Researchers from Pozzano in the United States are inspecting the ALD production facility. Pozzano official website
On May 7, Top Material (CEO Noh Hwanjin), a secondary battery materials company, announced that it has invested in Forge Nano, a battery and semiconductor technology company based in Denver, Colorado, United States.
This investment by Top Material is part of the newly raised $40 million in funding for Forge Nano. With this, Forge Nano's total cumulative investment has surpassed approximately $140 million (USD).
Forge Nano possesses Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology, which improves the lifespan and safety of secondary batteries by applying atomic-level surface coatings to cathode active materials or silicon anode active materials. This technology is also known to be applicable to semiconductor wafers and the pharmaceutical industry, among others.
Previously, Forge Nano secured large-scale investments from GM Ventures, the investment arm of General Motors (GM), as well as from Volkswagen and others. The company plans to build a battery cell plant with a capacity of 3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in North Carolina, backed by confirmed subsidies from the U.S. government.
Through this investment, Top Material plans to further upgrade the performance of its high-voltage mid-nickel and manganese-based cathode materials currently under development by applying Forge Nano's ALD technology.
After completing the development of lithium iron phosphate cathode materials, Top Material has been establishing a production line in Pyeongtaek Brain City. Recently, the company has been focusing its capabilities on developing high-voltage mid-nickel materials using the precursor-free process. High-voltage mid-nickel materials produced with the precursor-free process are considered next-generation cathode materials that are environmentally friendly, cost-competitive, and safe. In addition, since this method does not use precursors monopolized by China, it offers significant advantages in terms of subsidies and tariffs.
A Top Material representative stated, "We expect to secure long lifespan for mid-nickel cathode materials at high voltage by applying Forge Nano's ALD surface technology," and added, "With this investment, we anticipate participating in the construction of Forge Nano's gigafactory and soon expect to win large-scale system engineering orders."
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