Highly effective nanocoatings, such as anti-corrosion or insulation coatings, help to achieve desired properties and prevent undesired effects in the various production steps. Substances specially tailored to the application area are applied to the neuralgic areas of the product surface by nanocoating using plasma surface treatment.
Such highly effective surface structures with different functionalities can be created using the PlasmaPlus process. For this purpose, the plasma generated in the plasma nozzle is enriched with a precursor in order to deposit an ultra-thin but strong functional layer on the surface. The properties that are achieved depend on the application and the matching precursor. The spectrum ranges from protective to barrier, insulation, adhesion and anti-corrosion coatings. The layer thicknesses are between 20 and 500 nm and are applied at an application speed of 3 to 10 m²/h.
These functional surfaces have been used in the plastics industry for a very long time. For example, barrier coatings are applied in the packaging industry to protect food. Likewise, adhesion-promoting functional coatings can be applied for 2K injection molding. These functional coating processes are becoming increasingly important in electronics production. Coating as a protective or insulation layer is of great interest to many electronics manufacturers because it protects the assembly against possible quality problems or damages that may occur in the later product life cycle. Especially for complex assemblies, with a high degree of miniaturization and packing density, coating is an efficient process to treat entire assemblies or selected components.
The spectrum of PlasmaPlus applications in the electronics industry is very broad. It can be used, for example, in wire bonding, where the selective coating of the pads protects them from the epoxy resin escaping after the soldering process and thus ensures a secure connection between wire and pad. Nano-coatings are also suitable for other demanding applications where electronics are exposed to a warm humid climate, water or salt spray/mist, for example, in maritime applications, in mining or even in tropical regions. But it doesn’t always have to be so exotic: When you think of automotive electronics for instance, you notice that many control units are built into aluminum housings. To keep moisture out, a hard or a liquid seal is used. But even then, moisture can get into the electronics overtime. Here, nano-coatings have proven to be a suitable solution, resulting in excellent moisture barriers. The nanocoating can be applied precisely only to the sealing surfaces and withstands, for example, tests of up to 960 hours of salt spray with common alloys. This saves time and material. In addition, our systems work inline, which greatly increases flexibility in production.
Do you have questions regarding this matter?
Your contact person: Nico Coenen
company: Plasmatreat GmbH
