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Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment of Fused Silica, Related Surface and Near-Surface Effects and Applications

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Abstract

We report on an atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) treatment of fused silica and its related surface and near-surface effects. Such treatment was performed in order to improve laser micro-structuring of fused silica by a plasma-induced modification of the glass boundary layer. In this context, an APP jet applying a hydrogenous process gas was used. By the plasma treatment, the transmission of the investigated glass samples was significantly decreased. Further, a decrease in the superficial index of refraction of approx. 3.66 % at a wavelength of 636.7 nm was detected ellipsometrically. By surface energy measurements, a decrease of the surface polarity of 30.23 % was identified. These determined modifications confirm a reduction of silicon dioxide to UV-absorbing silicon suboxide as already reported in previous work. Further, a change in reflexion by maximum 0.26 % was detected which is explained by the superposition of constructive and destructive interferences due to a surface wrinkling. With the aid of atomic force microscopy, an increase of the surface root mean squared roughness by a factor of approx. 19 was determined. It was found that both the surface energy and the strength of the fused silica surface were reduced by the plasma treatment. Even though such treatment led to a clustering of carbonaceous contaminants, a surface-cleaning effect was confirmed by secondary ion mass spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The increase in UV-absorption allows enhanced laser ablation results as shown in previous work.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the European Regional Development Funds (EFRE) and the Workgroup Innovative Projects of Lower Saxony (AGiP) in the frame of the Lower Saxony Innovation Network for Plasma Technology (NIP), project funding reference number W2-80029388. Further, the authors thank René Gustus from the Institute of Energy Research and Physical Technologies at the Clausthal University of Technology, Jürgen Ihlemann from the Laser Laboratory Göttingen, Benedikt Ernst from the Institute of Material Physics at the University of Göttingen, Gesa Pähler and Augusto Cardenas from the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the University of Göttingen, Jennifer Hoffmeister and Jörn Heine from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Göttingen as well as Kirsten Schiffmann from the Fraunhofer-Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films in Brunswick for the help during the measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Laser and Plasma Technologies, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Von-Ossietzky-Straße 99, 37085, Göttingen, Germany

    Christoph Gerhard, Tobias Weihs, Daniel Tasche, Stephan Wieneke & Wolfgang Viöl

  2. Application Center for Plasma and Photonic, Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films, Von-Ossietzky-Straße 99, 37085, Göttingen, Germany

    Christoph Gerhard, Stephan Brückner & Wolfgang Viöl

  3. Institute of Energy Research and Physical Technologies, Clausthal University of Technology, Leibnizstraße 4, 38678, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany

    Stephan Brückner

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  1. Christoph Gerhard
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  2. Tobias Weihs
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  3. Daniel Tasche
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  4. Stephan Brückner
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  5. Stephan Wieneke
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  6. Wolfgang Viöl
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Correspondence to Christoph Gerhard.

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Gerhard, C., Weihs, T., Tasche, D. et al. Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment of Fused Silica, Related Surface and Near-Surface Effects and Applications. Plasma Chem Plasma Process 33, 895–905 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-013-9471-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-013-9471-7

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