Forging the Dutch industrial ALD hub

There’s a remarkable number of companies in the Netherlands that concentrate on atomic layer deposition (ALD). ASM International (ASMI) builds ALD equipment for the semiconductor industry. The tools of Levitech, Smit Thermal Solutions and Solaytec are supplied to the PV arena. Saldtech targets the flat panel display industry and SALD, a spinout from Solaytec, has set its sights on battery components and textiles, among other things. Additionally, two major institutes, Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE) and TNO, perform major ALD research activities.

Even though most of these companies share a common heritage – except for Smit, they trace their origins back to either ASMI or TNO – they tend to go it alone. Most collaborate with the research institutes but otherwise only interact on a superficial level. When push comes to shove, there are always bigger priorities to deal with than exploring ways to benefit from each other. Not to mention the risks involved with sharing too much with your, sort of, competitor.