Concord, CA - March Plasma Systems introduces their patent-pending ion-free plasma treatment process. Downstream ion-free plasma enables the cleaning process to be safely used on an even broader range of semiconductor devices.

Advanced memory components with smaller geometries, such as stacked die and other pre-programmed devices, require increasingly smaller wirebonds. Cleanliness is extremely critical as wire contamination can prohibit proper bonding. However, conventional downstream plasma treatment can potentially cause EPROM erasure in such devices. Ion-free processing, in the absence of UV light, enables the cleaning process to be used safely and effectively.

Advanced memory devices may also require cleaning due to epoxy bleed-out. When epoxy is applied to microcircuit devices, a small amount of resin separates from the epoxy. The separated resin enters small crevices on the gold circuitry and spreads to the surrounding bond pads. Ion-free processing allows removal of the epoxy resin without exposure to the direct plasma glow discharge.

With ion-free processing, the ions, electrons and protons are removed, enabling the chemically active radicals and byproducts to perform the work using oxygen as the source gas. An ion-free plasma environment is one in which the part is exposed only to the chemical components of plasma.

March's XTRAK-IFP system is configurable for either direct or ion-free plasma treatment. The system's modularity provides ultimate flexibility to match various manufacturing flow requirements, from high-speed, in-line to standalone configurations where one plasma station supports an island or group of equipment.

March Plasma Systems is the leader in gas plasma technology for micro- and opto-electronic packaging, PCB, and webbed material industries. Batch systems are available in several chamber sizes with multiple-shelf configurations to accommodate magazines, strips, circuit boards, wafer and process carriers. In-line systems can support multiple substrates or carriers per run, and are SMEMA-compatible.