Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘In Defense of a Liberal Education’
American Made Advocacy: A Growing Presence in Washington in Turbulent Times
Carmakers Now Embracing Plasma Treatment
October 1, 2015 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Plasma treatment is an essential step in ensuring the cleanliness of a board to improve wettability and adhesion. Now, the growing complexity of automotive electronics is leading more carmakers to consider using plasma treatment to ensure greater reliability. Nordson MARCH's Jonathan Doan shares the benefits of the process along with some new information regarding the MES3 requirement with Publisher Barry Matties.
Barry Matties: Please start with an overview of Nordson MARCH, Jonathan.
Jonathan Doan: Nordson MARCH makes plasma equipment primarily for the back end in terms of semiconductor applications and PCB manufacturing, medical applications, some automotive and mil/aero. Really, anything that requires plasma treatment for packaging or fabrication.
Matties: How do you fit into the automotive sector?
Doan: What we’re seeing with the automotive customers is an increase in automation requirements for processing their parts. We’re seeing more of our equipment being used to plasma treat their parts in terms of improving the reliability.
Matties: How does plasma treating improve the reliability?
Doan: What we offer is the ability to thoroughly clean the surface. A lot of times, when you do any type of cleaning of the surface, even if you use a chemical, for example, there’s still some residue. It’s microscopic, but that microscopic layer interferes with adhesion or any type of bond. What plasma treatment does is remove that microscopic layer. You get a very clean, smooth surface that helps with adhesion. At the same time, what we can also do is change the surface energy. That could improve properties previously incompatible to be more cooperative with each other.
That’s really where the plasma treatment, in terms of usage, comes into play. You hear stories about electronics in automotives failing early, and that’s where we’re seeing a lot of customers, especially as some of the big providers of automotive electronics are seeing more of their components being used inside cars, with sensors, etc. We’re seeing more of them go to plasma treatment. This is not only from a batch standpoint—where they were using our machines before—but now they’re using an automated machine because they have the new MES3 requirement for automation and tracking to guarantee that if there are any problems from the consumer side later, they can backtrack and figure out exactly which lot and which device went through which process.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2015 issue of The PCB Magazine.
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
Meet the Author Podcast: Martyn Gaudion Unpacks the Secrets of High-Speed PCB Design
07/16/2025 | I-Connect007In this special Meet the Author episode of the On the Line with… podcast, Nolan Johnson sits down with Martyn Gaudion, signal integrity expert, managing director of Polar Instruments, and three-time author in I-Connect007’s popular The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... series.
Intervala Hosts Employee Car and Motorcycle Show, Benefit Nonprofits
08/27/2024 | IntervalaIntervala hosted an employee car and motorcycle show, aptly named the Vala-Cruise and it was a roaring success! Employees had the chance to show off their prized wheels, and it was incredible to see the variety and passion on display.
KIC Honored with IPC Recognition for 25 Years of Membership and Contributions to Electronics Manufacturing Industry
06/24/2024 | KICKIC, a renowned pioneer in thermal process and temperature measurement solutions for electronics manufacturing, is proud to announce that it has been recognized by IPC for 25 years of membership and significant contributions to electronics manufacturing.
Boeing Starliner Spacecraft Completes Successful Crewed Docking with International Space Station
06/07/2024 | BoeingNASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams successfully docked Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS), about 26 hours after launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
KIC’s Miles Moreau to Present Profiling Basics and Best Practices at SMTA Wisconsin Chapter PCBA Profile Workshop
01/25/2024 | KICKIC, a renowned pioneer in thermal process and temperature measurement solutions for electronics manufacturing, announces that Miles Moreau, General Manager, will be a featured speaker at the SMTA Wisconsin Chapter In-Person PCBA Profile Workshop.