Surface plasmon-based techniques for the analysis of plasma deposited functional films and surfaces

Herein we demonstrate that two surface plasmon-based techniques (i.e., SPR and OWS) allow for sensitive and real-time monitoring of plasma polymers of different thicknesses ranging from several nanometers to micrometers. Firstly, the fundamentals and the implementation of SPR/OWS are given. Examples about the use of SPR and OWS for the characterization of plasma deposited thin films are then presented, with emphasis on the stability and the swelling of those films in humid atmospheres and in aqueous media. The binding behavior of biological species (e.g., nucleic acid, protein, etc.) onto plasma polymer surfaces as seen by SPR and OWS are also discussed. The results clearly show that surface plasmon optics will play an essential part in the understanding and the future development of plasma deposited polymers.