Surface modification of polymeric materials by remote plasma

Abstract

Remote plasma treatment has been proposed here as a special technique to modify polymer surfaces. A concept for the remote plasma treatment rises from the anticipation that radicals rather than electrons and ions in plasma contribute to introduction reactions of functional groups and the radicals have longer lifetime than electrons and ions. As a result, effective surface modification at a position far from the plasma zone (remote plasma treatment) will be done because radicals rather than electrons and ions become a predominant species for the modification. Fluoropolymers, poly(tetrafluoroethylene), tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylne copolymer, and tetrafluroethylene-perfluoroalkylvinylether copolymer, were modified by the remote hydrogen plasma. Their surface morphology and surface chemistry were demonstrated. An application of the remote hydrogen plasma treatment for improvement of adhesion between copper metal and the fluoropolymers was also demonstrated.