Forge Nano, a U.S.-based semiconductor equipment and advanced materials company, has broken ground on a major expansion of its lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Morrisville, North Carolina. The project will expand the existing 100,000-square-foot operation into a manufacturing campus approaching 315,000 square feet, with approximately 3 GWh of annual battery cell production capacity at full scale. Forge Nano expects the expansion to create more than 250 jobs across advanced manufacturing, engineering, operations and technical roles while increasing U.S.-based cell production for defense, aerospace, industrial and other critical markets.

Manufacturing equipment is scheduled for delivery over the next two years, with production expected to begin in 2028. At full production, Forge Nano estimates that 3 GWh of capacity represents approximately 150 million battery cells annually, depending on customer demand and product mix. The Morrisville expansion is intended to address growing demand for domestically manufactured lithium-ion cells in applications where supply-chain security and access to U.S.-based manufacturing capacity have become increasingly important.

Forge Nano Morrisville, North Carolina lithium-ion battery gigafactory groundbreaking | EV + Battery Tech Monthly

Forge Nano leadership, government officials and strategic partners mark the groundbreaking of the company’s Morrisville, North Carolina lithium-ion battery manufacturing expansion, which is expected to provide approximately 3 GWh of annual production capacity.

“Today’s groundbreaking marks an important step toward building a battery supply chain in America,” said Paul Lichty, CEO of Forge Nano. “We’re combining Forge Nano’s technology with world-class manufacturing expertise, federal support and North Carolina’s growing advanced manufacturing ecosystem to bring critical battery production to the United States. America’s Battery Gigafactory will give defense, aerospace and commercial customers access to advanced battery cells manufactured here at home, at the scale needed to compete globally.”

The project is supported by up to $100 million in non-dilutive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and places Forge Nano within North Carolina’s Research Triangle, with access to the region’s engineering, technical and advanced manufacturing workforce. Samsung SDI is also supporting the expansion through a strategic manufacturing and commercial partnership, providing operational and production expertise as Forge Nano establishes high-throughput cell manufacturing at the site. Once operational, the facility is expected to manufacture Samsung SDI battery cells alongside Forge Nano’s existing cell products.

Samsung SDI has entered into a conditional procurement agreement to purchase cells manufactured at the Morrisville facility beginning in 2028. Forge Nano also serves as a contract manufacturer and authorized U.S. distributor of Samsung SDI battery cells, while the companies continue work to incorporate Forge Nano’s Atomic Armor technology into future Samsung SDI battery products. Samsung SDI expanded the relationship in July 2026 through a $20 million strategic investment in Forge Nano, consisting of $10 million in Series D financing and $10 million in PIPE financing associated with Forge Nano’s planned public listing.

Forge Nano’s Atomic Armor platform uses Atomic Layer Deposition technology to apply nanoscale surface coatings to materials and components. The company manufactures ALD coating equipment and lithium-ion batteries in the United States, with the Morrisville expansion forming part of its broader effort to increase domestic manufacturing capacity across battery, advanced materials and semiconductor applications.

About Forge Nano

Forge Nano is a U.S.-based semiconductor equipment and advanced materials company specializing in Atomic Layer Deposition technologies for battery, semiconductor and other advanced manufacturing applications. Its proprietary Atomic Armor platform applies nanoscale surface coatings to materials and components, while the company manufactures both ALD nanocoating equipment and lithium-ion batteries in the United States. Forge Nano maintains its corporate headquarters in Colorado and battery manufacturing operations in Morrisville, North Carolina, where it is expanding domestic lithium-ion cell production to approximately 3 GWh annually. For more information, please click here.

Source/Photo Credit: Forge Nano

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Molly Bakewell Chamberlin
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