Roughness modification of surfaces treated by a pulsed dielectric barrier discharge

Local modifications of surface roughness are very important in many applications, as this surface property is able to generate new mechano-pbysical characteristics of a large category of materials. Roughness is one of the most important parameters used to characterize and control the surface morphology, and techniques that allow modifying and controlling the surface roughness present increasing interest. In this respect we propose the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) as a simple and low cost method that can be used to induce controlled roughness on various surfaces in the nanoscale range. DBD is produced in helium, at atmospheric pressure, by a pulsed high voltage, 28 kV peak to peak, 13.5 kHz frequency and 40 W power. This type of discharge is a source of energy capable of modifying the physico-chemical properties of the surfaces without affecting their bulk properties. The discharge is characterized by means of electrical probes and, in order to analyse the heat transfer rate from the discharge to the treated surface, measurements of temperature distribution on the surface are performed. Influence of DBD on the roughness of surfaces with various properties, a semiconductor (tin oxide), a dielectric (polyvinylchloride) and a metallic (silver) surface, respectively, are investigated. Modifications of the surface morphology are detected by atomic force microscopy images, statistic roughness parameters and contact angle measurements. Results show an important increase of roughness and porosity of the thin films after DBD treatment, depending on the type of the material (semiconductor, dielectric and metallic). In the case of dielectric surfaces, this new morphology is correlated with adhesion work estimations. DBD treatments should be a convenient tool to induce a controlled roughness of various types of materials.