Plasma Processes for the Surface Engineering of Polymers

Plasma processing has reached a paramount importance in many manufacturing applications. Applications can be found in very different fields, ranging from corrosion protection to packaging, and from microelectronics to biomaterials. Our main goal is dealing with the optimization and development of plasma processes based on a unique material chemistry approach. In all the applications we considered, the focal point has been a detailed chemical description of the process and the material under study, with a particular emphasis on its final properties. This chapter summarizes some of the plasma processes developed in our laboratory in the last twenty years for the film deposition, surface treatment and etching of polymers. For each kind of process, both low-pressure and atmospheric pressure plasma solutions are reviewed and discussed.