Knowledge Base

Everything you need to understand plasma technology all in one place.

Welcome to the Henniker Plasma Knowledge Base.

Already established as a leading manufacturer of plasma treatment systems, we pride ourselves on our expertise and in-depth process knowledge. We have a varied number of media tools and scientific articles in our database which we have made freely available.

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We are passionate about plasma® and we would like to share it with you!


Knowledge Articles

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Product Brochures

Browse through our range of product brochures with detailed specifications, to find the perfect system to meet your requirements.


HPT-100 Product Brochure

HPT-100 Product Brochure

The HPT-100 is a microprocessor-controlled benchtop plasma treatment system delivering out of the box reliability and repeatability and with a wide range of options.

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Press Releases

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Case Studies

Reliable Wire Bonding Treatments

Reliable Wire Bonding Treatments

The Solid State Supplies design and manufacturing facility in Weymouth offers an end-to-end solution for optoelectronic and display assemblies.
Plasma Cleaning for the Study of Biomaterials

Plasma Cleaning for the Study of Biomaterials

In this case study we see how Plasma cleaning was used to improve coating and adhesion in biomaterials research at the ZUT University in Poland.

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Materials Library

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Videos

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Popular FAQ's

Q A How do I measure the effectiveness of plasma treatment?

From the definitions above, a measurement of surface wetting or surface energy can indicate the effectiveness of plasma treatment. We provide a range of measurement techniques including surface energy test inks and pens as well as contact angle measurement instruments, which measure the shape and angle of a drop of liquid in contact with the surface.

Q A What does a Plasma Treatment do?

Plasma treatment modifies the surface of an object. It doesn’t affect the object in any other way and doesn’t change the bulk of the material at all. We can ‘tune’ the plasma to change the adhesion characteristics of the surface. We can make the surface easier to bond, print onto, glue etc. We can also introduce a range of other surface properties such as liquid repellency or low friction.

Q A What is a Plasma?

Solid, liquid and gas are the three states of matter we are all familiar with. We can move between the states by adding or removing energy (e.g. heating/cooling). If we continue to add enough energy (for a plasma, we add electrical energy), gas molecules will become ionised (lose one or more electrons) and so carry a net positive charge. If enough molecules are ionised to affect the overall electrical characteristics of the gas the result is called a plasma. Plasmas are, therefore, quite rightly, often referred to as the fourth state of matter.

A plasma contains positive ions, electrons, neutral gas atoms or molecules, UV light and also excited gas atoms and molecules, which can carry a large amount of internal energy (plasmas glow because the light is emitted as these excited neutral particles relax to a lower energy state). All of these species can and do interact with any surface placed in contact with the plasma. By choosing the gas mixture, power and other conditions we can quite precisely tune, or specify, the effects of the plasma upon the surface.

Q A Which vacuum pump should I choose?

Henniker Plasma’s range of vacuum plasma treatment systems (HPT and Nebula models) include a suitable vacuum pump which is required for the low pressures needed during plasma operation.

To learn more about which vacuum pump you should choose, see our knowledge article entitled 'Let's Talk About... Which vacuum pump should I choose?'.

Q A How does plasma treatment increase surface energy?

Plasma treatments aim to convert low energy surfaces to higher energy surfaces by attaching oxygen
containing species to the surface.

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Useful Links

 

Institute of Physics Plasma Physics Group Pages – Home of Plasma Physics at the IoP

Institute of Physics Thin Films & Surfaces Group Pages – Home of Thin Films & Surfaces group at the IoP

Plasma Processes & Polymers Journal – Latest research publications

Plasma Sources, Science & Technology Journal – Latest research publications

 

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See what our customers have to say

  • "The technical team at Henniker are very knowledgeable and supportive and always approachable. I have found it a pleasure to work with them."

    Simon Baxter - BAE Systems, MAI

    BAE
  • "Henniker guided us to choose the most suitable plasma unit for our application, ensured an accelerated delivery time & guided us through the very easy setup. We obtained quality results with their unit within minutes of setup & consistent results thereafter. The support they have provided has been rapid and helpful."

    Dr Ravi Desai - Making Lab, Francis Crick Institute

    Francis Crick Institute
  • "Henniker provided our team with excellent service during the course of our work together, the plasma cleaner arrived quickly and was installed with ease, giving us visible results from the outset and confirming that we made the right decision in choosing a local UK manufacturer."

    Dr Panagiotis Manesiotis BSc MRSC - Queen’s University Belfast

    Queens Uni Belfast
  • "Our customers and operations demand reliability at every level and were a key factor in our decision to choose a UK based manufacturer of plasma treatment equipment."

    Tom Doak - Trak Microwave

    Queens Uni Belfast
  • "Henniker’s after sales support is first class. They have always been extremely responsive if we have ever had need to call on them."

    Steve Rackham - Teledyne

    Teledyne
  • "Henniker’s plasma systems have delivered tangible benefits to us right from day one. The team there are very easy to work with."

    Ian Bruce - Coopervision

    Coopervision
  • "Henniker really stood out, both in their product range and technical knowledge. They are a great company to work with."

    Karthik Nair - University of Bradford

    University of Bradford
  • "We are very impressed with the ease of use and reliability of our plasma unit and were producing results within minutes of setting it up."

    Dr Neil Wilson - Warwick University

    Warwick University
  • "Our collaborative work with the team at Henniker was a very positive experience and one that we look forward to developing further."

    Ewen Kellar - TWI

    TWI
  • "Henniker provided a tailored product to match our exact requirements. They are a pleasure to work with."

    Dr Will Shu - Heriot Watt University

    Heriot Watt University

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  • Maclaren
  • Cambridge Uni
  • Warwick Uni
  • Morgan Ceramics
  • QMUL
  • University Bradford
  • BAE
  • Imperial College London
  • Heriot Watt Uni
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Connect with us

Henniker 3 Berkeley Court, Manor Park, Runcorn, WA7 1TQ, UK

+44 (0)1925 830 771   +44 (0)1925 800 035     info@plasmatreatment.co.uk