PC Batch Processes

A gas plasma is considered to be an ionized form of gases - like those found in nature, e.g. in the Northern Lights or in lightning - being also commonly known as "the fourth state of matter". This state can be created artificially and controlled for industrial applications, in a vacuum process chamber by the high-frequency electromagnetic discharge of gases. During this process, the gas is ionized and chemical radicals, as well as UV-radiation, are created. The highly active process gas formed in such a way reacts with the surface of a work piece in the upper molecular layers or with substances on the surface, without destroying the structure of the base material. Different (surface-) effects are obtained, dependent on the composition of gases, the frequencies used (MHz, GHz or kHz) and the combinations thereof. Plasma processes are applied at low temperature and on practically all compositions of substances and materials. Depending on the process, the respective surface is either activated (prepared for wetting), degreased, cleaned, coated or epilamized. The gases employed , e.g. oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, argon or helium, as well as the reaction products (mainly carbon dioxide and water) are ecologically safe. Nowadays, the different plasma processes and their industrial applications are standard in surface technology.


· Functional principle of the plasma process Low-pressure plasma is a vacuum process. Reactive gases are fed into a vacuum chamber and are ionized by electrical energy (MHz, GHz, kHz). The gases activated in such a way react with the surface of the work piece changing its surface characteristics. The reaction products created are drawn off and can be exhausted to air.
· Elemental processes in the plasma. Example: oxygen By means of alternating current pulses, oxygen molecules are fragmented (radicalized), ionized and electronically excited. The reactivity of these species causes chemical modification of surfaces.
· PLASMACLEAN©: Precision cleaning (degreasing) in oxygen plasma By means of oxygen radicals and ions, organic bonds like those in oils and greases (hydrocarbons) are split and removed as small molecules or atoms. These chemical reactions mainly produce carbon dioxide and water as decomposition products.
· ACTIPLAS©: Making plastics wettable Oxygen radicals and ions react with the homopolar plastic surface and form polar hydrophilic groups, which convert a non-wettable plastic into a wettable one. The modification of plastics is only effected in the upper molecular layers, without affecting the properties of the material. ^©
· Coating of materials (Plasma polymerisation) By means of plasma polymerization thin layers in the µm-rage can be deposited in the gas phase. The selection of the monomers to be deposited determines the modification of the layer to certain defined properties, like being hydrophilic, hydrophobic, adhesive, non-stick, anticorrosive, barrier-forming, etc. The deposition of AQUACER^©-, CARBOCER^© - (Diamond-Like-Carbon = amorphous diamond-like layers), and SILICER^©-layers (transparent and protective coatings) on different materials are particular applications in the field of plasma polymerization.
· Epilamisation in low-pressure plasma When plasma epilamizing a material, the surface becomes hydrophobic by means of a polymerization process called LIPOCER^©. Consequently, an oil droplet can be kept at a certain point on the surface for specific lubrication - to cite one example.