PLASMA AND BEAM FACILITY ATOMIC OXYGEN EROSION OF A TRANSITION-METAL COMPLEX

Glassy residues of the complex disalicylidene-1,2-phenylenediamino)zir conium(IV), Zr(dsp)(2), on glass slides were exposed to atomic oxygen in a plasma asher or an atomic beam facility for various amounts of ti me in order to study the erosion process, determine tire rate of erosi on, and learn the chemical identity of the residue. The exposed films were characterized by weight loss, optical photography, profilometry, diffuse reflectance and total transmittance spectroscopy, scanning ele ctron microscopy (SEM) with wavelength dispersive X-ray spectrometry ( WDS), X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). R esults indicate that these films erode much more slowly polyimide (Kap ton(TM)) film under identical conditions, that tire erosion is very no nuniform, and that zirconium dioxide is the predominant product after extended exposure. This complex is currently being evaluated as a poly mer additive.