Plasma Etch
Plasma Etch is a privately held Nevada manufacturer, founded 1980, that designs and builds vacuum and atmospheric plasma cleaning, etching, RIE, and PECVD systems for PCB, semiconductor, MEMS, medical device, and industrial manufacturing customers worldwide from its Carson City factory.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersCarson City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Plasma Etch does
Plasma Etch, Inc. is a privately held Nevada-incorporated manufacturer of industrial plasma processing equipment, founded in 1980 and operated from a custom-built factory at 3522 Arrowhead Drive in Carson City, Nevada. The company designs and produces vacuum plasma systems, atmospheric plasma systems, reactive ion etching (RIE) platforms, and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) units spanning entry-level benchtop cleaners (PE-Avenger, PE-25, PE-50, PE-75 families), production-grade benchtop platforms (PE-100, PE-200), high-volume industrial systems (BT-1, BT-Tumbler, TT-1, PE-2000R, PE-5000), and a dedicated PCB desmear/etch-back line (MK-II variants and Magna). Core technical differentiation rests on patented electrode temperature control, electrostatic shielding for uniform etching, and 13.56 MHz high-frequency RF power that delivers isotropic plasma at roughly three times the throughput of legacy 40 KHz systems; the Venus software platform adds recipe automation, data logging, and multi-step sequencing.
The company serves manufacturers across at least nine verticals — including printed circuit boards, semiconductors, MEMS, medical devices, ceramics, plastics, rubber, general manufacturing, and academic/research institutions — with documented use cases ranging from defense PCB etch-back and micro-via formation to medical catheter surface activation (>50% bond strength improvement) and ceramic wire-bonding prep (contact angle reduction from 88° to 12°). Notable named customers include a US government defense contractor, Circuit Center Inc. (CCI), a leading multi-layer PCB manufacturer, a leading medical catheter producer, and various ceramic parts manufacturers.
Revenue is generated through five streams: one-time capital equipment sales across the full system portfolio, monthly equipment rentals ($650-$1,200/month, three-month minimum), in-house contract processing services with 24-48 hour turnaround, parts and accessories sales, and free sample processing used as a lead-generation funnel. Distribution is sales-led and direct (phone, email, in-person) supplemented by trade shows and a content-rich website; the company operates with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no M&A history, having remained independent since founding.
Plasma Etch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Plasma Etch
- Legal name
- Plasma Etch, Inc.
- Website
- https://plasmaetch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Plasma Etch is a privately held Nevada manufacturer, founded 1980, that designs and builds vacuum and atmospheric plasma cleaning, etching, RIE, and PECVD systems for PCB, semiconductor, MEMS, medical device, and industrial manufacturing customers worldwide from its Carson City factory.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Plasma Etch industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Plasma Processing Equipment
- NAICS
- Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332), Industrial Process Furnace and Oven Manufacturing (333994)
- SIC
- Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567), Miscellaneous Electrical Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (3690)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Etch & Strip Equipment (Dry/Wet/Ashing) (HDAHAEAC)
Keywords
Where Plasma Etch is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carson City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Plasma Etch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Plasma Equipment Sales: Direct sale of plasma cleaning, etching, and surface treatment systems ranging from entry-level benchtop units to high-volume production systems. Equipment includes various configurations with different power levels, chamber sizes, and optional features.
- Equipment Rental: Monthly rental program for plasma systems with three-month minimum rental terms and two-month prepayment required. Available systems include PE-Avenger ($650/month), PE-25 ($750/month), PE-50 XL ($850/month), and PE-75 ($1,200/month).
- Contract Processing Services: In-house plasma treatment services where the company handles processing at their facility and returns products to customers. Services include plasma cleaning, etching, and plasma coating (PECVD) for various materials and substrates.
- Sample Processing: Free sample processing services for customers to test the effects of plasma treatment on their products before making equipment investment decisions.
- Parts and Accessories: Sale of replacement parts, vacuum pumps, mass flow controllers, and other accessories for plasma systems.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | PE-Avenger - Budget-friendly benchtop unit with 1 Gas Channel, Low Frequency |
| Subscription | Monthly | PE-25 - Compact entry-level plasma cleaner with 1 Gas Channel, Low Frequency |
| Subscription | Monthly | PE-50 XL - Expanded capacity for larger substrates with 2 Gas Channels, Low Frequency |
| Subscription | Monthly | PE-75 - Versatile mid-size plasma system with 2 Gas Channels, Low Frequency |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Plasma Etch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Plasma Etch designs and manufactures plasma processing systems for industrial cleaning, etching, surface activation, reactive ion etching (RIE), and plasma polymerization. Its product portfolio spans entry-level benchtop units, Venus software-controlled advanced systems, production-grade benchtop units, high-volume industrial systems, specialized PCB etching systems, and atmospheric plasma systems. The company also provides contract processing services, monthly equipment rentals, and custom system design from its Carson City, Nevada factory.
Product overview
Plasma Etch is a manufacturer of plasma treatment equipment offering a comprehensive portfolio of systems organized across multiple product lines. The core offerings include Entry Level Systems (PE-Avenger, PE-25, PE-50, PE-50 XL, PE-75, PE-75 XL) providing compact benchtop plasma cleaners for research and small production, and Venus Advanced Systems (PE-25 Venus, PE-50 Venus, PE-50 XL Venus, PE-75 Venus) adding enhanced automation and process control via proprietary Venus software. Benchtop Systems (PE-100, PE-200) offer production-grade capabilities with laptop PC control for reactive ion etching and plasma functionalization. High Volume Systems (BT-1, BT-Tumbler, TT-1, PE-2000R, PE-5000) address industrial-scale processing needs. The Production PCB Etching line (MK-II, MK-II Vertical, MK-II ECO, Magna) provides specialized plasma desmear and etch back for printed circuit board manufacturing. Atmospheric Systems (Plasma Wand, Integrated Atmospheric Driver Unit, Atmospheric Plasma System, Hand-Held Atmospheric Plasma System) enable plasma treatment at ambient pressure without vacuum chambers. Polymerization Systems (PE-100, PE-200, BT-1 Polymerization) enable PECVD coating deposition. Supporting offerings include Custom Systems, Used Systems, Rental Programs, Contract Services, and Sample Processing. All systems serve applications in cleaning, etching, surface activation, bonding, and polymerization across industries including semiconductor, PCB, MEMS, medical, ceramics, plastics, rubber, manufacturing, and science/academia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PE-Avenger Entry-level benchtop plasma cleaner with compact design and basic plasma cleaning and etching capabilities and manual controls, suited for research labs and small production facilities.
- PE-25 Plasma Cleaner Compact entry-level plasma cleaner with small chamber capacity, suitable for basic plasma treatment applications in laboratories and small-scale production.
- PE-50 Plasma Cleaner Mid-size benchtop plasma cleaner with moderate chamber capacity for research and small production applications offering versatile plasma treatment options.
- PE-50 XL Plasma Cleaner Expanded capacity version of PE-50 for processing larger substrates and higher throughput requirements.
- PE-75 Plasma Cleaner Versatile mid-size plasma system with enhanced chamber capacity for moderate production volumes and research applications.
- PE-75 XL Plasma Cleaner Larger capacity version of PE-75 for processing bigger parts and higher volume applications.
- PE-25 Venus Advanced version of PE-25 with Venus software platform providing enhanced automation, data logging, dual sequence programming, and process data acquisition for greater control over plasma process.
- PE-50 Venus Advanced version of PE-50 with Venus software platform offering fully automated operation, multiple recipe storage, data logging/trending, and multi-step sequencing capabilities.
- PE-50 XL Venus Advanced version of PE-50 XL with Venus software for expanded capacity and enhanced automation, data logging, and process control.
- PE-75 Venus Advanced version of PE-75 with Venus software providing fully automated operation, advanced software features, mass flow controllers, and process data archiving for greater control over plasma process.
- PE-100 Plasma Treatment System Complete plasma treatment solution capable of reactive ion etching (RIE), plasma functionalization, and plasma cleaning/etching. Features three standard configurations including a convertible setup with both isotropic and anisotropic processing, and includes laptop control with Plasma Etch software for automatic operation, recipe storage, and process sequencing.
- PE-200 Plasma Treatment System Production-capable benchtop plasma system with larger chamber than PE-100, offering advanced plasma treatment capabilities including reactive ion etching and plasma functionalization with laptop PC control for automation and recipe management.
- BT-1 High Volume Plasma System High-volume plasma system designed for industrial production with larger chamber capacity and throughput capabilities for continuous processing needs.
- BT-Tumbler Plasma System High-volume tumbler-style plasma system for processing multiple parts or continuous production requirements with tumbling action for uniform treatment.
- TT-1 Plasma System High-volume production plasma system designed for industrial-scale plasma treatment applications.
- PE-2000R Plasma System Large high-volume plasma system for industrial production environments requiring substantial chamber capacity and processing throughput.
- PE-5000 Large Plasma Treatment System Largest plasma treatment system in the lineup for high-volume industrial manufacturing and large substrate processing.
- MK-II PCB Etching System Production PCB etching system for printed circuit board manufacturing, used for desmear, etch back, and plasma cleaning applications in PCB production.
- MK-II Vertical PCB Plasma System Vertical orientation PCB etching system designed for plasma desmear and etch back processes in printed circuit board manufacturing with vertical chamber configuration.
- MK-II ECO PCB Etching System Economical version of MK-II PCB etching system offering cost-effective plasma PCB processing solution for desmear and etch back applications.
- Magna PCB Etching System High-end production PCB etching system for advanced printed circuit board manufacturing with premium features and high throughput capabilities.
- Plasma Wand Atmospheric Cleaner Handheld atmospheric plasma device requiring no external gas hookup. Ideal for spot cleaning and surface modification of large objects, with multiple nozzle options including Standard, Nearfield, Needle, Nearfield Needle, and Multigas configurations.
- Integrated Atmospheric Driver Unit Integrated control unit for atmospheric plasma systems providing power and control functions for atmospheric plasma processing.
- Inline Atmospheric Plasma System Conveyor-mountable atmospheric plasma system with 1000 watts of cleaning power for inline conveyor systems and industrial production facilities. Compatible with multiple input gases including Nitrogen, Argon/Oxygen, Argon/Hydrogen, Nitrogen/Hydrogen, and Compressed Air, with PC or PLC control featuring full logging and diagnostic capabilities.
- Hand-Held Atmospheric Plasma System Semi-portable atmospheric plasma system with 700 watts of cleaning and activating power. Mounted on wheels with retractable handle for mobility, with up to 1-inch wide plasma nozzle and treatment distance up to 1.5 inches. Includes onboard air compressor requiring no input gas and dual-trigger safety system.
- Polymerization Systems (PECVD) Plasma polymerization systems based on PE-100, PE-200, and BT-1 platforms for depositing thin polymer coatings via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), enabling coating applications from research to high-volume production.
- Custom Plasma Systems Custom-designed plasma systems tailored to specific customer requirements and unique applications beyond standard configurations.
- Used / Refurbished Plasma Systems Pre-owned and refurbished plasma systems offering cost-effective alternatives for budget-conscious buyers.
- Contract Plasma Processing Services Contract plasma processing services allowing customers to utilize Plasma Etch's patented plasma treatment technologies at the company's facility. Includes quick pickup and delivery within 24-48 hours, covering plasma cleaning, etching, and plasma coating (PECVD) for various materials and substrates.
- Sample Processing Service Free sample processing service allowing customers to test the effects of plasma on their products before making equipment investment. Provides evaluation options for adhesive improvements, coating improvements, wire bond testing, and contamination removal verification.
- Plasma System Rental Program Monthly rental program for plasma systems including PE-Avenger, PE-25, PE-50, PE-50 XL, PE-75, and PE-100 with monthly rental rates ranging from $650 to $1,200 per month. Requires three-month minimum rental with two-month prepayment.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 50% bond strength increase when using argon/oxygen plasma treatment on catheters
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Plasma Etch
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Plasma Etch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Plasma Etch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Plasma Etch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Harrick Plasma: US-based manufacturer of plasma cleaners and surface treatment equipment for laboratory and small-scale production. Direct competitor in benchtop plasma cleaning and atmospheric plasma markets, similar scale and target customer base.
- Tantec A/S: Danish manufacturer of atmospheric plasma systems and surface treatment equipment for plastics, automotive, and industrial applications. Direct competitor in atmospheric plasma treatment and surface activation markets.
- Plasma-Therm: US-based manufacturer of plasma etch, PECVD, and plasma processing equipment for semiconductor, MEMS, and research markets. Most direct competitor to Plasma Etch with overlapping product lines (RIE, plasma cleaning, surface activation) and similar target customer base in semiconductor packaging and research.
- Nordson MARCH: Division of Nordson Corporation producing plasma treatment systems for PCB, semiconductor, medical, and electronics manufacturing. Direct competitor with comparable product portfolio across vacuum and atmospheric plasma cleaning and surface activation applications.
- PVA TePla AG: German manufacturer of plasma systems and surface treatment equipment serving semiconductor, MEMS, and industrial markets. Direct competitor with similar etch, cleaning, and PECVD offerings, particularly for European semiconductor and research customers.
- Diener Electronic: German-based plasma equipment manufacturer offering low-pressure plasma cleaners, plasma etchers, and atmospheric plasma systems for cleaning, surface activation, and sterilization. Direct competitor in lab-scale and industrial plasma cleaning markets.
- SAMCO Inc. Japanese manufacturer of plasma etching, PECVD, and surface treatment equipment for semiconductor, MEMS, and research applications. Direct competitor with overlapping product portfolio in RIE and plasma cleaning systems.
- Europlasma NV: Belgian manufacturer of plasma coating and surface treatment equipment for industrial, textile, and electronics applications. Direct competitor in low-pressure plasma systems and PECVD technology.
Broad incumbents
- Oxford Instruments: UK-based broad instrumentation and technology company with plasma etching systems under its Plasma Technology division serving semiconductor and research markets. Larger incumbent with broader portfolio spanning etch, deposition, and analytical instrumentation.
- ULVAC Inc. Japanese broad vacuum and plasma equipment manufacturer serving semiconductor, flat panel, and industrial markets. Larger incumbent with extensive plasma etch and surface treatment product lines and global service network.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Customer concentration
Plasma Etch social profiles
Digital presencePlasma Etch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Plasma Etch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Plasma Etch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Plasma Etch M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Plasma Etch
What does Plasma Etch do?
Plasma Etch designs and manufactures plasma processing systems for industrial cleaning, etching, surface activation, reactive ion etching (RIE), and plasma polymerization. Its product portfolio spans entry-level benchtop units, Venus software-controlled advanced systems, production-grade benchtop units, high-volume industrial systems, specialized PCB etching systems, and atmospheric plasma systems. The company also provides contract processing services, monthly equipment rentals, and custom system design from its Carson City, Nevada factory.
Is Plasma Etch a public or private company?
Plasma Etch is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Plasma Etch founded?
Plasma Etch was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Plasma Etch based?
Plasma Etch is headquartered in Carson City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Plasma Etch make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Plasma Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are equipment Rental, contract Processing Services, sample Processing and parts and Accessories.
Who are Plasma Etch's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Harrick Plasma, Tantec A/S, Plasma-Therm, Nordson MARCH, PVA TePla AG, Diener Electronic, SAMCO Inc. and Europlasma NV. Broad incumbents are Oxford Instruments and ULVAC Inc..
Does Plasma Etch have an API?
No public API is recorded for Plasma Etch.
What industry is Plasma Etch in?
Plasma Etch's product category is Industrial Plasma Processing Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAEAC, Etch & Strip Equipment (Dry/Wet/Ashing). Its NAICS code is 3332 and its SIC code is 3567.