Lateral force microscopy as a method of surface control after low-temperature plasma treatment

Abstract

The surface properties of titanium, silicon, and a two-layer polymer film PMF-351 are studied after the action of a low-temperature plasma of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). It is established that such treatment leads to the surface cleaning. This is evidenced by the values of roughness. The friction coefficient Cfr is selected as a characteristic that allows the time variation of surface properties after the plasma treatment. Cfr is determined using lateral forces regime of atomic force microscopy. The dependences of the friction coefficient Cfr on time for titanium, silicon, and a two-layer polymeric film PMF-351 are obtained. The best effect after treatment with low-temperature plasma persists for the first 20-30 minutes for titanium and a polymer film, and 5 minutes for silicon.