Surfaces of optical elements are deposited by antireflection coatings (ARCs) to
decrease the reflection of light. Surface needs treatment before depositing the
ARC one of treatment processes by using plasma for adhesion improvement
and surface hardening. A comparison of RF and DC glow discharges treated
CR-39 polymer films gives insight into the mechanism of these surface
processes. The surface properties of the plasma-treated samples are examined
by microscopy techniques include contact angle measurements, scanning
electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), infrared (IR)
spectroscopy and refractive index measurements. Results show that the plasma
treatment modifies the polymer surface in both composition and morphology.
It is found that the surface wettability is enhanced after plasma treatment.
It is found that, RF plasma is more effective than DC plasma in CR-39
surface modification, and becomes more uniform, as it implants more oxygen
atoms into the surface and makes the contact angle declining to a lower level.