We supply a wide range of configurable Plasma Etch Systems for both chemical etching and physical etching applications, such as photoresist removal and improving the wettability of fluoropolymers such as PTFE.

Chemical plasma etching is used to ‘roughen’ a surface on the microscopic scale. The surface of the component is etched with a reactive process gas. Material is precisely sputtered off, converted to the gas phase and sucked away via the vacuum system. The surface area is greatly increased, making the material easily wettable. Etching is used before printing, gluing and painting and is particularly useful for processing of e.g. POM and PTFE, which cannot otherwise be printed on or bonded.

Physical etching or reactive ion etching, delivers a highly directional flux of energetic, reactive ions to the material surface. In doing so, a precisely controlled patterning of the substrate occurs as un-masked sample is etched away by the reactive ions. Each of our plasma systems can optionally be fitted with a reactive ion etch electrode making them a perfect, low-cost laboratory development tool in applications such as semiconductor or organic electronics research.

Plasma etch systems:

• Lab/process scale chamber volumes starting from 100mm diameter
• Operation with reactive gases
• Easy to use TFT software control
• Continuously variable power output
• Driven electrode configuration
• Gas shower and temperature control options