R2R ALD — Roll-to-Roll Atomic Layer Deposition
A high-throughput thin-film deposition technology for flexible substrates including polymers, metal foils and non-woven fabrics. Deposits Al₂O₃, TiO₂ and other oxides at film thicknesses of 0.2–10 nm, at line speeds up to 2.4 m/min.
What Atomic Layer Deposition Does
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) grows a film on a surface one atomic layer at a time. Because the film is built up layer by layer, thickness is controlled to the nanometre — roughly one hundred-thousandth of the diameter of a human hair.
"R2R" stands for roll-to-roll: the substrate is fed continuously through the machine like a paper roll, coated, and wound up again. Conventional ALD processes one piece at a time, which is slow and expensive; R2R makes continuous production possible, and that is the dividing line for commercial viability.
Applied to batteries, this nanometre film coats the electrode material and suppresses side reactions between electrode and electrolyte — one of the root causes of capacity fade, heat generation and, ultimately, thermal runaway.
Equipment Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Continuous Web Length | 400 m |
| Max. Line Speed | 2.4 m / min |
| Film Thickness | 0.2 – 10 nm |
| Substrates | Polymers (PET, PE, PP), metal foils, carbon paper, non-woven fabrics |
| Deposited Oxides | Al₂O₃, TiO₂, ZnO, NiO (adjustable precursors and reaction conditions) |
R2R ALD Modification Technology
Uniform Distribution
This ALD technology is applicable to cathode and anode sheet surface modification: multiple oxide types can be deposited; thickness is precisely controlled by ALD cycle count; and the self-limiting mechanism suits high-aspect-ratio electrodes with complex porosity.
Battery Performance Gains
Longer cycle life with reduced capacity fade; higher capacity retention under fast charging; improved stability at elevated operating temperatures.
Feasible Applications
- High-safety separators
- High-safety / long-cycle-life NMC cathode materials
- Antibacterial fabrics and protective medical materials
- Optical films
Built Up One Layer at a Time
The substrate travels continuously through a shower array, meeting precursor and purge gases in sequence. Each cycle grows one atomic layer, so thickness is set simply by the number of passes. The diagram shows alternating TTIP and H₂O pulses growing a TiO₂ coating on a Li-rich cathode sheet, with N₂ purges in between to keep the two precursors from reacting in the gas phase.
You Can See Whether the Coating Is Even
An EDS elemental map of the electrode material — an electron beam excites the sample and each element's characteristic signal is plotted where it sits. The titanium (Ti) signal is spread evenly across the whole particle surface rather than clustering in patches, showing the ALD coating covers completely. That uniformity is exactly what the self-limiting mechanism delivers.
Interested in R2R ALD?
We welcome enquiries for contract surface-modification work as well as technology collaboration.
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