Plasma-assisted surface modification

K. Bazaka, M.V. Jacob, R.J. Crawford, E.P. Ivanova, Plasma-assisted surface modification of organic biopolymers to prevent bacterial attachment. Acta Biomater. 7, 2015-2028 (2011)... 

The plasma-assisted surface modification of polymers may also serve to create permselective membranes for gas purification. For example, thin membranes of natural rubber treated with a 4-vinyl pyridine plasma are capable of separating O2 from N2 [79]. For additional information on this topic, see Ref. [80]. 

Figure 2 presents the most common plasma-based surface modification techniques for biomedical applications, described in more detail later plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition or PACVD (RF, MW), physical vapor deposition or PVD (sputtering, cathodic arc), plasma polymerization and grafting, plasma-based thermochemical treatments (e.g. plasma nitriding), ion implantation, plasma immersion ion implantation or PHI, and plasma spraying. Each technique has unique advantages and applications, and the choice of the more adequate technique often depends on the... 

Mizutani T, Dale C J, Chu W K and Mayer T M 1985 Surface modification in plasma-assisted etching of silicon Nucl. Instrum. Methods B 7 825-30... 

The last two theories described (chemical and thermodynamic) are intimately linked together because both of them induce a modification of the chemical composition at the surface. On the one hand, this modification can change the thermodynamic parameters (wettability) of the surface. On the other, changes in chemical composition influence the chemical adhesion established between the adherend and the adhesive layer. Numerous treatments are available for surface modification with coronas [8], plasmas [9, 10], lasers [11, 12], ion-assisted reactions [13], or coupling agents [14, 15]. All these treatments do not only change the chemical composition they can also affect the roughness, the orientation of macromolecular chains, and the mechanical behavior. 

S. Vaswani, J. Koskinen, and D. W. Hess, Surface modification of paper and cellulose by plasma-assisted deposition of fluorocarbon films. Surface Coat. Technol, 195,121-129 (2005). 

Chemically reactive plasmas are widely used to modify the surface properties of materials. The technologies of plasma assisted processes, which are commercially used, allow a convenient modification of the resulting surfaces through a strict control of process parameters and variables. 

Plasma-assisted modification can be applied to solid, porous, and fibrous substrates. Nonwoven fabrics of polyethyleneterephthalate nanotextured with oxygen plasma and coated with a low-surface-energy nanofilm were highly effective in suppressing vapor condensation and repelling condensed droplets. The plasma-nanostructured surface retained its hydrophobicity after being subjected to water-vapor condensation and oil wetting, such... 

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