News

Dutch company SALD BV, renowned for its expertise in atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment, has unveiled an innovative sheet-to-sheet spatial ALD system specifically designed for the pilot production of large-area perovskite solar devices on glass substrates. This new system marks a significant step forward in scalability, capable of handling glass sheets up to 1.2 meters by 0.6 meters in size, and achieving processing speeds of up to 1 meter per second. These specifications align closely with customer pilot line requirements, making it a practical tool for bridging the gap between lab-scale experiments and commercial manufacturing.

Designed for Commercial Manufacturing and Larger Substrate Sizes

Unlike SALD’s earlier 2022 system, which focused on wafer-sized formats within glovebox environments, this new tool is built for open-environment operation typical of commercial production settings. It boasts a larger capacity and is optimized to operate under conditions that closely resemble real-world manufacturing environments. This approach allows for smoother integration into pilot lines and facilitates scaling up processes without compromising quality or throughput.

Versatile Functional Layer Deposition for Various Solar Cell Technologies

The tool’s versatility shines through in its ability to deposit multiple functional thin film layers essential to different types of solar cells. Within single-junction perovskite devices, it can deposit tin oxide (SnOₓ) and nickel oxide (NiO) buffer layers, aluminum oxide (AlOx) for interlayers or encapsulation, and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) at recombination junctions in tandem solar cells. These layers are critical to the performance and stability of perovskite-based devices, particularly benefiting from the low-temperature SALD process that protects temperature-sensitive perovskite absorbers from damage.

Beyond perovskite technologies, the system is also suitable for crystalline silicon solar cells, where it can deposit aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) and hafnium oxide (HfO₂) layers. Notably, aluminum oxide is also applicable for flexible solar photovoltaic manufacturing, expanding the tool’s relevance across a broad spectrum of emerging solar technologies.

Cost Efficiency Through Higher Throughput and Simplified Operation

SALD claims that their spatial ALD platform offers a reduced total cost of ownership compared to traditional vacuum vapor deposition methods. The primary cost savings stem from higher throughput combined with the elimination of complex vacuum infrastructure, which reduces operational complexity and maintenance expenses. As a company spokesperson explained to PV Magazine, this enhanced throughput without vacuum requirements makes the tool more economical and easier to operate than conventional vacuum deposition equipment.

Bridging Lab Scale to Pilot Production with Process Uniformity and Reproducibility

The development of this platform was motivated by the common bottlenecks faced when scaling up from laboratory research to pilot-scale manufacturing. SALD’s system is designed to enable process development under conditions that closely mimic commercial manufacturing, ensuring uniform thin film deposition, high throughput, and reproducible results. This capability is crucial for manufacturers aiming to accelerate the commercialization of perovskite and advanced silicon solar technologies.

SALD BV: Innovating ALD Systems for Industrial Applications

Founded in 2019, SALD BV has quickly established itself as a leading developer of atomic layer deposition systems. Their product portfolio includes both research-sized and high-volume industrial systems that prioritize throughput, precision, and process reproducibility. With this new spatial ALD tool, SALD continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in thin film deposition for next-generation solar photovoltaics and other industrial applications.