Surface Interaction

• Plasma treatment only affects the near surface of a material; it does not change bulk material properties
• Plasma cleaning leaves no organic residue, unlike many wet cleaning processes; under proper conditions, it can achieve complete contamination removal, resulting in an "atomically clean" surface
• Plasma has no surface tension constraints, unlike aqueous cleaning solutions; it can clean rough, porous or uneven surfaces
• Plasma treatment occurs at near-ambient temperature, minimizing the risk of damage to heat-sensitive materials

Process Flexibility & Consistency

• Depending on process gases and usage configuration, plasma treatment can be used for cleaning, activation, sterilization and general alteration of surface characteristics
• Plasma will react with a wide variety of materials; as such, plasma can also treat assemblies made of different materials
• Plasma cleaning can treat odd-shaped parts with difficult surface geometries
• Plasma treatment is highly reproducible; it is typically characterized by a greater consistency than chemical or mechanical processes

Low Cost / Ease of Use

• Plasma processing is highly efficient, with short processing times, no drying stage and little energy consumed
• Plasma treatment helps to avoid process yield loss due to heat or solvent damage
• Plasma processing is easier to use and maintain than chemical or mechanical processes; in addition, it requires no complicated chemical analysis or maintenance
• Plasma treatment frequently eliminates the need for solvents, along with their ongoing purchase and disposal costs

User & Environmental Safety

• Plasma treatment eliminates safety risks associated with worker exposure to dangerous chemicals
• Plasma processing is contained within a vacuum chamber, with little or no direct worker exposure
• Plasma processing operates at near-ambient temperatures with no risk of heat exposure
• Plasma treatment uses no harmful chlorinated fluorocarbons, solvents, or acid cleaning chemicals
• The EPA has classified most plasma processes as "green" environmentally friendly processes