Project Profile · Semiconductor & Electron Microscopy Instrumentation
Fischione Model 1020 Plasma Cleaner: PLC & HMI Control Retrofit for Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments' Dallas, Texas facility relies on a Fischione Instruments Model 1020 Plasma Cleaner to strip carbonaceous contamination from specimens before electron microscopy. Its original Control PCB, Service Panel PCB, and BCD Switch PCB were aging and no longer available from the manufacturer — a single board failure would have taken the instrument out of service permanently. Qualtx Technology replaced that electronics stack with a PLC and a custom Windows HMI that reproduces the original operation exactly, delivered as a fixed-price retrofit for $6,700.
Project Overview
The Fischione Instruments Model 1020 Plasma Cleaner cleans specimens and specimen holders immediately before they're inserted into a TEM, STEM, or SEM, using a low-energy, inductively coupled, high-frequency plasma to remove carbonaceous debris without altering the specimen's elemental composition or structure. Texas Instruments uses the instrument to keep specimens contamination-free during imaging and analysis, but the unit's original control electronics were reaching end of life.
Qualtx Technology was hired to replace the Control PCB, Service Panel PCB, and BCD Switch PCB — the timer, relay, and LED logic board and its associated switch panel — with a modern PLC and software interface, while leaving the plasma cleaner's vacuum system, RF generator, and chamber untouched. The result looks and operates like the original instrument to the user, but runs on hardware Qualtx Technology can service and support indefinitely.
The Requirement
The Model 1020's Control PCB, Service Panel PCB, and BCD Switch PCB handled timer entry, relay switching, and LED status logic for the entire instrument. These boards were original equipment, out of production, and irreplaceable — if one failed, the plasma cleaner would have been permanently down. Texas Instruments needed a replacement control system that preserved the instrument's existing Auto and Manual operating modes exactly as documented in the Fischione instruction manual, without introducing new risk to the one component in the system that genuinely couldn't be replaced if damaged during the retrofit: the interface to the RF generator.
System Architecture
Qualtx Technology replaced the legacy timer/relay/LED logic board with an AutomationDirect CLICK PLC, a bank of four relays, and a Windows 11 laptop connected over Ethernet:
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| PLC | AutomationDirect CLICK series (model 12DD1E-2-D), Ethernet-connected to the operator PC |
| Operator Interface | Windows 11 laptop running a custom software interface, connected to the PLC via Ethernet |
| Relay R1 | System power sensing — reports plasma cleaner AC power status to the PLC and software |
| Relay R2 | Vacuum pump control |
| Relay R3 | RF generator on/off control |
| Relay R4 | Chamber vent control |
| Pressure Monitoring | HPS 901 vacuum pressure sensor, atmosphere to 1×10⁻⁵ torr, auto-scaling display |
| Power | 24 VDC supply feeding the PLC and relay logic, wired ahead of the plasma cleaner's main ON/OFF switch |
How the Retrofit Works
The new control system reproduces the plasma cleaner's original Auto and Manual behavior, defined in the Fischione instruction manual, while adding a live schematic view the original LED-and-switch panel never had:
- Time Entry: The operator enters a cleaning time in minutes and seconds on the software interface, matching the original BCD Switch PCB workflow.
- Auto Mode: Pressing Auto starts the process — the pump and RF generator activate through relays R2 and R3, and the time remaining counts down on screen.
- Live Monitoring: A schematic of the vacuum system shows the pump, turbo, needle valve, and vent in real time, alongside a chamber pressure reading that auto-scales from torr to millitorr to scientific notation as the chamber pumps down.
- Automatic Shutoff: When the time remaining reaches zero, the RF generator turns off automatically; pressing Reset at any point during Auto mode clears the timer and turns the RF generator off immediately.
- Manual Mode: Pump, Vent, and RF buttons on the interface mirror the original front-panel switches — green when energized, white when off — for direct manual control.
Because relay R1 taps main power ahead of the plasma cleaner's ON/OFF switch, the PLC and laptop stay powered and connected over Ethernet continuously, even when the plasma cleaner itself is switched off. The software always knows the instrument's actual power state through the AC Power Status signal, rather than losing track of it every time the tool cycles.
Control System Before & After
The retrofit replaced a single group of obsolete boards while leaving the rest of the plasma cleaner's electronics — power supply, HF power supply, MDP controller, and diaphragm pump — untouched.
Safety & Reliability
- The RF Generator control is automatically disabled whenever chamber pressure is above 4 torr, and re-enables only once the chamber has pumped down below that threshold — preventing the plasma from being struck outside its safe operating range.
- The PLC and operator laptop are powered independently of the plasma cleaner's main ON/OFF switch, so the Ethernet link between them — and the system's awareness of the instrument's actual power state — is never lost.
- Original front-panel mechanical switches remain functional as a manual override, though Qualtx Technology recommends leaving them in Off/Auto and operating exclusively from the software interface.
- The RF generator interface — identified up front as the one component that could not be replaced if damaged — was carefully preserved unmodified throughout the retrofit.
Scope of Work
Qualtx Technology delivered a complete, fixed-price control system replacement:
- Engineering review of the original Control PCB, Service Panel PCB, and BCD Switch PCB logic and the RF generator interface
- AutomationDirect CLICK PLC selection and programming
- Custom Windows 11 software interface replicating the original Auto/Manual functionality, plus live vacuum schematic monitoring
- Relay wiring for system power sensing, pump control, RF generator control, and vent control
- On-site removal of the legacy control boards and installation of the new PLC, relays, and power supply
- System commissioning against the process sequences defined in the Fischione instruction manual
Qualtx Technology delivered the complete retrofit — hardware, software, and on-site labor — for a fixed price of $6,700, with hardware shipping 20–30 days after order and installation completed within 20–40 days after order.
About Qualtx Technology
Qualtx Technology has been providing turnkey automated control solutions for the semiconductor and nanotechnology industries since 1997. Over nearly three decades, Qualtx has delivered control systems and retrofits for a wide range of clients, including AMD, the US Navy, NASA's JPL, NIST, MIT, Texas Instruments, Raytheon, Micron Technology, Cornell, Northeastern University, the University of Texas, Lockheed Martin, Microchip, and Leonardo DRS, across process tool types including RIE/RFPECVD, ECR, ion mill, ion implanter, MOCVD, sputter deposition, and specimen preparation instruments like the Fischione Model 1020 Plasma Cleaner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a plasma cleaner do in electron microscopy?
A plasma cleaner, such as the Fischione Instruments Model 1020, removes carbonaceous contamination from a specimen and its holder immediately before the specimen is inserted into a TEM, STEM, or SEM. A low-energy, inductively coupled, high-frequency plasma — typically 25% oxygen / 75% argon — reacts with hydrocarbon contamination on the specimen surface without altering its elemental composition or structure, cleaning a heavily contaminated specimen in under two minutes.
Why did Texas Instruments need the plasma cleaner's controls replaced?
The Model 1020's original Control PCB, Service Panel PCB, and BCD Switch PCB were aging and no longer available from the manufacturer. If one had failed, the plasma cleaner would have been permanently down with no replacement part to source. Qualtx Technology replaced that electronics stack with a modern, serviceable PLC and Windows HMI while leaving the mechanical and RF systems untouched.
What hardware runs the new control system?
An AutomationDirect CLICK series PLC (model 12DD1E-2-D) replaced the original Control, Service Panel, and BCD Switch PCBs, communicating over Ethernet to a Windows 11 laptop running a custom software interface. Four relays handle system power sensing, pump control, RF generator on/off, and vent control, powered by a 24 VDC supply wired ahead of the plasma cleaner's main ON/OFF switch.
Does the new software work the same way as the original control panel?
Yes. The operator enters a cleaning time, presses Auto, and the system pumps down, energizes the RF generator, and runs until the time remaining reaches zero — exactly as the original timer-based Control PCB did. The new interface adds a live schematic of the vacuum system and a real-time chamber pressure reading that auto-scales from torr to millitorr to scientific notation.
How does the system stay connected when the plasma cleaner is powered off?
The PLC and laptop are kept powered independent of the plasma cleaner's own ON/OFF switch, so they never lose their Ethernet connection to each other. Relay R1 taps main power ahead of that switch and reports an AC Power Status signal to the software, so the interface always knows whether the plasma cleaner itself is on.
What safety interlocks are built into the retrofit?
The RF Generator control is automatically disabled whenever chamber pressure is above 4 torr, preventing the plasma from being struck outside its safe operating pressure, and re-enables once the chamber pumps down below that threshold. Original front-panel mechanical switches remain in place as a manual override.
What did the retrofit cost and how long did it take?
Qualtx Technology delivered the complete retrofit — PLC, relays, power supply, Windows software, cabling, and on-site labor — for a fixed price of $6,700. Hardware shipped in 20–30 days after order, with installation and commissioning completed within 20–40 days after order.
Who performed the plasma cleaner control upgrade?
Qualtx Technology, Inc., a Plano, Texas-based automation integrator serving the semiconductor and nanotechnology industries since 1997, designed and installed the PLC control logic, HMI software, and wiring for the Fischione Model 1020 Plasma Cleaner retrofit at Texas Instruments' Dallas, Texas facility.