| AVS 55th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Plasma Science and Technology | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session PS-TuP |
| Session: | Plasma Science Poster Session |
| Presenter: | E.H. Lock, Naval Research Laboratory |
| Authors: | E.H. Lock, Naval Research Laboratory S.G. Walton, Naval Research Laboratory |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
The electron beam generated plasmas are efficient at generating high density plasmas over the volume of the beam, resulting in large fluxes of low-energy ions (< 5 eV) at surfaces located adjacent to the electron beam. Thus, the ion energy applied to the surface is comparable with the bond strengths found in most polymers, so it is sufficient to invoke chemical surface modification with limited morphology changes. In this study, polymer modifications resulting from electron beam plasma generation in argon, oxygen and nitrogen environments and their mixtures are investigated. The polymers of interest include polystyrene, polymethylmetacrylate and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. The effects of the plasma process parameters including treatment time and duty factor, as well as mixture composition on surface energy, chemistry and morphology are investigated.