A Review of Plasma‐Surface Interactions During Processing of Polymeric Materials Measured Using the IRIS Technique

Summary: This work reviews the use of the imaging of radicals interacting with surfaces (IRIS) technique to elucidate chemical mechanisms during plasma modification of polymers. Four systems are examined, NH and NH 2 in NH 3 plasmas, OH radicals in H 2 O and O 2 /NH 3 plasmas, OH in SiO 2 film deposition systems, and CF 2 molecules in a variety of fluorocarbon plasmas. Some of the findings include that NH and NH 2 are produced at the surface during NH 3 plasma modification of polymers. Their surface interactions are directly connected to each other and are also influenced by other plasma species such as ions. In implantation systems, OH reacts at the surface of polymers, contributing to the creation of hydrophilic polymeric membrane surfaces. In addition, OH surface reactivity is largely controlled by the chemistry of OH and not by other species in the plasma for all three systems studied. In fluoropolymer‐deposition systems, CF 2 is scattered from the surface and is strongly influenced by ion bombardment. Most notably, CF 2 scatter coefficients can be correlated directly to the percentage of cross‐linking in amorphous fluorocarbon films deposited in a range of plasma systems. Comparisons and contrasts between plasma systems and surface interactions of different species are provided. Spatially resolved two‐ dimensional ICCD images of the LIF signal for NH with a PI substrate rotated into the path of the molecular beam with a laser–surface distance of 3.5 mm. image Spatially resolved two‐ dimensional ICCD images of the LIF signal for NH with a PI substrate rotated into the path of the molecular beam with a laser–surface distance of 3.5 mm.