Abstract
In order to reveal the plasma etching processes on fused silica, the surface characterizations of fused silica after Ar/CF4 atmospheric pressure plasma processing were investigated. The morphology and chemistry evolution of fused silica surface were analyzed by AFM and XPS respectively. The AFM micrographs exhibited the three-dimensional surface topography and the RMS roughness changed with the increase of the material removal depth. The surfaces appeared to become smoother when the plasma etching occurred on the surface top layer. However, after the chemically modified layer was removed, etching resulted in the formation of a series of pits. During extended etching, the individual pits coalesced with one another, and the coalescence provided a means of reducing the depth of subsurface damage and the RMS roughness. The XPS results illustrated that small amount of radicals including C-CFn and CF-CFn could be introduced onto the fused silica surface during the Ar/CF4 plasma process, the fluorocarbon radicals were generated during CF4 plasma ionization. And the changes in relative concentration of the fluorocarbon radicals C-CFn with the removal depth were also studied.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.