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Polymer surfaces treated by argon rf plasma

I. A. RUSU1, G. BORCIA1,* , S. O. SAYED2, J. L. SULLIVAN2

Affiliation

  1. Plasma Physics Department, Al.I. Cuza University, Iasi, Romania
  2. Surface Science, EEAP, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate on a method to improve the adhesion properties of polymer surfaces. In this respect, the chemical modification induced under different plasma treatment conditions and the efficiency of plasma treatment using the rf discharge are explored. XPS, contact angle measurement and AFM were employed to characterise polymer surface modifications. Results show that the incorporation of oxygen-related functional groups on the active sites created onto the surface is favoured for mild treatment conditions, in terms of rf power, gas pressure and treatment duration, whereas extended treatment is eventually leading to reversal of the surface oxidation, due to etching under energetic ions bombardment. The surface equilibrates, under specified treatment conditions, by a combination of surface oxidation and/or loss of carbon by conversion to low weight volatile fragments..

Keywords

Polymer, Adhesion, Argon rf plasma, XPS, AFM.

Submitted at: Sept. 25, 2007
Accepted at: March 17, 2008

Citation

I. A. RUSU, G. BORCIA, S. O. SAYED, J. L. SULLIVAN, Polymer surfaces treated by argon rf plasma, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 10, Iss. 3, pp. 668-671 (2008)