Selection guide · Energy source
RF or microwave?
Both clean and activate surfaces before bonding, molding and coating. They differ in how the plasma is generated — and that decides what shares the chamber with your parts.
Side by side
Two ways to make plasma.
How Awing's RF and microwave platforms compare. This describes the two platforms; it is not a performance ranking.
| RF plasma13.56 MHz | Microwave plasma2.45 GHz | |
|---|---|---|
| Generation | RF generator with automatic impedance matching; electrodes in the chamber | Microwave energy coupled into the chamber; no internal electrode |
| In the chamber with your parts | Electrodes and the process gas | Only the process gas — no other contamination source |
| Described strengths | Short cleaning time without sputtering or high-temperature damage | Uniform, gentle cleaning without ESD trouble; friendly to ESD-sensitive parts |
| Power | 0–600 W / 1000 W in-line and chamber; 0–300 W benchtop and desktop | 100–1000 W AW-ZMP04; 50–1000 W AW-MP60 |
| Process gases | O2 / Ar / H2; N2 and CF4 listed for AW-P | O2 / Ar / H2 listed for AW-MP60 |
| Awing formats | In-line AW-ZP · continuous AW-LP · chamber AW-P · R&D AW-P00X · desktop AW-DP · wafer descum AW-QP | In-line AW-ZMP · chamber AW-MP |
Figures from Awing product literature · confirm the configuration for your process in the quotation
Where to start.
RF and microwave, briefly.
Q01Which removes more contamination, RF or microwave?
We do not rank them in general: the result depends on the substrate, the contamination, the gas and the recipe. We recommend the source after reviewing your parts, and verify the result with measurements such as water contact angle. Test methods
Q02Why does microwave matter for ESD-sensitive parts?
In Awing's microwave systems there is no internal electrode in the chamber, so nothing but the process gas is present with the parts. Awing's product literature describes microwave cleaning as uniform and gentle, without ESD trouble.
Q03Which gases can I use?
Awing systems list O2, Ar and H2; the AW-P chamber series also lists N2 and CF4. The gas is chosen for the contamination and the substrate.
Not sure which source?
Describe the part and the contamination. We recommend RF or microwave for your substrate.
Inquiry
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