Plasma treatment generally increases the surface energy of materials through essentially two mechanisms.

First, surface contamination is readily removed. Then, the plasma reacts with the surface by grafting polar functions, making the surface more hydrophilic.

The “magic” effect of the plasma can be seen in the behavior of a water droplet on a surface.

Before plasma treatment has occurred on any material, water applied to the surface forms droplets that resemble half spheres. The contact angle, close to 90° is specific to hydrophobic surfaces (low surface energy).

On the same material after a short plasma exposure, water droplets are flat. The contact angle can be as low as 7°. The surface has acquired a high surface energy.

As a result, any glue, paint or ink using water based solvents spreads easily. After solvent evaporation, the compound adheres definitively to the surface. Because water based compounds are now preferable for environmental reasons, the plasma treatment process is broadly applicable.

Acxys Technologies R&D lab performs daily surface energy and contact angle measurements.

AcXys technologies Plasma Sources quickly and efficiently remove micro-contamination from miscellaneous substrates.

Thin organic layers build up easily on material surfaces because of airborne pollutants. They adhere quite strongly to surfaces, and if they are not removed, bonding processes are compromised.

For example, ultra-thin oily films, which can prevent effective adhesion, are removed in seconds with oxygen plasma. Treated parts are immediately available for the next processing step.

AcXys plasmas offer a green alternative to both wet processing and use of harsh solvents.

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) is a recent process in atmospheric plasma technology. The process consists of mixing chemical species brought by an organic precursor with plasma reagents resulting in the deposition of a thin film on a substrate.

There are numerous potential applications for this technology, which aims to deposit functional layers on plastics and fabrics. For example, silicon oxide layers on plastics provide anti-scratch properties. Research focuses on super-hydrophilic or super-hydrophobic processes.

AcXys Technologies brings its expertise and lab resources for companies and research labs willing to partner in their R&D efforts.

Plasma Etching is a very well known process in the semiconductor industry. For example, silicon oxide films are quickly etched in fluorinated plasma. This process is done at very low pressure to satisfy semiconductor specifications.

However, the same principle also applies at atmospheric pressure. Obviously, no pumps are required.

Atmospheric plasma etching is often a possible alternative to wet processes that use harsh acids and rinsing baths.

AcXys Technologies designs and manufactures etching tools to your specifications.