Fluorocarbon plasmas for nanotexturing of polymers: A route to water-repellent antireflective surfaces

In this work the roughening of polystyrene by means of radiofrequency plasmas fed with CF4 has been studied. The effect of the Ar addition to the feed, the input power and the treatment duration has been investigated in terms of etching and fluorination degree. Wettability and reflectance performances of selected textured surfaces, coated with a fluorocarbon film from a C4F8 fed plasma, have been characterized. All the considered surfaces, even those poorly structured, once coated, show slippery superhydrophobicity, while antireflective transparency appears to be limited to precise texturing characteristics.