale that can be as thin as a single atom. These so-called nanocoatings are promising to revolutionize numerous industrial manufacturing processes, and thus entire branches of industry. In the solar industry, SALD coatings are key for perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells, which can achieve efficiencies far above the theoretical limit of silicon-only solar cells, which are the most widely used solar cells today. It is precisely in this new area where SERIS aims to use the new SALD technology. Thanks to the SALD process, new solar cell materials can be used, including tin oxide and transparent conductive oxides, as well as novel passivation and tunnel recombination layers. The technologies developed by SERIS will be made available to industrial solar cell manufacturers through licensing agreements.

Perovskite solar cells are highly efficient, easy to process and inexpensive to produce, but still face technical challenges regarding their long-term stability. An atomically thin coating, as can be achieved with the SALD technology, makes the cells significantly more robust. SERIS wants to take the leap “from lab to fab”, i.e., from the laboratory environment to large-volume production with the new SALD machine. The potential for perovskite-silicon solar cells is great: According to forecasts, the global market is expected to exceed two billion dollars by 2027.

SALD BV has developed a unique worldwide patented technology for applying coatings that are as thin as a single atom on an industrial scale, termed "Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition" or SALD (www.spatialald.com). These atomically-thin coatings can bring revolutions to entire industries, such as the manufacturing of batteries for cars and smart devices, and the solar energy industry.

Further information: SALD BV, PO Box 520, 5600 AM Eindhoven, The Netherlands,

Web: www.spatialald.com, E-Mail: info@spatialald.com, Tel: +31 40 23 80 500,

contact: Lonneke van Wel, Tel. +31 40 238 05 00, E-mail: lonneke.vanwel@spatialald.com

PR-Agent: euromarcom public relations, Tel. +49611-973150, E-Mail: team@euromarcom.de, Internet: www.euromarcom.de, www.facebook.com/euromarcom (like if you like-:)

Spatial ALD Day coming up at TU Eindhoven June 9

Save the date! On June 9th 2022, we will organize a spatial ALD day at the Eindhoven University of Technology.
You can preregister on the website! The final registration form will appear early May when the detailed program is known.https://t.co/GjjpkGRdDX#ALDep #ALD pic.twitter.com/Bt5jJYg111

— AtomicLimits (@AtomicLimits) April 6, 2022

Innovative Spatial ALD system at the LZH can precisely coat complex-shaped optics

New possibilities: The LZH can also coat curved optics uniformly with the innovative Spatial ALD system. This is interesting, for example, for applications in the automotive lighting sector. The system achieves high deposition rates.Thanks to the plasma-based Spatial ALD system, another application that is in high demand in industry has been made economical. Layer systems of uniform thickness can be developed and manufactured much faster than before on curved and structured optics.

The system was developed by the Finnish company Beneq together with the LZH.

Press release: Innovative Spatial ALD system at the LZH can precisely coat complex-shaped optics | Laser Zentrum Hannover

Nanofabrication via Maskless Localized Atomic Layer Deposition of Patterned Nanoscale Metal Oxide Films

Here is a cool demonstration of direct write Spatial ALD or LOCALD like the researches at Laboratoire des Multimatériaux et Interfaces, University of Lyon is calling it.

Nanofabrication via Maskless Localized Atomic Layer Deposition of Patterned Nanoscale Metal Oxide Films

ACS Applied Nano Materials (IF5.097), Pub Date : 2021-10-18, DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.1c02550

Laabdia Midani, Waël Ben-Yahia, Vincent Salles, Catherine Marichy

A modified open-air spatial atomic layer deposition (SALD) head is employed to fabricate complex oxide patterns on various substrates. The co-reactant being kept in the surrounding atmosphere, a simple injection head that consists of three concentric nozzles with only one precursor outlet has been designed. Easy and reversible modification in the diameter of the metal precursor outlet permits direct patterning with different lateral sizes. Maskless deposition of uniform and homogenous TiO2 and ZrO2 thin films is successfully demonstrated with a lateral resolution tuned from millimeters to hundred micrometers range while keeping the film thickness in the range of a few to hundreds of nanometers with a control at the nanoscale. This localized SALD approach, named LOCALD, also enables layer stacking and deposition on structured substrates.

Supporting information: an1c02550_si_001.pdf

Spatial atomic layer depos­ition system FHR.Star.400x300-SALD delivered

FHR (Press Release) has suc­cess­fully delivered the FHR.Star.400x300-SALD. This is FHR’s first machine using spa­tial atomic layer depos­ition (spa­tial ALD). The sys­tem is cap­able of depos­it­ing films on both 200 mm wafers and tex­tiles or other 3D sub­strates of up to 400 x 300 x 10 mm³.

Spa­tial ALD allows for high speed and highly con­formal coat­ings on flat as well as micro-struc­tured sur­faces. Applic­a­tions are dielec­tric lay­ers for anti-reflect­ive coat­ings on lenses as well as coat­ings for elec­trical insu­la­tion or pro­tec­tion against mois­ture or oxy­gen applied to energy sys­tems, med­ical devices or func­tion­al­ized tex­tiles.

In its base con­fig­ur­a­tion, the FHR.Star.400x300-SALD is made for thermal ALD on up to eight wafers or four 3D sub­strates in par­al­lel. For Al2O3 on wafers, depos­ition rates of 5-10 nm/​min and thick­ness non-uni­form­it­ies <± 2.0% have been reached. A large blind flange allows to add other thin film tech­no­lo­gies or plasma treat­ment and the machine is already pre­pared to for in-situ ellip­so­metry and trans­mis­sion spec­tro­scopy for improved pro­cess con­trol. To fur­ther increase the pro­ductiv­ity, the FHR.Star.400x300-SALD can be included in a cluster setup with a cent­ral hand­ling robot cham­ber, load locks, pre-treat­ment cham­bers or other pro­cess cham­bers.

FHR, Marian Böh­ling (CSO): „ALD coat­ing tech­no­logy is val­ued for its unique con­form­al­ity and pre­ci­sion even on 3D sub­strates but claimed to be slow and there­fore often ignored. Our FHR.Star.400x300-SALD refutes this claim impress­ively and makes ALD avail­able as an excit­ing and prom­ising thin film tech­no­logy for a wide range of indus­trial applic­a­tions. Installed at a world-class thin film research insti­tute, this FHR.Star.400x300-SALD offers a low-threshold access for every­body inter­ested in using ALD for own products.“

FHR Anla­gen­bau GmbH - The Thin Film Com­pany was foun­ded in 1991 and offers tailor-made vacuum coat­ing sys­tems and sput­ter­ing tar­gets as well as coat­ing and equip­ment ser­vice from a single source.

The close cooper­a­tion with our cus­tom­ers starts with the pro­cess devel­op­ment and con­tin­ues with the devel­op­ment of pilot scale up to mass pro­duc­tion. Our port­fo­lio integ­rates the tech­no­lo­gies sput­ter­ing, evap­or­a­tion, PECVD and ALD into the equip­ment types cluster, inline, roll-to-roll and batch. Based in Ger­many and with sys­tems installed world­wide in vari­ous indus­tries such as semi­con­duct­ors, MEMS, elec­tron­ics, sensor tech­no­logy, optics, photo­vol­ta­ics, etc., we will jointly find vacuum coat­ing solu­tion for our cus­tom­ers.

Con­tact

FHR Anla­gen­bau GmbH

Mar­ket­ing & Com­mu­nic­a­tion

Phone: +49 35205 520-0

E-mail: mar­ket­ing@fhr.de

Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (SALD): Essential for today's and future battery production

SALD is a carve-out of the brainport Eindhoven-based OEM company SoLayTec, which develops and sells advanced spatial ALD machines specifically for mass-produced solar cells. Because there were a lot of requests for applications other than solar cells, the company SALD was founded in 2019. In the relatively short time in which the company has existed, it has already succeeded in implementing the complex technology in a compact machine that serves for research purposes and small-scale production of spatial ALD layers.

The full story can be found here published by Brainport, NL: LINK

Background: In 2008 TNO scientists developed a brilliant solution for this: Spatial ALD. With this new technology, TNO was able to increase the production speed 5 to 10 times, while the coating quality remained the same. This led to the establishment of SoLayTec, which developed and sold advanced Spatial ALD machines for the mass production of solar panels. This makes SoLayTec the only company with large-scale production experience within the emerging world of Spatial ALD. The in-depth expertise in Spatial ALD technology, combined with the unique ability to transfer it from lab to fab, offers great opportunities in today's growth markets. That is why a new company has been set up alongside SoLayTec, with the ambition to be at the forefront of promising new applications of Spatial ALD. The name chosen is the worldwide abbreviation for this innovative technology: SALD.

Dutch SALD and German Fraunhofer to develop Spatial ALD technology for production of 1,000 km range EV battery modules

Several reports state that Dutch SALD, a subsidiary of SoLayTec, and German Fraunhofer have jointly developed a Spatial ALD (SALD) technology for producing EV batteries that aim at 1,000 km range.

 

Not too many details are available at this point, please check SALD below for further details

SALD: LINK

From SALD Webpage: Li-ion batteries are indispensable for consumer electronics and electric vehicles, and it is vital that the safety, longevity and capacity of these batteries is maximized. Spatial ALD can assist in this. For common Li-ion batteries that comprise liquid electrolytes, ALD can be used to prepare the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI). This artificial SEI - typically about a nanometer in thickness - protects the anode or cathode active materials (CAMs) from the electrolyte, enhancing the long-term stability and safety of the Li-ion battery.

SALD deposits trust in new advisory board chaired by Prof. Kessels

Spatial atomic layer deposition equipment manufacturer SALD has set up an advisory board, which, apart from acting as a sounding board to management, will also have an ambassadorial function

The advisory board is chaired by Prof. Erwin Kessels, leader of the Plasma & Materials Processing group at Eindhoven University of Technology. He’s joined by marketing consultant John Niemeijer of The Brandhouse, innovation consultant Peter Visser of Innovisser and accountant Werner Vervest of Vervest Financial Services.

Full article: SALD deposits trust in new advisory board (LINK)

 

Prof. Erwin Kessels was the Awardee of the AVS 2019 ALD Innovator award “For Original Work and Leadership in ALD" (https://ald2019.avs.org/awards/)

 

 

Holst Centre showcase spatial atomic layer deposition (sALD) for thin-film transistor (TFT) backplane

Researchers from Holst Centre have become the first to use spatial atomic layer deposition (sALD) to create both the semiconductor and dielectric layer in a thin-film transistor (TFT) backplane. Using a low-temperature, large-area process for the backplane, the team created a 200 ppi QVGA display demonstrator. The process allows TFTs to be produced on cheaper, transparent plastic foils, significantly reducing the cost of flexible electronics applications such as displays and image sensors. To showcase the technology, Holst Centre has produced a display demonstrator using a backplane of top-gated self-aligned TFTs on a PEN foil. The display is being presented at the International Display Workshop (IDW) in Sapporo, Japan from November 27-29.

The backplane was produced at temperatures below 200 °C, achieving mobilities of 8 cm2/Vs in transistors with channel lengths down to 1 μm. It was then combined with an OLED frontplane to create a 200 ppi QVGA display.


The demonstrator was produced using sALD equipment initially developed by Holst Centre and which is currently being commercialized by the start-up SALDtech. Spun out from Holst Centre in 2018, SALDtech offers the only sALD tools for Gen 1 (32 x 25 cm) substrate size flat-panel displays currently available. Earlier this year, it received a second round of investment to develop and build production equipment that could be integrated into the production lines of next-generation flexible OLED displays for mobile phones, tablets, TVs and more.


“We are already delivering TFT performance with sALD that is comparable with the best sputtered devices. And through additional optimization of processes and materials, there is considerable room for further improvements. At the same time, we are looking at producing all TFT layers with sALD to further simplify and reduce the cost of high-volume flexible TFT manufacturing,” says Ilias Katsouras, Senior Scientist at Holst Centre.

Many flat-panel displays today use the semiconductor indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) in the TFT backplane. IGZO is usually deposited via sputtering and requires a high-temperature anneal procedure to ensure performance. This high-temperature step necessitates substrates with high melting points, which are typically more expensive.

Developed by Holst Centre, large-area sALD is an atmospheric-pressure technique that allows ultra-thin layers of materials to be deposited quickly with high compositional control and excellent thickness uniformity. The technique has previously been used to produce high-quality individual layers of materials for solid-state batteries and TFT backplanes. Now, for the first time, Holst Centre has used sALD to deposit both the IGZO semiconductor layer and the aluminum dielectric-oxide dielectric layer in an integrated TFT process onto a low-cost, transparent plastic foil.

Using a single technique to produce multiple layers of material offers flexible TFT manufacturers the possibility of improving both production throughput and the interface between layers, which in turn increases device performance.

SALDtech receives further funding to enable mass production of the next generation foldable OLED displays

SALDtech speeds up commercialization of Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition equipment for the display industry

Eindhoven, 22 May 2019 - SALDtech announced today that it has closed a second investment round with Innovation Industries, a leading high-tech VC fund and BOM, Brabant Development agency. TNO, through its subsidiary Holst Centre, has invested over 10 years in developing a new technology called Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition to produce large area ultra-thin layers with world class performance. SALDtech, a spin-off of TNO, will use the investment to develop and build production equipment to be integrated into the production lines of next generation flexible OLED displays for mobile phones, tablets, TVs and more. 

 

(Photo: TNO)

 

“We are very pleased with this investment as it enables us to further develop our product and speed up our sales” Huib Heezen, CEO of SALDtech states: “SALDtech will continue to cooperate closely with TNO on process innovation and will use the expertise on high tech equipment as readily available in the Eindhoven area for our product development. We are delighted to now have two top Dutch investors in the form of Innovation Industries and BOM on board who are committed for the long term.”

 

“We are excited that we have been a part of SALDtech since its first round last year and that we can continue to support SALDtech’s growth by participating also in this financing round”, says Nard Sintenie, Partner at Innovation Industries. “SALDtech’s technology has the ability to change the way we are working and interacting with displays and thereby addresses a huge market.”

“SALDtech has the potential to become the leading supplier in the display market” according Jurgen Van Eck, Senior investment manager at BOM Brabant Ventures“ As such, the company will play an important role towards local suppliers. We are happy we are able to contribute towards the further development of SALDtech”

Founding institute TNO is delighted with the opportunity this second financing round offers to SALDtech. “Both Innovation Industries and BOM have multiple investments in TNO spin-offs, , which shows the potential of the research we are doing at Holst Centre and TNO for the Dutch high tech industry. This investment is the next step in strengthening the Dutch economic position and Brainport in particular.” says Jaap Lombaers, Director at TNO.

About SALDtech
SALDtech BV is a spinoff from the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and is based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The company was founded in 2018 to further develop, build and sell commercial Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (SALD) systems into the flat panel display industry. The SALDtech tool will help enable the production scale up of next generation display technologies. Related end product display markets include smartphones, tablets, TV’s as well a new form factor displays in (autonomous) cars and on practically every surface.

Contact:
Huib Heezen (CEO)
huib.heezen@saldtech.com
+31 (0)6 30615028

Amtech Systems plans to divest its solar businesses

Amtech Systems, a manufacturer of capital equipment and consumables used in fabricating semiconductor devices, LEDs, SiC and silicon power chips ans well as solar cells, is planning to sell its solar businesses.

Amtech management and Board of Directors have decided to focus solely on growth opportunities in the Company’s semiconductor and SiC/LED polishing businesses and intend to sell the Company’s solar businesses, including its Tempress and SoLayTec subsidiaries. 

Amtech’s J.S. Whang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “In November 2018 we announced that we had initiated a comprehensive review of our solar businesses.  In a February update we noted thus far our review strongly indicates that our combined Semi and SiC/LED polishing business provide better markets for enhancing the value of Amtech Group. We have recently completed our assessment and conclude, along with Tempress and SoLayTec management, that significant investment is required to effectively compete in the changing solar industry. We therefore conclude Tempress and SoLayTec would be better positioned to capitalize on opportunities in the solar industry under new ownership.”

 

Source: Evertiq LINK

High Speed Batch Atomic Layer Deposition using Vortex ALD by Lotus Applied Technology

Here is a cool animation on the Lotus High Speed Batch Atomic Layer Deposition using Vortex ALD.

YouTube.com

 

Founded in 2007, Lotus Applied Technology was formed through a spinoff of the thin film process group within Planar Systems, Inc., a pioneer in Atomic Layer Deposition technology and manufacturing. Housed in a fully dedicated 20,000 square foot thin film processing and R&D facility in Hillsboro, Oregon, the team of technologists has been working together for over 20 years, developing innovative solutions to thin film processing challenges. Their equipment set includes a wide array of thin film deposition, lithography, and patterning equipment, including a versatile set of ALD equipment:

• Six P400 Conventional Pulse-Based Batch ALD reactors
• Roll to Roll ALD Research Scale Reactor
• TransFlex Roll to Roll ALD Pilot Scale Reactor
• Vortex Rotary Batch Reactor

SoLayTec ships new ALD order to Asia for PERC cell manufacturing

North American Clean Energy reports (LINK): Amtech Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASYS), a global supplier of production equipment and related supplies for the solar, semiconductor, and LED markets, announced its solar subsidiary, SoLayTec B.V., has shipped a next generation solar Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) to an Asian customer. While the PV market is shifting towards high efficiency cell designs, production with high yield, A-grade cells, is getting increasingly important. 

 

Fokko Pentinga, CEO and President of Amtech, commented, "For this project we are delivering the equipment for the PERC line upgrade and assisting the customer with the PERC ramp-up and line integration. PV manufacturers are experiencing extreme price pressure, resulting in an increasing need for higher cell quality with narrow cell efficiency distribution. The highest line yield possible of A-grade cells is essential to ensure good margins for these advanced production lines. Al2O3 wrap-around during deposition will result in reduction of the cell efficiency by as much as 0.2%, as well as front side color variations. Our ALD equipment addresses PV manufacturers' challenges, by delivering the highest PERC cell efficiency using Al2O3,, highest A-grade cells, and stable deposition process without any wrap around. Another challenge we address for A-grade cells is scratch free manufacturing of SiNx deposition for rear-side capping and front-side ARC. Our scratch free solution using our direct-plasma PECVD equipment is gaining momentum, with shipments and order backlog totaling more than 1GW."

Spatial atomic layer deposition for coating flexible porous Li-ion battery electrodes

Here is important step forward in fast roll to roll processing of Li-battery electrodes using fast spatial ALD from CU Boulder, Colorado. Spatial ALD (SALD) is based on separating the precursors and inert gas purges in space rather than in time and therefore the deposition rates up to a hundred times faster are achievable. SALD can be performed at ambient atmosphere and therefore is a cheaper technology due to less need of expensive vacuum technology compared to conventional low pressure ALD.

High speed and low cost of ownership opens the door to high volume manufacturing of bulk quantities of energy materials for applications including solar energy, energy storage, or smart windows. Previously ALD Nanosolutions has announced a Spatial ALD technology for conformal encapsulation of ALD on powder material like for instance Li-battery cathode powder (LINK). A good overview of Spatial ALD for energy applications is this review paper by David Muñoz-Rojas et al: "Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (SALD), an emerging tool for energy materials. Application to new-generation photovoltaic devices and transparent conductive materials" https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crhy.2017.09.004 [OPEN ACCESS]

Please find the JVSTA abstract below for the recent article form Boulder:

Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition for Coating Flexible Porous Li-Ion Battery Electrodes Abstract for paper @GeorgeGroupCU @@coschoolofmines https://t.co/eCCJEdudwa pic.twitter.com/K2R6P7i6tc

— JVST A - JVST B (@JVSTAB) February 7, 2018

Amtech Announces Follow-On Order for Next Generation Solar ALD for PERC Cell Line

TEMPE, Ariz., Dec. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Amtech Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASYS), a global supplier of production equipment and related supplies for the solar, semiconductor, and LED markets, today announced its solar subsidiary, SoLayTec B.V., has received a follow-on order for three next generation solar Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) systems. The order is expected to ship and be installed in this fiscal year. As a leading ALD supplier in the market, SoLayTec has booked a total of 25 ALD system orders since its inception, of which 15 will be used in mass production.

Depending on the capacity levels that are needed, SoLayTec offers three types of InPassion ALD. The main difference is the number of deposition units modules added in such a system. The basic three products offered are 4, 6 or 8 deposition units, which result in 2,400 wph, 3,600 wph or 4,500 wph respectively. (www.solaytec.com)

 

Fokko Pentinga, CEO and President of Amtech, commented, "This follow-on order brings the total ALD tools ordered by this specific customer to seven. Four systems have been put in production of PERC solar cells in the second half of fiscal 2017. The orders SoLayTec has received from this particular customer represent a total of 1GW of PERC production capacity. This follow-on order validates our customer's confidence in the performance capabilities of our spatial ALD system in high-volume production of PERC solar cells. There is a high level of enthusiasm in the PV marketplace for PERC solutions and this manufacturing platform supports our customers' goals to improve the total cost of ownership by increasing cell efficiency."