Plasma Surface Treatment

In today’s rapidly advancing industrial era, cleanliness, precision, and surface control are no longer optional—they are essential. From microelectronics to medical devices, the ability to treat material surfaces with high accuracy and repeatability can significantly influence product quality, bonding reliability, and operational safety.

One of the most effective methods used to achieve these surface-level improvements is plasma surface treatment.

Plasma surface treatment is a dry, non-contact process that uses ionized gas called plasma, to modify the physical or chemical properties of a material’s surface. Depending on the type of gas and application mode, this treatment can clean, activate, etch, or modify surfaces at the microscopic level.

This technology is now widely used across research institutions and industrial manufacturing. Initially adopted in the semiconductor sector for applications such as photoresist stripping, wafer cleaning, and micro-polishing, its use has expanded into diverse industries that demand ultra-clean, chemically inert, and fine-tuned surface processing.

Plasma cleaners and plasma reactors utilize ionized gas (plasma) generated under controlled conditions to interact with the surface of materials. Depending on the configuration, this interaction can remove unwanted films, modify surface energy, activate bonding sites, or etch microscopic patterns, all without physical contact or aggressive chemicals. This makes plasma systems an environmentally friendly and highly precise alternative to traditional wet cleaning or mechanical surface treatment.

Broad Applications Across Industries

The beauty of plasma technology lies in its multifunctional utility across a wide range of industries:

• Semiconductors: Improves photoresist adhesion, enables effective stripping, and removes residues from wafers—critical steps in microcircuit manufacturing.
• Optics: Enhances lens adhesion, improves coating uniformity, and increases hydrophilicity of contact lenses.
• Medical and Biological Devices: Strengthens microfluidic channels, improves catheter and needle bonding, and enhances the durability of disposable devices.
• Flat Panel Displays (FPD): Assists in polarizer plate adhesion and improves screen durability.
• IC and LED Assembly: Prepares surfaces for chip stacking, solder bonding, and adhesive removal in packaging processes.
• New Materials Development: Boosts polymer coating adhesion, facilitates powder bonding, and modifies composite surfaces.
• Mechatronics: Supports better adhesion between screen components and structural parts.

With its low-temperature options, plasma also proves useful for device pre-processing in asbestos analysis and other sensitive environments.

How It Works: Cleaning, Etching, and Surface Activation

Plasma treatment can operate in several different modes depending on the target material and goal:

• Plasma Cleaning: Removes organic contaminants, grease, or residual glue from surfaces. Common in IC packaging (e.g., BGA and CSP), this is a preparatory step before die attach, wire bonding, or molding.
• Etching: Uses reactive ions (such as CF₄ or O₂) to chemically remove specific layers—commonly used for film patterning and oxide layer thinning.
• Ashing: A gentler process that removes photoresist layers using oxygen plasma without damaging underlying structures.
• Surface Modification: Alters surface properties (like wettability or energy) of materials such as polypropylene, ceramics, or Teflon to enhance coating or bonding compatibility.
• Metal Oxide Removal: Eliminates compounds such as Cu₂O or Al₂O₃ to expose clean metal surfaces for electrical contact or bonding.

These processes are typically categorized into chemical etching (isotropic, removes material in all directions) and physical etching (anisotropic, directional sputtering using ion bombardment). Selection depends on whether uniform bulk removal or high-precision pattern transfer is desired.

Reactor Configurations

Plasma systems can be engineered in different configurations to suit application needs:

1. Cylindrical Type (DP Mode – PR/PM Series): Ideal for photoresist stripping, organic film removal, and micro-polishing. This design ensures even plasma distribution, making it suitable for batch processing and uniform treatment of circular wafers.
2. Parallel Plate Type (RIE DP Mode – PDC/V Series): Designed for etching and activating surfaces with greater directionality. Suitable for cleaning intricate sensor components, stabilizing wire bonds, and removing bonding barriers from electrodes.

The internal architecture, be it barrel or parallel plate includes critical components such as RF power supplies, upper/lower electrodes, exhaust systems, and gas inlets. Control panels offer precise adjustment of gas flow, electrode distance, and ion energy to maintain consistent treatment quality across various materials and production conditions.

The Yamato Advantage

With decades of experience and innovation, YAMATO Scientific provides plasma treatment equipment that meets the stringent needs of today’s industries. From research labs to high-volume production lines, Yamato’s DP Mode and RIE/Parallel Plate systems have been trusted for their reliability, precision, and adaptability.

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As the official distributor of Yamato Scientific products in Indonesia, PT Universal Labora Analitika is committed to supporting your plasma technology needs. Whether you’re looking for a plasma cleaner, a plasma reactor, or require consultation on surface treatment applications, our team is ready to assist from start to finish; including product selection, purchasing, installation, and after-sales service.

We serve various sectors including semiconductor, biomedical, optical, and electronics manufacturing, ensuring you get the right plasma solution tailored to your specific process requirements.