The growth and superhydrophobicity of a perfluorocarbon nanoneedle array on an SiO/sub 2/ surface

Alternate employment of etching gas (SF/sub 6/) and deposition gas (C/sub 4/F/sub 8/) on an unpolished SiO/sub 2/ surface in an inductive coupling plasma system generates a perfluorocarbon nanoneedle array at low pressure and at ambient temperature. The nanoneedle averages 300 nm in diameter and the nanoneedle surface has a large water contact angle of 171/spl deg/. The superhydrophobicity of the perfluorocarbon nanoneedle surface may be used in many industrial and biological processes.