Patent ID: 8094431

Claim:
A method for increasing the dielectric breakdown strength of a polymer, comprising: providing the polymer, wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polymer having a glass transition temperature of at least about 150° C.; and a polymer composite comprising at least one inorganic constituent; and contacting a surface of the polymer in a reaction chamber with a gas plasma formed from at least one feedstock gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, carbon tetrafluoride, nitrogen, air, ammonia, hydrogen, argon and helium, wherein the feedstock gas is directed to the surface of the polymer at a flow rate of at least about 1 standard cubic centimeter per minute to about 10,000 standard cubic centimeters per minute; wherein the contact with the gas plasma is carried out for a period of time sufficient to incorporate additional chemical functionality into a surface region of the polymer film, to provide a treated polymer; wherein the treated polymer has a dielectric breakdown strength which is at least 0.1 percent (%) greater than the dielectric breakdown strength of an untreated polymer.