Automotive

Electric Vehicles - Enhancing Battery Manufacturing & Performance

As Electric Vehicles become a part of everyday life, manufacturers are required to continually improve battery technology and performance: more energy storage, operating at higher energy densities. Cold Atmospheric Plasma is a pioneering technology that offers a novel solution. By introducing plasma treatments into existing manufacturing processes, it is possible to improve physical bonding of components, increase electrical conductivity of batteries, and increase thermal diffusivity across components.
The treatment of surfaces using atmospheric plasma technologies is one of the most effective industrial processes for cleaning, activating, or coating plastics, metals, glass and other materials.
Furthermore, it is a green technology: plasma replaces chemicals, reducing carcinogenic emissions from solvent-containing products.

Marine Engine Comparison; Left & Middle = Petrol, Right = Electric

The Adtec PlasmaTact is a microwave induced cold plasma torch that generates argon plasma. By installing the device in a CNC machine, surface energy modification was performed on key materials to enhance the EV battery manufacturing process.

Mylar, Polycarbonate and Aluminium 6082 were processed, and a metric called water contact angle was used to quantify the surface modification.

Reduced contact angle = increased wettability = improved bonds.

Why these materials?

Mylar Polymer Composite, Polycarbonate and Aluminium 6082 are materials commonly found in, and crucial to, the manufacturing of Electric Vehicle batteries. Read the full reports at the links below to learn more:

This work was conducted in collaboration with our excellent research partner, Cranfield Plasma Solutions

Cranfield Plasma Solutions

DC Power Supplies

Acquired by the Adtec group in 2004, IDX has been delivering DC Power solutions in 1969.

Experts in high power DC, IDX generators can be found in Particle Accelerators, including the KEK Particle Accelerator in Japan and in CERN.

With thousands of IDX generators in the field, Adtec is now launching our first DC Power Supply for Sputtering Deposition

Bipolar Power Supply

With a variety of pulse modes, and high speed arc detection and handling capabilities, Adtec's 20kW Bipolar DC Power Supply can be stacked to facilitate a flexible and high power Sputtering Deposition system

Durable and reliable design

20kW Output

Combine multiple units to achieve higher powers

10kW model coming soon!

Continuous, Pulsed & Bipolar DC Modes

High Speed Arc Detection & Handling

+/- 1000V rectangular wave

Get in touch to discuss your requirements

Electrostatic Chuck Power Supply

High voltage power supply for electrostatic chuck equipped with polarity reversal and forced grounding functions

  • High voltage output ± 10kV
  • Digital communication (RS-232C), with analog output monitor (voltage, current)
  • Reliable protection circuit against discharge, short circuit, overload, etc. on the load side
  • Use with an external dedicated RF filter box to protect the power supply from RF noise

Get in touch to discuss your requirements


Concentrating Solar Power

Concentrating Solar Power

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants generate electricity by concentrating sunlight onto a focal point. CSP plants are generally located in desert regions – consequently, the mirrors used to reflect and focus the sunlight get soiled with sand and dust, and thus require regular cleaning. The current method simply uses water and brushes; however, water is a scare and precious resource in such arid terrains.

Plasma Cleaning of the mirrors may offer an alternative, water-free solution.

In collaboration with researchers at Cranfield University, we are developing our Air Plasma technology to explore the characteristics of a novel atmospheric pressure plasma system for the reduction of water use in the cleaning of CSP mirrors.

The Global CSP market was valued at over $3bn in 2016, with growth of 13% anticipated by 2025. The development of an appropriate and effective atmospheric plasma system will be a disruptive and game-changing technology for the CSP market.

With the M-CCMD affixed to a robotic arm, and a CSP mirror to soil and process, we are able to perform experiments using a lab-based setup that accurately recreates how this method of cleaning may occur in situ on a CSP plant. With the air plasma both removing residue and creating a self-cleaning surface, the results are not only fascinating, but hugely promising.

The 4 Quadrants on the result seen here demonstrate clearly and powerfully the benefits an air plasma process has on a sample.

Top Left: Soiled, processed, Top Right: Soiled, unprocessed, Bottom Left: Not soiled, processed, Bottom Right: Not soiled, not processed

→ Successful cleaning of the mirror → A hydrophilic surface has been achieved → A hydrophilic surface = a self-cleaning surface

Our paper "Cleaning Concentrating Solar Power Mirrors Without Water" has been published in American Institute of Physics

Read the full paper here

Contact


Surface Treatments

Steel Plate

Cold Atmospheric can be used to increase the surface energy of a material, a characteristic fantastically demonstrated by this clip of water preferentially sticking to the treated area of this steel plate

Gortex

Cold Atmospheric Plasma has a strong and remarkable ability to increase the wettability of a material – this allows us to bond materials that were previously impossible to join

  • Plasma treatment may help to improve bonding for metal plates.
  • Stainless steel treated with plasma was tested by TWI to improve wet etching.
  • Carbon contamination is removed from surface.
  • XPS result shows Carbon contamination on SUS surface is reduced by plasma treatment

Antimicrobial

Broad spectrum and with a phyisical mode of action, resistance is unlikely. Gas plasma has proven santistation efficacy for disinfection and hygiene applications. 3 min treatment can reduce 109 order bacterial load. 2 min treatment of biofilm reduces microbial load by 50% on 24H biofilm. No micro-organisms detected after 5min plasma treatment of 24h and 72 h cultivated biofilms

Medical

Adtec first introduced our gas plasma technology to the Max Planck Institute in 2004 leading to a joint development in plasma medicine. The MicroPlaSter plasma medical device was the first device to be used in clinical trials worldwide for infection management of wounds and surgical site infections. With over 9 years of scientific and clinical research, Adtec's microwave powered argon plasma medical device has been proven to be safe for clinical use. The same technology is now used in the Adtec SteriPlas medical device adopted for use in infection management by hospitals in Europe.


RF Plasma Generation

When Adtec first started making RF Power products in 1990, our goal and core concept was to be world-leaders in the design and manufacture of Radio Frequency Plasma Generation equipment.

We wanted to make products that were rugged and reliable – products that the user had full confidence in to deliver consistently, in the toughest of environments. As critical dimensions and process windows shrink, and the cost of down-time grows, it is more important than ever to have RF products that can take the strain the industry demands. This goal remains at the core of everything we do. We are confident that we are continuing to deliver – all RF power products come with a 2 year warranty as standard.

Adtec RF Products are essential facilitators of plasma processes across Semiconductor, Flat-Panel, Data-Storage, MEMS, Solar, Sputter and Industrial Coatings.

RF Plasma Generators

Solid State linear amplified RF power supplies give superior power control and reliability, with less spurious noise. Careful component choice, coupled with our meticulous amplifier reduces strain, greatly increasing the MTBF. The stability of the amplifier gives greater scope to provide low-duty, microsecond pulsed RF, with superb control at outputs as low as 1W.

Durable and reliable design

300W to 30kW output

Rapid Arc Detection and Arc Suppression

Able to withstand high levels of reflected power

400kHz to 40.68MHz

Pulsed RF and Variable Frequency available

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This matrix is not exhaustive, and represents an overview of our product set. Please get in touch to discuss your exact requirements.

Impedance Matching Networks

Adtec specialise in custom built automatic impedance matching units. Every matching network is designed to the exact specifications of your chamber or process, ensuring a consistently fast and accurate match.

A stable match = A stable plasma

Automatic high-speed matching

Custom designed to your process

Durable and reliable design

High-quality components respond rapidly to load changes

A controlled, repeatable process

A consistently stable network

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This matrix is not exhaustive, and represents an overview of our product set. Please get in touch to discuss your exact requirements.

Depending on a customer's need the following items can be added:

  • Vp-p/vp sensor
  • Vdc sensor
  • Vdc arc detection
Communication options that Adtec supply are:

  • Analogue RS-232C
  • Profibus
  • Adtec AMV Control Software

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Tuning parameters are stored internally on the matching unit and by using the AMV Control Software, parameters can be modified to change the matching speed, start point (via presets), matching range, and many more. For troubleshooting it is also possible to switch the system between manual and automatic setting. The AMV Control Software can be used to monitor the capacitor positions, forward power, reflected power, Vpp and Vdc (depending on customer requests) from the matching unit.
Presets and monitoring can be done via analogue control/RS232 control/Profibus (depending on customer request) and the AMV Control Software.

High Power RF Coaxial Switch Boxes

By including a Switch Box in your signal chain, it is possible to serve multiple processes with only one generator.

The switch serves as a pivot point, rapidly redirectly the RF from chamber to chamber

Vacuum Relay Switching

Custom designed to your process

Range of powers and frequencies available

Interlock prevents switching during RF output

Rapid switching time

Multiple RF outputs

Get in touch to discuss your requirements

Coaxial Cables

We can provide bespoke Coaxial Cabling

Get in touch to discuss your requirements


Technical Support

Repair

Our in-house repair centre at Adtec's European HQ in West London enables quick and efficient repairs with Adtec stocked parts. Skilled and trained electrical engineers will examine the functionality of units, professionally assessing the repair cost and time, as well as any parts needed. Units are calibrated and thoroughly tested, and if applicable, a firmware update carried out. All repaired parts come with a 3 month warranty from the shipment date

Overhaul

We can give new life to old equipment by replacing old, worn out parts with Adtec qualified parts. Units are calibrated to their original specification. Thorough test procedures and a 3 month warranty are included.

Maintenance

Our Engineers will perform a health check on units using a rigorous points based inspection.
Calibration is performed where necessary. Generators are fine tuned to perform optimally in all power ranges, and matching unit networks are fine tuned to factory standard.

Key Points

  • Fast turn-around time
  • Adtec qualified parts
  • Full calibration
  • Rigorous testing
  • Latest firmware update
  • 3 months repair warranty
  • On-site maintenance
  • On-site health check
  • Matching network calibration

Get in touch to find out more


Cold Plasma Solutions

What is Cold Plasma?

A cold plasma is a plasma that exists in a state of non-equilibrium. In contrast to a hot plasma, the temperature of the electrons is a cold plasma is some two orders of magnitude greater than the temperature of the ions and molecules, whose temperature is roughly ambient. The result is that these plasmas can exist at as low as 30°C! In fact, they are completely safe to touch!

Cold Plasma Products

At Adtec, we are passionate about Plasma Technology; specifically non-thermal atmospheric pressure gas microwave powered plasma (gas plasma). This technology was first developed in the Innovation department of our parent company in Japan and we at Adtec Europe are commercializing this technology.

Over the years, we have been involved in a number of research projects, investigating the merits of Plasma Technology in various industries. Our portfolio consists of two core technologies, designed, developed and manufactured at Adtec Europe. Non-thermal (also called cold plasma) has many different applications including surface treatment, cleaning and antimicrobial treatments. We look forward to collaborating with partners to develop new applications for plasma technology.

Microwave Induced Gas Plasma

Content coming soon!

PlasmaTact 50

Introducing the brand new 50W PlasmaTact.
High power microwave plasma device, perfect for high-speed surface engineering applications

More info

PlasmaTact 15

Plasma Tact is robust and portable cold atmospheric plasma system, ideally suited to a variety of surface treatments.

Using Argon or Helium gas, the reliable microwave generator produces a consistent and stable plasma, perfect for repeatable processing in both research and manufacturing applications.

More info

We are proud to be developing our DBD Air Plasma technology in collaboration with researchers at the world-renowned Cranfield University, UK. With the M-CCMD affixed to a robot arm, we are exploring atmospheric pressure plasma as a method of cleaning concentrating solar power mirrors.

Learn more

About us

Our Purpose

We provide customer and technical support to RF Plasma process based equipment manufacturers in Europe, offering expertise and engineering know-how on RF products developed by Adtec Plasma Technology in Japan.

In collaboration with the design team at our Head Office, we offer bespoke solutions, customizing RF Generators and/or Impedance Matching Units to the specification of your process.

Our European HQ is also dedicated, alongside our academic and professional research partners, to the design, application development and manufacturer of cold atmospheric pressure gas plasma products

Adtec Plasma Technology

Established in 1985 in Fukuyama, Japan, Adtec Plasma Technology originally worked in the development and manufacture of various control boards. By early 1991, we had begun selling High Frequency Plasma Generation Equipment for semiconductor processes – this has remained the core of our business ever since, and we’re one of the World’s leading suppliers of RF Plasma products to the semiconductor and display industries.

Also based at Fukuyama Head Office, the Adtec Innovation department constantly strives to innovate and develop new technology, most notably within cold atmospheric pressure gas plasma technologies.

Visit our Head Office

What is Plasma?

Consider water. When you apply energy to a solid (ice), you get a liquid (water); apply further energy, you get a gas (steam). But what happens if you keep going?

Continue to apply energy (heat or charge) to a gas, and the matter will eventually became a plasma – hence Plasma’s title as the “4th State of Matter”. Here on Earth, Plasma can be found in the form of lightning, the Northern Lights, and the stuff in fluorescent lamps; in fact, Plasma is a fundamental state of matter, and it is believed that over 99% of the known Universe (think stars!) exists in this state!

The continued supply of energy used to generate plasma artificially is most often in the form of an electromagnetic field. This causes a breakdown of the atomic shells and electrons disassociate from the nucleus. In addition to unbound negative electrons, there are now, importantly, positive charged ions. Plasma can therefore be considered a charged, or ionized, gaseous state. It is electrically neutral and highly conductive.

Plasmas are characterized by their electron density and the average electron energy; broadly, we can speak of “hot” and “cold” plasmas.

The development of Non-Thermal (Cold) Plasma technologies is hugely exciting, and is an area Adtec specialise in. Incredibly, it is possible to generate a plasma that is safe to the human touch!

Learn more

Adtec is a member of The European Research Association for Thin Films eV (EFDS)

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Adtec is a member of NMI - Champion for the UK Electronic Manufacturing Industry

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