Abstract
Model films of poly(ethylene terephthalate) were treated by oxygen plasma in order to quantify the etching rate and estimate the contribution of charged and neutral particles to the reaction probability. Model films with a thickness of 50 nm were deposited on a quartz crystal of a microbalance (QCM) by spin-coating technique. The samples were exposed to oxygen plasma with the positive ion density of 4 × 10 15 m -3 and neutral oxygen atom density of 6 × 10 21 m -3. The etching rate was determined from the QCM signal and was 4.7 nm s -1. The etching was found rather inhomogeneous as the atomic force microscopic images showed an increase of the surface roughness as a result of plasma treatment. The model films were completely removed from the surface of the quartz crystals in about 12 s. Knowing the etching rate and the flux of oxygen atoms to the surface allowed for calculation of the reaction probability which was found to be rather low at the value of 1.6 × 10 -4.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 56-61 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Surface and Interface Analysis |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- AFM
- etching
- functionalisation
- oxygen plasma
- QCM
- wettability
- XPS
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Chemistry(all)
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Surfaces and Interfaces
- Surfaces, Coatings and Films
- Materials Chemistry