Scan-Gallery: Oxidized PDMS surface

AFM image of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) surface exposed to Oxygen plasma on glass substrate. The parallel grooves can be either mechanical fractures or plasma etching damages (not clear yet).

Interesting is the difference in apparent features. Wrinkles only appear at lower oscillation amplitude, 4 nA instead of 10 nA (Setpoint in both cases set to 55% oscillation amplitude), as like by pushing harder the wrinkled curtain is squeezed down.

Sample courtesy Ilenia Viola, INFM-NNL Lecce, Italy.