An atomic layer deposition (ALD) method in an ALD reactor including a reaction chamber housing a substrate vessel, and an isolated vibration source outside of the reaction chamber or isolated within the reaction chamber. Particulate material within the substrate vessel is coated by self-saturating surface reactions using a top-to-bottom precursor flow passing through the substrate vessel, and movements are caused in the particulate material within the substrate vessel by the isolated vibration source while coating the particulate material.

An atomic layer deposition (ALD) method in an ALD reactor including a reaction chamber housing a substrate vessel, and an isolated vibration source outside of the reaction chamber or isolated within the reaction chamber. Particulate material within the substrate vessel is coated by self-saturating surface reactions using a top-to-bottom precursor flow passing through the substrate vessel, and movements are caused in the particulate material within the substrate vessel by the isolated vibration source while coating the particulate material.

A method of coating metallic powder particles includes disposing an amount of metallic powder particles in a fluidizing reactor and removing moisture adhered to the powder particles within the reactor with a working gas at an elevated temperature for a predetermined time. The method further includes coating the powder particles in the reactor with silicon present within the precursor gas at an elevated temperature for a predetermined time and purging the precursor gas from the reactor using the working gas.

A reactor for coating particles includes a vacuum chamber configured to hold particles to be coated, a vacuum port to exhaust gas from the vacuum chamber via the outlet of the vacuum chamber, a chemical delivery system configured to flow a process gas into the particles via a gas inlet on the vacuum chamber, one or more vibrational actuators located on a first mounting surface of the vacuum chamber, and a controller configured to cause the one or more vibrational actuators to generate a vibrational motion in the vacuum chamber sufficient to induce a vibrational motion in the particles held within the vacuum chamber.

A reactor for forming fully coated particles having a solid core, the reactor comprises a reactor vessel which is configured to receive particles, and a gas phase coating mechanism that is configured to selectively introduce pulses of gas phase materials that form a coating on the particles. The reactor also includes a sieve (16) that is located within the reactor vessel, and a forcing means that is configured to force the particles through the sieve (16) in use. The sieve is configured to deagglomerate any particle aggregates formed in the reactor vessel upon forcing of the particles by the forcing means through the sieve.

A method and system for coating metallic powder particles is provided. The method includes: disposing an amount of metallic powder particulates within a fluidizing reactor; removing moisture adhered to the powder particles disposed within the reactor using a working gas; coating the powder particles disposed within the reactor using a precursor gas; and purging the precursor gas from the reactor using the working gas.

A method and system for coating metallic powder particles is provided. The method includes: disposing an amount of metallic powder particulates within a fluidizing reactor; removing moisture adhered to the powder particles disposed within the reactor using a working gas; coating the powder particles disposed within the reactor using a precursor gas; and purging the precursor gas from the reactor using the working gas.

A reactor for coating particles includes a stationary vacuum chamber to hold a bed of particles to be coated, a chemical delivery system, and a paddle assembly. The paddle assembly includes a rotatable drive shaft and a first plurality of paddles and a second plurality of paddles that extend radially from the drive shaft. The spacing, cross-sections, and oblique angles of the paddles are such that orbiting of the paddles causes the first plurality of paddles and the second plurality of paddles to displace substantially equal volumes in opposite directions in the lower portion of the stationary vacuum chamber.

A thick-film copper paste is made. A displacement reaction with low cost is used to precipitate nano-silver (Ag) to be grown on copper particles. Thus, the thick-film copper paste is made of the copper powder coated with nano-Ag. The paste can be sintered in the air and is increased in overall electrical conductivity. The copper inside is not oxidized. Its resistance on electromigration is good. Furthermore, the paste can be added with frit as a sintering aid to assist sintering the nano-Ag-coated copper paste. Furthermore, even in a high-temperature heat treatment, the powder of nano-Ag-coated copper is still antioxidant and can replace the silver paste used in the current market.

A thick-film copper paste is made. A displacement reaction with low cost is used to precipitate nano-silver (Ag) to be grown on copper particles. Thus, the thick-film copper paste is made of the copper powder coated with nano-Ag. The paste can be sintered in the air and is increased in overall electrical conductivity. The copper inside is not oxidized. Its resistance on electromigration is good. Furthermore, the paste can be added with frit as a sintering aid to assist sintering the nano-Ag-coated copper paste. Furthermore, even in a high-temperature heat treatment, the powder of nano-Ag-coated copper is still antioxidant and can replace the silver paste used in the current market.