Air plasma treatment of submicron thick PDMS polymer films: effect of oxidation time and storage conditions

The effect of oxidation time and storage conditions on the surface wettability of thin films of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) spun cast onto glass slides was studied. Films were oxidized in a low temperature air plasma for either 1 min or 6 s and stored in either air, water, or hexadecane. Analysis of the sessile water contact angle with time shows that partial to complete hydrophobic recovery occurs within days under all conditions.