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)
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)
“As these new types of solar cells can be transparent, they can be installed in, for example, windows. They are also flexible, which increases their uses,” says Senior University Lecturer Marianna Kemell, who heads the research project funded by the Academy of Finland.
“We identified suitable chemicals and were able to design a reaction that enabled us to create a metal iodide coating through deposition for the first time. We were able to demonstrate that this can actually be done through atomic layer deposition. The first successful trial was carried out with lead iodide, which was then processed into CCH₃NH₃PbI₃ perovskite through a further reaction,” Popov says. “The research article was published in the refereed Chemistry of Materials scholarly journal. Later on, we also developed ALD processes for caesium iodide and CsPbI₃ perovskite.”
“If at some point we start making tandem solar cells, which combine a silicon cell and a perovskite cell, we know how to make that perovskite. We are developing the recipes and the chemistry used to grow perovskite,” Popov says.
“The current plants manufacturing solar cells in China and elsewhere are able to adjust their equipment to produce ALD-coated solar cells,” says Popov.
“We are developing the future technical solutions that will gradually replace and supplement current production. In the future, fewer resources will be needed for production, and, thanks to increasingly effective cells, less surface area as well. When solar cells can be installed on uneven surfaces in addition to even ones, we no longer need to build solar parks in fields, as fields are needed for other purposes,” Popov notes.
“The best part of silicon-based cells is that they last roughly 20 to 30 years and will continue to function even after that, albeit possibly less efficiently. Since solar cells produced with the PERC technique are the current state of the art, and they are available, it is advisable to acquire as many of them as possible. They will pay for themselves,” Senior University Lecturer Kemell says.
“We are also considering a cluster ALD system that can connect multiple reaction chambers for production” says Tsukasa Kawabe, President and COO of Samco. “The launch of the AD-800LP will greatly enhance our presence in the world ALD equipment market.” Tsukasa adds.
Copper is a metal used widely as the main material of Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and Lead Frame. But it is required to protect the oxidation because copper is easily oxidized in the condition of humidity, temperature, and pH, etc.
Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG), Organic
Solderability Preservative (OSP), Immersion Sn or Ag (ImSn or ImAg) is
generally used to prevent oxidation of opened copper area after Solder Masking
in PCBs. The lead Frame is protected from oxidizing by plating Au, Ag, Pd, and Ni
after Lead Frame forming.
Recently, many groups have studied about preventing
oxidation on the surface of copper by various corrosion protection layers of
ALD metal oxides. Especially, Appling Al2O3 layer to the oxidation barrier is
actively being researched.
After depositing Al2O3 layers on Cu-plated plates with various film thicknesses and process temperatures, the oxidation and corrosion behavior of the coated copper was examined with different annealing times in the oven. There was no oxidation before annealing, but after annealing for 1hr, as the sample’s thickness lowered and process temperature decreased, the oxidation happened and increased gradually. There was no oxidation on the plates coated with 50~60 ALD cycles and at process temperatures of 70~100℃ after annealing for 5hr, and oxidation didn’t occur only in the case of 60 cycles and 100℃ after annealing for 24hr.
To analyze the change of the structure and confirm the oxidation
behavior, TEM and EDS were measured on 5 and 10nm Al2O3 coated Cu plates at 100℃.
The results showed that a thick Cu oxide layer was built by combining Cu coming
out through the 5nm Al2O3 layer and outer oxygen after annealing.
On the other side, in the case of depositing 10nm Al2O3 film,
the ALD layer was maintained after annealing, so Cu oxide layer wasn’t built on the
surface. Therefore it confirmed that 10nm ALD Al2O3 layer showed an excellent
corrosion barrier.
< ALD equipment for Lead Frame and PCB >
Copper-based PCBs and Lead Frames for semiconductors may have great properties to prevent humidity and oxygen by ALD-coated corrosion barriers.
NCD has high volume and large area ALD equipment and
technology for this kind of application. ALD tools for Lead Frames could be
used by adding a dedicated transfer module on the base of Lucida GSH Series. And
NCD has been developing new ALD equipment, Lucida GP Series, for large and
flexible PCB substrates. NCD would extend the new ALD application area continuously
through constant R&D.
Source:
http://www.ncdtech.co.kr/2018/bbs/board.php?bo_table=eng_board_05&wr_id=57
Crystalline silicon TMW solar cells are considered a potential alternative to conventional solar cells as these devices require thinner silicon wafers instead of the industry standard 160 µm thick wafers. “This could reduce manufacturing capital expenditure by 48% and module cost by 28%,” the Korean group claims.
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Richard Stevenson, Editor of Compound Semiconductor magazine, talks to Mikko Söderlund, Beneq's Head of Sales for its Semiconductor ALD Business Unit, about the phenomenal interest in this sector.
"Treatment of gas used to manufacture semiconductor chips is our biggest focus in our spending (to achieve net-zero emissions)," Song Doo-guen, executive vice president and head of the Environment & Safety Center at Samsung Electronics, told reporters at a briefing in Seoul.
“This project is designed as a 5 nm fab. Actually, it’s a copy from the fab we have in Taiwan,” Chen said.
We got an exclusive tour inside Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC's $12 billion fabrication plant outside Phoenix, Arizona. Watch the full video here: https://t.co/00keVTCxah pic.twitter.com/JV2ceg6l6v
— CNBC (@CNBC) September 17, 2022
“The handling and development of our products must all be done in cleanrooms, as is typical in the semiconductor industry. That is why they are a necessity for a company like us.”
“ALD is used, for example, in semiconductor components, batteries and optical filters with 3D structures that are difficult to implement and coat. A smooth uniform thin film coating is very difficult, but it is even more difficult to measure whether the coating is really uniform smooth.”
“The investments made by giant electronics companies are often in billions. A manufacturer of semiconductor equipment, which is best able to demonstrate its technical performance, can win a significantly sizeable deal in a big chip manufacturer’s factory investment. It is often important for our customer companies to be able to demonstrate to their own customers how well they can achieve a functioning process,” Utriainen explains.
“ALD technology is complex, and it has been one of the key challenges for investors: sponsors naturally want to understand what they are participating in. We have now got investors involved in Finland, which also increases interest abroad.”