Plasma Directed Organization of Nanodots on Polymers: Effects of Polymer Type and Etching Time on Morphology and Order

Oxygen plasma etching of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and polystyrene (PS) leads to the formation of organized nanodots on the surfaces of the polymers. In this paper, we describe the metrological characterization of these nanodots and compare their morphology as a function of the polymer type. We study the evolution of the surface morphology with etching time and observe a transition point where dual scale roughness develops, order is lost, and sudden increase in the surface roughness is observed. Possible mechanisms are discussed.

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