Free radicals created by plasmas cause autohesive bonding in polymers

We find that plasma immersion ion implantation of polymer surfaces enhances their autohesive bond strength when pressed together by more than a factor of five. Both polymerising (CH₄ / O₂) and nonpolymerising (Ar) plasmas are effective. There is currently no satisfactory theory for predicting this remarkable phenomenon. We propose that free radicals created by the plasma treatment process diffuse to the interface and cause covalent bonds to form. This theory predicts the dependence of bond strength on plasma bias voltage, treatment time, and autohesive process conditions.