Kalpana Systems, a Dutch tools producer, has launched spatial atomic layer deposition (sALD) gadgets to be used in roll-to-roll manufacturing processes within the photo voltaic PV, natural mild emitting diode, battery and packaging industries. . The preliminary utility is anticipated to be barrier layer deposition.
Kalpana Systems, a Dutch skinny movie tools firm, has launched spatial atomic layer deposition (sALD) tools to be used in roll-to-roll manufacturing processes for the manufacturing of photo voltaic PV, natural mild emitting diodes, batteries and packaging. .
The startup firm not too long ago raised €3.5 million ($3.82 million) in funding from company and institutional buyers, together with a authorities grant.
“Since the corporate was based in 2021 we’re engaged on the event of the primary machine, which has been working since December 2023. The newly collected funds shall be used to additional develop the machine from the prototype to a industrial product and manufacturing scale,” Diederick Spee, chief government officer of Kalpana Systems, mentioned pv journal. “We are working with many purchasers within the photo voltaic cell, packaging and battery markets to check the efficiency of sALD layers of their merchandise.”
“There is plenty of curiosity from perovskite and natural photo voltaic cell producers who’re dealing with the challenges of energy and sturdiness and searching for efficient encapsulation strategies,” Spee mentioned. “Our preliminary focus is on the usage of barrier layers, that are related to all market segments.”
Kalpana Systems tools is designed to assist the excessive throughput required for industrial processes with internet speeds as much as 10 m/min. It permits the deposition of a number of layers of various supplies in a single deposition course of, and its atmospheric strain options allow inline integration, and combos with different deposition strategies. .
Kalpana Systems developed two fashions referred to as K300 and K600, respectively. Both assist course of temperatures of 80 C to 150 C. “The first industrial system, the K300, is prone to be deployed within the photo voltaic or versatile electronics trade, the place manufacturing pace necessities are extra in step with specs on this machine.” It helps internet widths of 100-600 mm and offers a most ALD course of pace of lower than 200 cycles/m2/min.
For battery and packaging purposes, the K600 “is ready to function at larger line speeds and might coat extra advanced layers” which can be widespread within the battery or packaging trade, in line with Spee. It helps internet widths of 600-1500 mm and the very best ALD course of pace of 200-800 cycles/m2/min.
Both fashions are capable of deal with quite a lot of substrates, together with versatile materials. Spee emphasizes that the tools shouldn’t be trade particular, reasonably it may be deployed in “any sort of roll-to-roll manufacturing course of” as a result of the working temperature, line pace, internet dimensions, and associated parameters are programmable.
A lead time of 9 to 12 months for tools orders has been noticed, together with set up and website acceptance checks at buyer websites. Spee added that though the system is “simple to function” and works like different forms of roll-to-roll processing tools, Kalpana will present completely different ranges of assist throughout buyer onboarding. relying on their wants and necessities.
“The uniqueness of Kalpana’s roll-to-roll expertise lies in its excessive quantity, throughput, and quick manufacturing time,” mentioned Frederic Petit, associate at Emerald Technology Ventures, the advisor to SIG InnoVentures, one of many buyers. of the corporate in a press release. . “This differentiates them from different suppliers available in the market and permits for broad market adoption together with packaging purposes.”
Investors within the firm embrace Dutch progress stage investor Fairtree Elevant Ventures, Switzerland-based SIG InnoVentures, the company enterprise arm of SIG, a serious producer of meals and beverage cartons and packaging, and the Energy Transition Fund Rotterdam.
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