ABOUT ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION
What is Atomic Layer Deposition?
The atomic layer deposition (ALD) process involves exposing a substrate surface to alternative precursors sequentially. In each pulse, the precursor molecule reacts with the surface to cause a reaction and produce a precisely uniform thin film on the surface of the substrate.
The list of materials that can be deposited with atomic layer deposition (ALD) is vast, including fluorides, oxides, metals and sulfides.
ALD – The basics
Atomic layer deposition ALD is a Thin-film deposition technique that uses a sequential gas phase Chemical process. ALD is a subclass of Chemical vapour deposition. With ALD, thin film is slowly deposited with the repeated exposure to separate precursors. Most ALD reactions use two chemicals called precursors. These precursors react with the surface of a material one at a time in a sequential, self-limiting, manner. The precursors are pulsed and purged onto the substrate (material) one at a time. One precursor is introduced, then purged, and the second precursor is introduced. This process builds an atomic level coating, one layer at a time. This process can be repeated as many times as necessary, in order to achieve the desired thickness, or specific surface properties.
Forge Nano- ALD Advantage
Forge Nano has developed a unique atomic layer deposition (ALD) process to produce precision nanocoatings for our clients. Our continuous and semi-continuous high-throughput ALD nano-coating techniques uniformly encapsulate particles and objects with chemically bonded, high-quality angstrom-scale coatings for UV blocking, electrical insulation, and oxidation protection to control thermal management, structural integrity, diffusional resistance, and electrochemical properties. Our process works particularly well for handling and coating Li-ion battery electrode materials, nanoscale metal powders, sulfur-based materials, hygroscopic halide-based materials, and many others.
Particle ALD
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) can also be used to coat nanoparticles, and this is known as Particle ALD or PALD. Various particles can be coated using Particle ALD, including simple iron particles and complex h-BN nanoparticles.
Why choose Forge Nano?
Forge Nano uses a patented high-throughput continuous particle ALD process to provide our customers with an ALD coating that at scale is inexpensive, without sacrificing quality. This economy-of-scale has made ALD technology a commercially viable option for companies interested in precision nanocoatings. Forge Nano has compiled a comprehensive IP portfolio that provides full benefits to its partners and Licensees for battery applications. The IP portfolio covers all aspects of the ALD chemistries (including lithium-containing ALD, Molecular Layer Deposition, solid electrolyte coatings, etc.), their application in battery materials (ALD-coated cathode, anode and separator products and methods), as well as methods and systems for their manufacture (exclusive control over semi-continuous and fully continuous ALD systems for powders). Forge Nano has a growing list of owned and licensed technologies for non-battery applications that are also becoming available for license.