AVS 47th International Symposium
    Plasma Science and Technology Wednesday Sessions
       Session PS-WeP

Paper PS-WeP12
An Investigation of Plasma-polymer Interactions by Mass Spectrometry

Wednesday, October 4, 2000, 11:00 am, Room Exhibit Hall C & D

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: J. Hong, Ecole Polytechnique Montreal, Canada
Authors: J. Hong, Ecole Polytechnique Montreal, Canada
M.R. Wertheimer, Ecole Polytechnique Montreal, Canada
L. Martinu, Ecole Polytechnique Montreal, Canada
Correspondent: Click to Email
Modification of polymer surfaces by low pressure plasmas has gained industrial importance for controlling adhesion of coatings, wettability, printability and other surface-related properties. However, relatively little is known about the complex interactions of plasma with polymer surfaces. The present study is designed to investigate these interactions by mass spectrometry : in a special plasma reactor, which can be excited by microwave (MW, 2.45GHz), radiofrequency (RF, 13.56MHz), or dual (MW/RF) frequency power, polymer specimens are placed directly on the electrode, which also contains a small inlet-orifice (100 micron diameter) into the Hiden EQP 1000 plasma monitor/quadrupole mass spectrometer/ion energy analyzer. We observe molecular fragments from various polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, etc), which are liberated by chain scissions provoked by various energetic plasma constituents (ions, radicals, ultraviolet photons, etc). The different plasma modes mentioned above, and the choice of plasma gas (inert or molecular gases) allow us to select the dominant plasma species, their energies and fluxes during these surface treatments. Finally, we can study the desorption kinetics of species diffusing from beneath the polymer surface, which are created by UV irradiation.