Formation of Superhydrophobic Surfaces on Fluoropolymer Films Using Ion Implantation

In this study, a facile method to fabricate superhydrophobic surfaces on perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) films using ion implantation was developed. PFA films were implanted at 100 keV with a fluence ranging from $4{\times}10^{16}$ to $7{\times}10^{16}ions\;cm^{-2}$. The surface properties of the implanted films were investigated in terms of their surface morphology, wettability, and chemical composition. As the fluence increased to $6{\times}10^{16}ions\;cm^{-2}$, the surface morphology and surface roughness of the PFA films were dramatically changed. The PFA surface implanted at a fluence of $6{\times}10^{16}ions\;cm^{-2}$ showed a maximum contact angle (CA) of $157.1^{\circ}$, while the control CA of the smooth PFA surface was $103.6^{\circ}$. Thus, the superhydrophobic surface was successfully fabricated by ion implantation.