Formation of Nitrogen Functional Groups on Plasma Treated DLC

Abstract Diamond like carbon (DLC) thin films have been exposed to different nitrogen containing plasmas. A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure and a microwave discharge (MW) at low pressure using N 2 and mixtures Ar + NH 3 have been compared. Optical Emission and X‐ray Photoelectron spectroscopies, Atomic Force Microscopy and contact angle measurements have been used for this study. A DBD with Ar + NH 3 is the most efficient method for DLC functionalization. Films treated with this plasma presented the highest concentration of amine groups as determined by derivatization with 4‐chlorobenzaldehyde. All the treated samples underwent a significant aging with time. The efficiency of the different plasmas for DLC functionalization is discussed in the light of the intermediate species detected in the plasma. magnified image