Invited Paper PS1-WeA4
Synergistic Mechanisms of Plasma-Polymer Interactions

Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 2:40 pm, Room 304

Plasmas have been widely used to alter polymer surfaces and films, but relatively little is known about mechanisms. The interactions of low temperature, chemically reactive plasmas with polymers are generally more complex than interactions with inorganic materials. Polymers have macromolecular structure that is generally completely altered in the near-surface region by exposure to plasmas. Ions impacting the polymer surface with tens to thousands of eV coupled with fluxes of reactive radicals, electrons and photons create a vast range of potential alterations. These effects can be localized within nanometers of the surface with initial alterations that are completed within a picosecond, or can be extended in space (depth) and time over many orders of magnitude. In this talk, I will focus on recent results from both experimental and computational studies of plasma-polymer interactions in my laboratory. Molecular dynamics simulations of argon ions impacting simple polymer structures help interpret corresponding ion beam-polymer exposure experiments. Vacuum ultraviolet radiation from plasmas has recently been shown to play a key role under some conditions in roughening PMMA-based 193 nm photoresist in the presence of ion bombardment and heating. We have also studied the effects of radicals and electrons as well as the role of polymer temperature in polymer degradation, etch and roughening mechanisms.