Preparation and UV Absorption Property of Hybrid Fluorocarbon/ZnO Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract

Nanowire-mesoporous network structured fluorocarbon polymer films were prepared by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering of a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) target on a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate. The fluorocarbon films were used as precursor materials to prepare fluorocarbon/ZnO double-layered hybrid films by reaction sputtering of a Zn target on the fluorocarbon films. The hybrid films had strong UV absorption that was far larger than the sum of the individual absorptions of fluorocarbon film and ZnO film because of a synergistic effect. The hybrid films exhibited multi-enhanced ultraviolet absorption due to the π-conjugated molecular structure, the nanoparticle-mesoporous reflection of fluorocarbon polymer films, and the absorption effect of nanosized ZnO particles.