Ideal for manufacturing highly-sensitive electronics: atmospheric and low-pressure plasma

In the electronics industry, Plasma pretreatment is a key asset for achieving cost-effectiveness and process reliability. For transparent, scratch-proof coating of displays, it significantly reduces the reject rate and ensures a flawless appearance. When printing electrically conductive coatings on printed circuit boards, prior plasma activation, microfine cleaning and electrostatic discharge ensure that the coating will adhere securely. In chip packaging, Openair-Plasma® microfine cleaning eliminates the need for a vacuum chamber.

Variety of Applications

Printed circuit boards – plasma treatment with zero volts

Any pretreatment method that even comes close to conducting electrical potential creates shorts resulting in the destruction of layout and components...

Cell phones and laptops – plasma pretreatment for VOC-free finishes

Environmentally friendly manufacturing technologies and avoiding the use of VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) in cell phone or laptop production...

Displays gently treated and coated for sensitive components

The Openair-Plasma® process is a surface treatment with the unique feature that it is completely potential free. Plasma coatings also protected vulnerable displays...

Wafers/chips – optimized production of semiconductor

A vacuum is no longer required for plasma treatment – e.g. when cleaning wafers or during chip bonding – so process flows can be greatly simplified...

Atmospheric and low-pressure plasma for durable LED lamps

LED technology has developed at a very rapid pace for general-purpose lighting applications. Compared to traditional lighting technologies, LEDs have some outstanding advantages

Conformal Coating - Plasma treatment extends process window

Pretreatment with Openair-Plasma® facilitates the complex process of conformal coating by extending the process window and increasing the quality of the coating.

Plasma treatment for hybrid components such as plugs and connectors

From high-voltage lines to surface mount components (SMDs), plastic-to-metal bonds are commonly used to fix electrical contacts and protect them against external environmental (weather) conditions.

Plasma technology for manufacturing flexible components

Flexible electronics is one of the most popular and rapidly emerging technologies. Worldwide, designers and engineers are developing smart, wearable electronic systems with useful, often complex functions.

Dr. Tobias Eckert

Head of Potentiometer Technology Centre, Novotechnik Messwertaufnehmer OHG

The introduction of Openair-Plasma® was a milestone in the development of our sensor production.

- Dr. Tobias Eckert, Head of Potentiometer Technology Centre, Novotechnik Messwertaufnehmer OHG

Benefits of Openair-Plasma® technology

  • Selective: switch on and off on the fly
  • Super-fine cleaning (component cleaning) without damaging sensitive structures
  • Targeted functionalization of surfaces for selective additional processing
  • Environmentally friendly: no wet chemicals required
  • Cost-effective: operates with oil-free compressed air
  • In-line capability: no effect on process time because the plasma process takes less time than the conformal coating process

Openair-Plasma® process

Openair-Plasma® is used to modify surface characteristics so as to enhance the adhesion of materials (such as coatings) to the substrate (PCB). It removes all organic and silicone-based impurities. Oxygen in the form of hydroxyl and ketone groups are incorporated into non-polar surfaces to activate the surface. The result is high surface energy (over 72mN/m) and in most cases, complete wettability.

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