Plasma Equipment This page is meant to help you make a more educated purchase when buying plasma equipment. Many times, the purchaser does not fully understand what is really needed in a plasma system and must rely on the sales transaction to learn and make decisions. Not a comfortable situation for the purchaser and one that can potentially lead to expensive upgrades or modifications. While we cannot cover every topic, we do hope this list offers you the opportunity to ask more questions, make a more informed choice and a better purchase. We would hope that this information helps you whether you plan to purchase from us or not. What should I know about R.F. Power - High VS Low? Frequency and power level directly effect processing rates. Low frequency systems produce anisotropic plasma and have reduced processing rates and production throughput. High frequency systems produce isotropic plasma and have much higher processing rates or etch rates as they produce a much more reactive plasma. High R.F. Power requires an active matching network. Depending on application needs, the R.F. Power (watt densities) must supply constant power over the entire plasma sequence. The brand of the R.F. Generator should be a reputable manufacturer as to ensure reliability. Sometimes much higher R.F. Power levels are used to compensate and overcome restricted etch rates associated with low frequency R.F. Power but results in more heat introduced into the process. What should I know about Etch Rates? This can vary widely per plasma system manufacturer and is one of the primary features of a plasma machine. Many factors effect etch rate results such as R.F. Power, electrode design, uniformity, system design, temperature control, vacuum range, etc., What should I know about Vacuum Chamber designs? The design will depend greatly on the plasma equipment manufacturer. It has been shown that aluminum is the best and most widely used material for manufacturing vacuum chambers. What should I know about Electrodes? The substrate resides in the vacuum chamber on or in the electrode. The electrode attracts the plasma to the substrate and should do so in an even, uniform manner without damaging the substrate. Electrode design varies greatly according to the plasma equipment manufacturer and the purpose of the plasma system.. Some electrodes are vertical, some are horizontal much like a shelf. The number of electrodes contained in a vacuum chamber, the sizes, forms and functions can vary from one electrode style to another. The design can mean a world of difference in results and plasma effectivness. Plasma activity must be uniform across the electrode area. If there were uniformity issues and the substrate would be left unchecked during a plasma sequence, the substrate positioned at a high etch area of an electrode would etch more severely in one area and less in another. Possible complications can be required moving of the substrate on the electrode during processing, flipping and turning the substrate, constantly monitoring of the system and multiple plasma sequences. What should I know about Plasma Cleanliness? Plasma has the proper reputation for being extremely environmentally friendly, possibly the safest surface treatment process available to any industry. Safe for Human contact, safe for the substrate (with appropriate system controls in place) and safe for multiple applications on nearly all of today's materials. However, although plasma processing is highly effective and extremely clean, some plasma equipment can actually contaminate your product more than it was before the plasma process and may require additional sub-sequences to remove cycle contamination on your substrate, manual cleaning of the vacuum chamber, electrodes, vacuum pump, changing vacuum pump oil and possibly a total rebuild of the vacuum pump. Again, it all depends on the plasma systems ability to function properly. It was found on some plasma systems tha