Fluorinated PMMA optical films were obtained using the CF4+H2 plasma polymerisation technique. The characterisation analysis: ESCA, RBS, FTIR, gravimetry, contact angle, refractometry and ellipsometry, revealed that a hydrofluorcarbon polymer was deposited on the optical films exposed to the plasma. Fluorine concentration increased gradually with the fluorinated film depth (0.43-0.49mum). A refractive index 1.42-1.43 was found on the surface of the fluorinated films, lower than the PMMA (1.49). This fluorinated layer could present a gradient refractive index, being reciprocal of the Fluorine concentration. The potential advantages to obtain graded-index polymer waveguides and optical fibres are loss reductions and higher transmission rates.
PMMA; refractive index; plasma fluorination; polymeric wave guides; optical fibres
