Roll-to-roll surface etching of polymers using hydrogen plasma at atmospheric pressure
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| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The low-temperature atmospheric plasma generated in pure hydrogen by diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge was used for plasma surface etching of various polymers. Flexible polymer foils were plasma-modified in roll-to-roll configuration. Various polymers, such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) foils were exhibited to the hydrogen plasma etching. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the change in the thickness of the samples from the measurement of cross-section images of polymer foils. As shown, the etching rate of tested samples was of the order of ~ 10 - 100 nm/min. Therefore, the presented method is most suitable for precise etching of nanostructures and thin polymeric layers from the top of various substrates. Finally, one particular example of hydrogen-plasma etching at atmospheric pressure is presented. A thin surface polymer (PMMA-based) layer was removed from the upper part of polymer - metallic mesh flexible foil which can be used as a substrate e.g. in photovoltaic applications. Very short exposition times (~ 1s) are enough for etching of thin nano layers of PMMA with a thickness of the order of ~ 10 - 100 nm. Moreover, a selectivity of reduction hydrogen plasma is discussed in the paper. |
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