Decrease in the etch rate of polymers in the oxygen afterglow with increasing gas flow rate

This paper reports the variation of the etch rate of polymers in the afterglow of a radio frequency discharge in oxygen as a function of total flow rate in the range 2-10 cu cm (STP)/min. The measurements were made at ambient temperature with the O(P-3) concentration held essentially constant. Results are reported on three polymers: cis-polybutadiene, a polybutadiene with 33 percent 1,2 double bonds, and a polybutadiene with 40 percent 1,2 double bonds. It has been observed that the etch rate of these polymers decreases significantly with increasing flow rate, strongly suggesting that the vapor-phase products of polymer degradation contribute to the degradation process.