Study of the interactions of model polymer surface with cold plasmas. II. Degradation rate versus pressure and gas flow rate

This work deals with the influence of pressure, gas flow rate, and gas mixture on the etching rates of polymer model molecules such as hexatriacontane (C36H74) and octadecyl octadecanoate (OOD) treated in an oxygen or argon plasma. Mass spectrometry and optical emission spectroscopy have been used to monitor the formation and evolution of the fragments coming from chain breaking in terms of their concentration and emission intensity, respectively. It was demonstrated that pressure and gas flow rate are two important parameters in the interaction of cold plasmas and of polymer surfaces. The results obtained can be explained by combined effects such as electron energy and its density, residence time, “quenching effect,” as well as chemical reactions. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.