Study on surface modification of polymer films by using atmospheric plasma jet source

Reactive gas plasma treatments of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and polyimide (Kapton) have been performed using an atmospheric plasmas jet source. Characteristics of surface modification have been examined by changing the distance between the plasma jet source and the treated sample, and by changing the working gas spaces. Simultaneously, each plasma jet source has been investigated by space-resolving spectroscopy in the UV/visible region. Polymer surfaces have been analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A marked improvement in the hydrophilicity of the polymer surfaces has been made by using N(2) or O(2), plastria jet source with a very short exposure time of about 0.0 1 s, whereas the less improvement has been obtained using on air plasma jet source because of NO(x) compound production. Changes in the chemical states of C of the polymer surfaces have been observed in XPS spectra after N(2) plasma jet spraying.