X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of plasma–polymer interactions for development of low-damage plasma processing of soft materials

Plasma–polymer interactions have been investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) films, which have been exposed to argon plasmas driven by low-inductance antenna modules as a parameter of ion energy. The AFM images indicated that the argon plasma exposure exhibited a significant change in surface roughness. The XPS analyses suggested that the degradation of chemical bonding structure and/or bond scission of PET could be effectively suppressed in the plasma exposures with ion energies below 6 eV. However, significant degradations of O = C–O bond, C–O bond and phenyl group were observed with increasing ion energy above 6 eV.