Microstructured and Plasma Etched PDMS Materials as Hydrophobic Materials

Microstructured porous polymer thin-films were used as templates to imprint microstructure into thin-films of PDMS materials. This allowed the frabrication of hydrophobic surfaces with various sizes of microstructure. After exposure to oxygen/fluoro carbon plasma treatment, contact angles increased and contact angle hysteresis decreased. This paper discusses the surface properties of these materials; particularly their surface composition and wetting properties, and it outlines how they may be produced experimentally.