Thickness of the Modified Polymer Layer Formed by Low-Temperature Plasma Treatment

Experimental data presented in the literature on the depth of processing of polymer films using low-temperature plasma are considered. Changes in the chemical composition and structure along the depth of the samples have been studied using the modern experimental techniques of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and transmission electron microscopy; precision etching was carried out with an Ar(2500 )(+)cluster beam; and the pit depth was measured by profilometry. It has been found that the thickness of the modified layer is <= 50 nm and depends relatively little on the polymer nature.