26.05.2020
Plasma in electronics industry
In order to optimally prepare the surfaces of various materials for adhesion processes, plasma is increasingly being used in electronics industry.
In times of climate change and scarcity of resources, everyone is talking about electromobility, or e-mobility. The automotive industry in particular is currently facing major changes with a new environmental awareness and its effects. The effects can be felt throughout the entire process chain, with new materials now being used in many areas that have new properties and characteristics. In addition, established processes such as the use of wet chemical primers or solvents are to be replaced by environmentally friendly and health-friendly processes.
Atmospheric-pressure plasma is already an established part of manufacturing processes in the automotive industry. Plasma pre-treatment can contribute to quality and process improvement in almost every joining process, such as bonding, potting, painting, etc. This trend is continuing in the field of e-mobility. Both in car body construction, where lightweight construction plays an important role for increased efficiency, and in the area of drive and battery technology. Polymer-based materials, such as fiber-reinforced plastics or thermoplastics, are lightweight and flexible, but often cannot be bonded without pre-treatment. Atmospheric pressure plasma is an inline-capable possibility to prepare the joining points selectively and at high cycle times for ideal bonding. The process is based on the removal of thin organic impurities, such as release solvents, and the functionalization of the surface by using reactive plasma gas.
Cycle times and quality can also be improved by plasma in electronics production. For example, electrical connections can be optimized by means of plasma fine cleaning, whether in wire bonding or in overmolding of cables. Processes such as the casting of circuit boards or the bonding of housings are also already optimized by plasma today. In the field of battery production, for example, electrodes made of graphite felts in redox flow batteries can be optimally prepared for the absorption of electrolytes by plasma treatment.
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