Superhydrophobic surfaces prepared by plasma fluorination of lotus-leaf-like amorphous carbon films

Lotus-leaf-like amorphous carbon (a-C) films were fabricated on glass and Si substrates by a magnetron sputtering system and fluorinated in carbon tetrafluoride plasma. The fluorinated films (a-C:F) had a maximum contact angle (CA) of about 162 degrees, which is much larger than that of the nonfluorinated films (105 degrees). Furthermore, the geometric microstructure and chemical composition of the a-C:F films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, respectively. The characterization results indicated that the CA on the surfaces of the a-C:F films can be improved remarkably by the plasma-fluorinated process. Such a-C:F films that combine superhydrophobicity with other properties may have many potential applications.