AVS 50th International Symposium
    Plasma Science and Technology Wednesday Sessions
       Session PS-WeP

Paper PS-WeP14
Selected Modifications of PE and PTFE Surfaces by Means of a Modified RF N@sub 2@ Plasma

Wednesday, November 5, 2003, 11:00 am, Room Hall A-C

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: N. Vandencasteele, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Authors: N. Vandencasteele, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
F. Reniers, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
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Plasma techniques are often used to modify polymer surfaces. However, due to the great variety of the species created in a plasma (neutrals, ions, electrons), the resulting surface modification is often poorly controlled, and the mechanisms of surface reaction poorly understood. In order to try to better control and undersand these processes, we have modified the geometry of a RF plasma chamber in order to be able to filter the species reaching the surface, allowing only the neutrals and the electrons to reach the surface, depending on the electrode bias. The selected effect of the nitrogen ions was the subject of another study.@footnote 1@ PE and PTFE surfaces have been exposed to this modified N@sub 2@ RF plasma. The plasma was characterized by optical emission spectrometry. A variation of the densities of the active species relative to the cathode position is evidenced. The samples were afterwards characterized by XPS, water contact angle measurements and AFM (for surface roughness). A strong correlation between the surface energy, the nitrogen concentration on the surface, the plasma characteristics (DC-bias and RF power) and the treatment time is shown. A deconvolution of the C1s and N1s peaks show a progressive functionalisation sequence of the surface. The effect of the polarity of the native bonds (C-H in PE and C-F in PTFE) on this sequence is studied. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@A. Wagner, D.H. Fairbrother, F. Reniers, Plasma and Polymers 8 (2003) 119-134.