A Broomfield company that emerged from University of Colorado Boulder research labs is reporting a “banner year” marked by new patents, an expanded customer base and doubled manufacturing space.
ALD Nanosolutions was cofounded in 2001 by Professor Al Weimer of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Professor Steve George of Chemistry and Biochemistry, along with CU alumni Mike Masterson and Karen Buechler.
The company uses a process called atomic layer deposition (ALD) to apply near-perfect, ultrathin films to particles, improving the performance, safety and other characteristics of products including LED lighting, batteries, sensors, medical devices and catalysts. The process is considered more precise than other methods and more cost-effective, as less of the precursor gases is wasted.
In 2016, the company continued pioneering new applications for ALD, obtaining several new patents, including some licensed from the University of Colorado Boulder. This brings ALD Nano’s total patent holdings to 28 issued and 14 pending.
This year, the company achieved its first commercial application of particle ALD for cathode active materials used to produce lithium-ion batteries. The ALD-enabled materials will dramatically improve performance, extend the life cycle and enhance the safety of batteries used in consumer electronics, electric vehicles and grid storage.
It also began commercial production of particle ALD phosphors for a Fortune Global 500 customer, helping LED lights to stay brighter longer using a fraction of the coating material required by other deposition methods.
The company also doubled its manufacturing space and added new reactors and staff members to increase its production capacity in the last year. ALD Nanosolutions employs several CU graduates, said Weimer, who is still active with the company.
Weimer said he expects the majority of LEDs and cathode battery materials will be coated using particle ALD within the next several years. He praised the company for the sacrifice and patience that allowed it to make steady, incremental growth while some competitors failed.
“It’s really, really difficult to bootstrap like they did, and it’s a company that started out with nothing other than some intellectual property and over time, despite all these economic downturns, built this up to a company that I think has a really outstanding future,” Weimer said.
Masterson, CEO of ALD Nanosolutions, said the year’s growth validates the founders’ early vision and will guide its future strategy.
“We'll enter 2017 firmly positioned with differentiated technology and expertise to help such companies achieve their technology and cost-of-production goals,” he said. “Our growth is a tribute to the steady efforts of our team and the extraordinary innovation contributed by each individual."