PALD – Particle ALD is the use of Atomic Layer Deposition to coat individual particles as small as sub-micron diameters. ALD provides conformal coatings on particles (making what are sometimes referred to as nano-M&M’s®). The first reported occurrence of this was documented in the 1960’s, but since deeper exploratory research from Finland throughout the 1990’s it has become a more popular technique for a wide array of applications.

Coating Particles with ALD

Using PALD to coat particles with alumina is popular for many applications, as alumina acts as a barrier against oxidation and moisture, delivering corrosion resistance that adds value to many types of powders and materials. Another benefit of Particle ALD is as an adhesion aid, which can modulate the viscosity of coated particles in slurry form, and allow more efficient packing in matrices.  By way of example, when the loading of thermally conductive particles used for heat management in microelectronic devices can be increased, advantages to processing speed and reductions to external cooling costs can be realized to benefit manufacturers and consumers alike.

ALD coatings from Forge Nano can be used to coat the active particles in the cathode and anode electrodes of Li-ion batteries, helping to reduce degradation and enhance safety and durability. Our coatings improve the battery life and provide greater safety to Li-ion batteries, especially in extreme conditions including fast charging rates, overvoltage, and high temperature operation.

Particle ALD From Forge Nano

Forge Nano’s patents, licenses and intellectual property for high-throughput Continuous Particle ALD has brought the cost of ALD coating per kilogram down dramatically and made the benefits of ALD on particles a commercially viable option.

Forge Nano has patented a unique, scalable ALD process for precision nano coatings on particles, and we pride ourselves in providing this service to our customers. If you require any information about our Particle ALD process, please contact us.

You can also visit our What is PALD or About PALD  pages for even more information. 

Forge Nano PALD ALD Process