13:14
With its first tool sales in the books, Eindhoven-based ‘startup with experience’ SALD is ready to introduce atomic layer deposition into a wide range of new markets. In the world of materials deposition, nothing trumps atomic layer deposition (ALD) when it comes to precision. The technique offers control over film thickness and composition at the atomic level, while completely following the contours of a surface. This precision comes at a price, though: in its traditional form, ALD is incompatible with a continuous process. This limits the manufacturing volumes that can be handled cost-effectively, rendering ALD unsuitable for a large number of commercial applications. SALD has set out to change that. The company founded in 2019 has developed equipment for continuous ALD on a wide range of substrates, enabling a number of industries that previously wouldn’t dream of using ALD to apply the deposition technology. “We’re working with companies and research institutes from all over the world to see how they can take advantage of ALD’ed functional nanolayers,” says Peter Visser, business developer at SALD. SALD’s spatial ALD R&D tool. Credit: SALD/Oscar Vink
Three customers are already convinced and purchased an R&D tool from the Eindhoven-based company. Once these and future customers have perfected their film recipes, SALD is confident that it can swiftly follow up with matching production equipment. “Not only can we rely on the vast system integration and equipment manufacturing expertise of the Eindhoven Brainport area, SALD is a startup with experience,” says Visser. Three billion
To see how this can be true, we need to go back to 2010, when research institute TNO spun off Solaytec to commercialize ALD equipment for solar cell manufacturing. Or, to be more precise, to commercialize spatial ALD equipment for solar cell production. advertorial 
On 2 September, the Benelux RF Conference kicks off with an online afternoon session. Walk around virtually, meet our sponsors and attend the forward-looking talk by Bram Nauta on his “Transceiver Roadmap for 2035 and Beyond.” Registration is free of charge . ALD, in general, involves sequentially exposing a substrate to different gases, which react with the surface in a self-limiting fashion, thus ‘coating’ it literally atomic-layer-by-atomic-layer. In traditional (ie temporal) ALD, the substrate remains stationary while a reactor is sequentially filled and emptied with the appropriate gasses. In spatial ALD, on the other hand, the substrate is led through alternating zones of gases, building up a film as it moves. Solaytec’s spatial ALD equipment was designed to deposit a nanolayer of aluminum oxide on solar wafers, which resulted in additional efficiency compared to other deposition techniques. Several high-end solar cell manufacturers bought the company’s SALD tools, and these are still running today, but as the aluminum oxide layer became more and more mainstream in solar, so did much cheaper Chinese batch ALD tools. This forced Solaytec to investigate whether spatial ALD could expand its horizon. When the answer turned out to be a resounding yes, sister company SALD was founded. With a decade of experience under its belt, however, it obviously doesn’t have to start from scratch. “When three billion wafers have passed through your equipment, in a part of the world where maintenance isn’t necessarily high-priority, you learn a thing or two,” assures SALD CTO Erik Kremers. Puzzle
That doesn’t mean that Solaytec’s machines can be used for other applications. After all, they were designed for a very specific purpose: deposition of aluminum oxide on solar wafers. Processing differently sized, thicker or thinner or flexible substrates wouldn’t work, and the technology was never intended for deposition of any other material than aluminum oxide. And so, for the past two years, SALD has been developing a much more versatile version of spatial ALD. “This all boils down to the deposition head, which we turned into a modular and scalable concept,” explains Kremers. A deposition head leads a gaseous precursor through parallel channels onto the substrate moving underneath. Since the ALD process consists of two complementary half-reactions, two heads in sequence are required to complete the deposition of a single ALD layer in one pass. ‘Curtains’ of inert gas built into each head prevent the reactants from intermixing. SALD’s target markets
SALD is currently eyeing a wide range of markets. The main prospects all reside within the cleantech realm:
– Solar 2.0. Introducing ALD layers into next-gen thin-film CIGS or perovskite solar (tandem) cells can significantly increase their performance. – Batteries. In lithium-ion batteries, an ALD’ed nanolayer protecting electrodes from the electrolyte increases stability and prevents the formation of harmful dendrites. Manufacturing next-gen, fast-charging, high-capacity solid-state batteries will involve coating 3D nanostructures, for which spatial ALD is ideally suited. – Packaging. ALD can be used to deposit airtight barrier layers, which increase the shelf life of packaged goods and reduce the use of plastics or other packaging materials. Through research partnerships, SALD is also exploring the potential of ALD in fuel cells and devices capturing CO2 from ambient air. Kremers: “To deposit more layers, as many heads as needed are installed to reach the desired layer thickness. That type of configuration is only relevant for high-volume production, though. In our R&D tool, for which a small footprint is preferred, the substrate oscillates underneath three alternating heads in an A-B-A configuration. Crucially, we employ the same deposition heads in our R&D and production tools. So turning R&D into an industrial process will be smooth.” SALD is currently assembling its R&D tools in-house but plans to outsource production of industrial-volume tools to a system integrator in the Brainport region. Peter Visser (left) and Erik Kremers. Credit: Max Kneefel
The deposition head’s width, typically a few centimeters, is determined by the deposition characteristics of the particular gas flowing through it – SALD’s system can be used to deposit nanolayers of many different materials, even mixing materials and layers is an option. The head’s length, however, is flexible to accommodate a range of substrate widths, which vary for different applications. “We switched to 3D printing to manufacture our rather complex deposition heads. That way, we can easily change the head’s length to the customer’s specification. And it’s a very reproducible method to boot,” reveals Visser. “Solaytec’s heads are made from aluminum. We switched to stainless steel, which is inert and hence easier to clean by chemical means. Thanks to our new deposition head design, contamination issues are greatly reduced, but should the need arise to clean a head, it’s easy to remove and replace it with another for offline cleaning,” adds Kremers. The last piece of the puzzle to broaden the scope of spatial ALD is substrate handling. Visser: “Solaytec’s systems used gas cushions to transport the wafers. That method isn’t compatible with many substrates, like battery electrodes or plastic foils. So we engineer appropriate solutions to move our customers’ substrates past the deposition heads. Our R&D tool features an oscillating stage, while we expect high-volume applications to embrace roll-to-roll production. We plan to demonstrate that next year.”
SALD’s deposition head in an A-B-A configuration. Credit: SALD/Oscar Vink
Hunch
There’s more on the roadmap of the company currently employing 25. “Many ALD processes require elevated temperatures, if only to prevent reactants such as water to condense. That’s why we’re working on adding plasma-ALD to our offerings. Plasmas are more reactive, which is useful in its own right, but it can also be used to lower the process temperature,” says Kremers. In sampling for customers, SALD is learning new things every day. “We have two people sampling for customers day in, day out. We get orders for all sorts of combinations of substrates and nanolayers. This provides us with a wealth of experience, which we take advantage of to help our customers get the most out of our tool,” says Visser. To encourage application development even more, SALD is working with the Plasma Materials Processing Group at Eindhoven University of Technology and is participating in a national spatial ALD research program. The big question, then, is when customers take the plunge and start to incorporate SALD’s spatial ALD technology in their manufacturing processes. That’s difficult to predict, but Kremers has a hunch which market will be first. “Next-generation thin-film solar cells feature layers that realistically can only be deposited using ALD. Additionally, the solar market is already familiar with this technology. So my guess would be that solar will get the ball rolling, but obviously, I wouldn’t mind to be surprised when another green market proves to move even faster.”
This article was written in close collaboration with SALD. Related

SALD set to expand horizon of atomic layer deposition

11:53
By fostering collaboration between companies focusing on atomic layer deposition as well as infusing them with the latest research results, a new TUE-led project aims to take the already strong Dutch presence in this field to the next level. There’s a remarkable number of companies in the Netherlands that concentrate on atomic layer deposition (ALD). ASM International (ASMI) builds ALD equipment for the semiconductor industry. The tools of Levitech, Smit Thermal Solutions and Solaytec are supplied to the PV arena. Saldtech targets the flat panel display industry and SALD, a spinout from Solaytec, has set its sights on battery components and textiles, among other things. Additionally, two major institutes, Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE) and TNO, perform major ALD research activities. Even though most of these companies share a common heritage – except for Smit, they trace their origins back to either ASMI or TNO – they tend to go it alone. Most collaborate with the research institutes but otherwise only interact on a superficial level. When push comes to shove, there are always bigger priorities to deal with than exploring ways to benefit from each other. Not to mention the risks involved with sharing too much with your, sort of, competitor. Credit: SALD
This situation isn’t good for anyone, says Erwin Kessels, professor at TUE’s Plasma & Materials Processing group, which specializes in ALD. “Even though these companies focus on different markets, they all run into similar issues, especially if they’re trying to take the technology another step forward. I get asked the same questions over and over again, so to speak.” In other words, there’s a large common ground, yet no one is setting foot on it. Longer-term, the lack of collaboration means commercial opportunities may be lost, Kessels continues. “ALD has a lot of potential applications, many end-users are interested in it. But the technology isn’t quite there yet. Most Dutch ALD companies are startups or SMEs – they don’t have the means to pursue these opportunities by themselves. By working together and sharing knowledge, we stand a much better chance of beating the competition to money-making applications. We have an excellent starting position, it would be a shame if we fail to capitalize on it.”
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Do you miss meeting new people from your field of work, expanding your network and catching up with existing relations? At the next edition of High-Tech Systems , on 25 March, you have the opportunity to do so in our virtual event space. Attending this online event is free of charge, reserve your seat here . Kessels must have made a persuasive argument because he succeeded in uniting the above-mentioned companies, along with system supplier VDL ETG, Finnish thin-film test specialist Chipmetrics and US spectroscopic instrument manufacturer JA Woollam, in the “Spatial atomic layer deposition – more materials, more demanding applications” project. Co-funded by science funding agency NWO, Kessels’ group will take a deep dive into spatial ALD, a particular variety of ALD that most project partners focus on. The results will feed the companies with technology and, hopefully, foster more collaboration, thus giving the Dutch ‘spatial ALD hub’ a decisive boost. Presumptuous
ALD involves sequentially exposing a substrate to different gases, which react with the surface in a self-limiting fashion, thus ‘coating’ it literally atomic layer by atomic layer. The difference between traditional (ie temporal) ALD and spatial ALD is that in the latter, the substrate is led through the process gases, whereas in temporal ALD, it’s stationary while a reactor is sequentially filled and emptied. The continuous character should make spatial ALD the superior technique for high-volume industrial applications. As Levitech and Solaytec have found, however, temporal batch reactors can still put up a mean fight. Independently from one another, these two companies developed a spatial ALD tool to deposit an efficiency-boosting layer of aluminum oxide on solar wafers – a research field pioneered by Kessels, by the way. Both Levitech and Solaytec sold tools to pioneering PV manufacturers of high-end solar cells, but spatial ALD never became an industry standard. PV manufacturers currently prefer relatively inexpensive, large-scale batch reactors, which are less demanding in maintenance, have a smaller footprint and top the throughput of spatial ALD reactors. Levitech’s Levitrack spatial ALD system (long machine on the left) in a solar cell production line. Credit: Levitech
“This should be an important lesson for everyone,” says Frank Verhage, who was responsible for starting Solaytec’s sister company SALD to match the company’s expertise with other markets and applications than solar. “It’s presumptuous to think that a small company, all on its own, can successfully develop and market such a complex machine. Solaytec’s fate shows the importance of connecting to others on a deep level, both to customers and partners.”
Like Kessels, Verhage noticed that many of his ALD peers didn’t see it that way: they tended to play their cards close to their chests. “They looked inwardly and primarily thought in terms of competition, not collaboration. I’m confident, however, that our project will change perspectives and bring us closer together,” says Verhage. Untapped potential
Isn’t there another lesson to be learned here? Namely, that temporal ALD is a fierce competitor that isn’t easily bested by spatial ALD? “Depositing aluminum oxide on a solar wafer is just about the easiest ALD process you can think of. There are more demanding applications that are a much better match for spatial ALD,” says Bart Macco, project leader and researcher in Kessels’ group. Crucially, spatial ALD technology doesn’t involve a vacuum. Macco: “This means spatial ALD is uniquely suited to handle foils or other flexible substrates, especially in high-throughput roll-to-roll and sheet-to-sheet processes.” Additionally, in spatial ALD, exposure to elevated temperatures can be limited. “This can be a key advantage in the production of sensitive products, such as perovskite solar cells and OLEDs. We also strongly suspect spatial ALD has the edge when it comes to depositing mixed or doped materials, which will expand the range of characteristics we can impart on the deposited layer.”
“Diversification of substrates and material palette are two core elements of our project. This is because these are the elements that enable spatial ALD to unlock new applications for ALD but also because that’s where the uncharted scientific territory is,” says Kessels. “The invention of ALD goes back to the 1970s, but it wasn’t until about a decade ago that spatial ALD started gaining attention. This means that there’s still a lot unknown about it,” adds Macco. Kessels is happy to get a chance to uncover some more of spatial ALD’s secrets, while precompetitively supporting industrial activities at the same time. “It’s increasingly difficult to find public funding for this kind of technology research. Technologies like quantum computing may catch the imagination, but they’re further out in terms of commercial application. As a knowledge-based economy, we shouldn’t ignore our current industrial base and all the untapped potential that’s right there for the taking.”
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Forging the Dutch industrial ALD hub

11:43
Almost ousted from the solar market by Chinese tools, atomic layer deposition tool manufacturer Solaytec is optimistic it can tap new applications for its technology. It’s starting sister company SALD to do just that. Solar alone isn’t a viable market anymore for Solaytec. That’s the cold hard truth, explains Frank Verhage of the Eindhoven-based enterprise. Alarmed by slowing demand, then-parent company of Solaytec, Amtech, hired him in October 2018 to investigate whether the Dutch subsidiary could survive. Verhage’s answer: not without looking at new applications. Solaytec was spun off from research institute TNO a decade ago to commercialize in-house developed spatial atomic layer deposition (SALD) technology for the solar market. ALD, in general, involves sequentially exposing a substrate to different gases, which react with the surface in a self-limiting fashion, thus ‘coating’ it literally atomic layer by atomic layer. The difference between SALD and traditional ALD is that in SALD, the substrate moves past the gases, while in temporal ALD, it’s stationary while a reactor is repetitively filled and emptied. The continuous character should make SALD the superior technique for industrial applications. Unlike the OEM Solaytec, SALD will focus exclusively on the deposition head and leave the equipment engineering to partners. Credit: Solaytec
In solar, at least, it was for a while. Compared to other deposition techniques, an ALD’ed layer of aluminum oxide imparts additional efficiency to solar cells, which led several high-end manufacturers to buy Solaytec’s SALD tools (as well as those of Levitech, another Dutch company selling SALD equipment). Unfortunately, as the aluminum oxide layer became more and more mainstream in solar, so did much cheaper Chinese batch ALD tools. High throughput
“The solar market, particularly in China, is currently driven by reducing cost, not by improving performance,” comments Verhage. “This could change, but there’s no way to predict when that will happen. Similarly, perovskite solar cells present an excellent opportunity for us, yet there’s no way of knowing when they’ll emerge from development.”
Fortunately, other high-tech industries have expressed interest in SALD: battery manufacturers, the flat-panel display industry and the printed electronics sector, among others. There are ample low-tech applications as well, such as airtight sealing of packaging materials and treating textile fibers. “As a high-throughput, roll-to-roll compatible technique, SALD is very suited for these applications,” says Verhage. Solaytec has been working with multiple companies and research partners to explore alternative applications for a while now. Verhage can’t go into detail at this point, but he assures that Solaytec will be ready to offer new solutions in the near future. “We’ve made great progress over the past six months. We just need to wait until the patents are in order.”
Sister company
In light of the expanding application scope, the “Solaytec” brand name is no longer satisfactory. It’s too closely associated with the solar industry, notes Verhage. That’s why Solaytec is starting a sister company, called SALD, which focuses on applications other than solar. SALD is not to be confused with Saldtech, another SALD company spun off from TNO, which is focused on OLED displays. Unlike Solaytec, SALD’s equipment won’t feature its logo. “Solaytec is an OEM: we design the whole system, and though NTS built it for us, we market it ourselves. SALD is about innovation: our core technology is the deposition head and our core business is how to use it in different applications. We won’t be engineering and marketing the complete tools ourselves. Partners such as VDL-ETG will do that. More generally, in the spirit of the Brainport area, we’ll be actively seeking out collaboration to make the most of this great technology.”
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Solaytec looking to spread its wings with spinoff SALD

13:54
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment manufacturers Levitech and Solaytec – former competitors – have started joint development activities. The Dutch companies successfully applied for an MIT R&D cooperation subsidy, which they will use for expanding their spatial ALD spectrum and addressing new markets. Levitech and Solaytec were both founded a little over a decade ago, Levitech as a spinoff from ASM International and Solaytec as a spinoff from research institute TNO. Levitech was not amused about being confronted with a competitor that evolved from publicly funded research and filed formal complaints at both national and European authorities. Levitech’s Levitrack (the long machine on the left) in a solar cell production line. Credit: Levitech
Last year, however, Levitech CEO Jaap Beijersbergen told Bits&Chips the hatchet had been buried (link in Dutch). With both Levitech and Solaytec facing newly emerged Chinese competition, it didn’t make sense to continue the battle, he explained. “That article actually got us talking, as Solaytec up until then didn’t know our attitude towards them had changed,” Beijersbergen explains. Those talks resulted in the companies working together in R&D. “As Levitech and Solaytec will each focus on different applications, it makes perfect sense to join forces.”
The MIT project involves an investment of 400,000 euros, of which about half is public money. It has an exploratory nature and will run for a year. This article will be expanded once Bits&Chips has had the chance to talk to Solaytec. Related

Levitech and Solaytec kiss and make up

SoLayTec's InPassion ALD machine. Source: SoLayTec
July 1 (Renewables Now) - US capital equipment manufacturer Amtech Systems Inc (NASDAQ:ASYS) has sold its SoLayTec solar machinery business and is holding talks with parties interested in buying Dutch diffusion furnace systems maker Tempress. Amtech announced the sale of SoLayTec on Friday, without disclosing the name of the buyer. It said that it anticipates to report a gain on the sale this quarter and lower losses from discontinued operations as from the fourth fiscal quarter. SoLayTec is active in the development, supply and servicing of machines for atomic layer deposition (ALD) on solar cells. Its divestment is the first step in Amtech’s previously announced plan to offload its entire solar segment, including the Tempress business. Also on Friday, J S Whang, executive chairman and CEO of Amtech, commented that Dutch firm Oaklins SmallCap Adivsory BV is consulting the company when it comes to the planned sale of Tempress Holding BV. “Today, we are pleased to report that Oaklins is actively engaged in conversations with both private equity and strategic buyers,” Whang added. More stories to explore

Amtech sells SoLayTec solar business, negotiating Tempress deal

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SoLayTec is a spin-off from TNO and has developed a machine for the application of very thin layers (1 atom) on substrates. The machines are designed primarily for the production of silicon solar cells.

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