| Abstract: | The effects of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) at wavelengths of 5–200 nm on the microscopic structure and optical properties of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) films were investigated. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the C1s spectra changed from a single peak at 292.8 eV to multiplex peaks with binding energies of 284.6, 286.6, 288.6, 290.5, and 293.0 eV after VUV irradiation at 680 esh. With an increasing irradiation dose, the C1s peaks at 290.5 and 293.0 eV disappeared. After the PTFE film specimens irradiated at 1600 esh were sputtered with argon ions for 3 min, the C1s peaks at 290.5 and 293.0 eV appeared again, and the height of the peaks at 286.6 and 288.6 eV increased. The content of fluorine decreased after VUV irradiation. The content of fluorine in the film surface layer decreased significantly with the increase in the VUV intensity, but it did not change with the irradiation dose. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis results indicated that some conjugated bonds, such as ? FC?CF? , were formed during VUV irradiation, but no CH absorption bands were observed in the FTIR spectra; this indicated that the increase in the height of the C1s peak at 284.6 eV arose mainly from the carbon–carbon bonds, that is, from carbonification. The spectral transmittance of the PTFE film decreased gradually with an increasing VUV irradiation dose, and at a given dose, the lower the intensity was of the VUV irradiation, the greater the change was in the spectral transmittance. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 115–121, 2003 |
