Molecular tailoring of surfaces via RF pulsed plasma polymerizations: biochemical and other applications

Summary form only given. Plasma induced polymerization of gaseous compounds represents an increasingly popular route to surface tailoring of materials and thus to improved device performance. An obviously important question of. this approach centers on the level of film chemistry controllability available under the highly reactive conditions present in the typical plasma discharge of a relatively complex organic molecule. In this presentation, the use of a pulsed discharge, in lieu of the conventional continuous wave operational mode, is shown to provide dramatic improvements in the level of chemical compositional control achievable during formation of the thin polymeric films. Of particular importance in achieving this control is the fact that the pulsed plasma approach permits formation of high quality films under much lower power inputs that are usable under CW conditions. Other interesting contrasts between pulsed and CW systems are noted in terms of the deposition rates and surface morphologies of the polymeric films generated via these two approaches. The enhanced film chemistry control provided by the pulsed plasma technique creates interesting possibilities for improved molecular tailoring of surfaces in a variety of applications. Several current applications from our laboratory will be discussed. These applications include regulating biomolecule-surface interactions,, synthesis of electrically conductive films from certain organic monomers and superhydrophobic surfaces from perfluorocarbon compounds. The applications discussed are predicated on the improved film chemistry controllability made available by the variable duty cycle pulsed plasma technique.