Plasma Treatment in Hybrid and Conventional Electronic Assemblies Available to Purchase

Plasma chemistry is employed almost exclusively for etching, cleaning and deposition processes in semiconductor device fabrication technology. As a natural expansion of this successful technique, attention has been directed at similar processes for thick film ceramic, thin film hybrid and more generally printed circuit board electronic assemblies. This paper discusses a variety of applications, some established and some experimental, where plasma is offering the benefits which semiconductor engineers have enjoyed for many years. Such applications include general organic removal, i.e., flux residues, finger print contamination and the removal/reduction of oxides and glass on thick film conductors to promote improvements in solderability and wire bondability.