Plasma Treatment of Glass Surfaces Using Diffuse Coplanar Surface Barrier Discharge in Ambient Air

We report a study on the treatment of flat glass surfaces by ambient air atmospheric pressure plasma, generated by a dielectric barrier discharge of coplanar arrangement of the electrode system—the diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD). The plasma treatment of glass was performed in both static and dynamic modes. With respect to wettability of the glass surface, treatment in static mode resulted in non-uniform surface properties, whereas dynamic mode provided a fully uniform treatment. A water contact angle measurement was used to determine the efficiency of plasma treatments in dynamic mode and also to investigate a hydrophobic recovery of plasma treated glass surfaces. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements showed a decrease of overall carbon concentrations after plasma treatment. A deconvolution of C1s peak, showed that a short plasma treatment led to decrease of C–C bonds concentration and increases of C–O and O–C=O bond concentrations. An enhancing influence of the glass surface itself on DCSBD diffuse plasma was observed and explained by different discharge onsets and changes in the electric field distribution.