After meeting with one of its directors, nanotech expert Gregg Early sees CVD Equipment (NASDAQ: CVV) as a buy. Here's a look at the nano and solar play in The Real Nanotech Investor.

"I recently spoke with one of the directors of CVD Equipment Corp about the company’s future as well as its past. What I came away with was how the company is leveraging toward the future.

"CVD is an acronym for chemical vapor deposition. That’s a generic term for a number of processes that are used to apply layers of specific materials to substrates to form combinations that can be used for computer chips, solar panels or myriad other uses. (For more, click here.)

"CVD has been working with a score of universities and Fortune 500 companies for the past 25 years building equipment to clients’ specifications for R&D and custom work. A few years ago, the company purchased a moribund nanotech company called First Nano and began transitioning its expertise into this new field.

"What was most interesting from an investor's standpoint is that the company is looking to leverage its established reputation in this important field by partnering with its existing client base and garnering new clients and partners.

"We’re in the stage with nanotech in which the pick and shovel makers are much more interesting than those companies panning for gold.

"CVD is holding itself out as a resource to small companies that need materials for their work but don’t have the capital to spend on the equipment, scientists and engineers to develop their product.

"They can partner with CVD, which has the equipment and talent, to build the materials they need and put their seed money to work commercializing their ideas.

"The company will still be more than willing to sell its equipment to prospective buyers, but the value added is the wealth of expertise that CVD can lend to customers that need proof of concept and materials to test before any real production can begin.

"What’s more intriguing is that solar is emerging as CVD’s biggest revenue source. The First Nano division is also seeing increased revenue, but company officials are very excited about the solar business that’s starting to grow.

"Difficulty in financing in the past year has hurt the stock, but much of the problem was the fact that most creditors were pulling out of financing arrangements because of the credit crisis that has descended upon consumers and businesses across the board.

"But, considering that CVD’s customer base is bolstered by long-term relationships with universities and big companies, this shouldn’t damage its opportunities moving forward. Use these dark times to make CVD Equipment Corp an aggressive investment under 5."