Surface modification by plasma techniques. I. The interactions of a hydrogen plasma with fluoropolymer surfaces

Abstract The rapid defluorination of fluoropolymer surfaces by their exposure to a hydrogen plasma excited by an inductively coupled RF field has been studied using ESCA. The results are interpreted in terms of a reaction/depth profile; the reaction is not uniform with depth leading to the formation of an approximately 20 Å thick boundary layer of defluorinated material.