Surface DBD for Deposition of PEO‐Like Plasma Polymers

Abstract

This work investigates the possibility to prepare PEO‐like plasma polymers by using an AC surface dielectric barrier discharge in argon with admixtures of di(ethylene glycol) monovinyl ether vapors at atmospheric pressure. The surface discharge was driven in an amplitude‐modulated regime with a driving AC frequency of 5 kHz with a variable discharge duty cycle of 0.2–0.8. Deposition of plasma polymers was tested for variable argon flow rate of 0.5–2 slm and for various distances between the discharge electrode surface and deposition substrates. The measurements of electro‐optical discharge characteristics and infrared analysis of deposited films were performed to fix suitable deposition conditions. Best retention of PEO‐like character was obtained for the following conditions: the distance between substrates and discharge surface of 3 mm, argon flow rate of 1 slm, excitation AC high voltage of 2.2 kV (peak‐to‐peak) and discharge duty cycle of 0.4.

PEO‐like Plasma Polymers Prepared by Atmospheric Pressure Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge

“…The SDBD reactor designed at the Institute of Plasma Physics in Prague consists of an electrode system placed in a Plexiglas chamber equipped with gas feed input/output ports, high voltage interface and load–lock system for handling substrates. The experimental set‐up was identical to that described and shown in detail previously 27. Figure 1 shows only a simplified sketch of the deposition setup.…”

“…Especially surprising is then the fact that until very recently the deposition of PEO‐like plasma polymers by atmospheric pressure discharges has not been considered at all. The first reports date in 2010 although atmospheric pressure plasma polymerization has been known for at least several decades 25–28. Nisol et al studied atmospheric pressure plasma liquid deposition (APPLD) and atmospheric pressure plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (atmospheric pressure PECVD) of tetraglyme.…”

“…The discharge composed of many tiny streamer micro‐discharges forms a thin reactive surface layer over the boundary between the patterned HV live electrode and the surface of the dielectric plate 29–32. Recently, it was proved that an amplitude‐modulated AC SDBD operated at sufficiently low discharge duty cycle can be used to deposit PEO‐like thin films 27. The use of amplitude‐modulated system was inspired by the works with low pressure PECVD of ether‐bearing precursors which showed that plasma chemistry processes can be tuned by pulsing the discharge at low duty cycles 14–20…”

Plasma Deposition of PEO‐Like Coatings with Aerosol‐Assisted Dielectric Barrier Discharges

“…Among several discharge configurations that allow to ignite cold plasmas at AP, dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) are becoming more and more attractive for surface modification processes,23 and the interest towards surface modification AP plasmas for biomedical applications is growing 24–31. To the best of our knowledge, Nisol et al31 have published the first paper on PEO‐like films AP plasma‐deposited by using a plasma torch in two different modes, namely: AP plasma liquid deposition (APPLD), where the liquid precursor tetraethylglycoldimethylether (TEGDME) is sprayed on the substrate and then exposed to an argon plasma for activating and cross‐linking the coating, and AP plasma enhanced chemical vapours deposition (APPECVD), where TEGDME vapours are injected into the plasma with a carrier flow of argon from a heated bubbling system.…”

Cell Repellent Coatings Developed by an Open Air Atmospheric Pressure Non-Equilibrium Argon Plasma Jet for Biomedical Applications

“…The wide varieties of ethylene oxide group containing precursors have been intensively studied to understand the retention properties of monomers, which are responsible for the protein repelling characteristic of the materials . A literature survey shows that ethylene glycol polymers were prepared by liquid deposition, liquid atomization, and vapor deposition by using the DBD technique. However, most of the studies reported so far are with helium (He) as a carrier gas to generate the plasma under the controlled environment by preventing air introduction in the plasma reactor.…”