Analytical TEM Observation of the Flame-Ablated Surface of Borosilicate-Glass Vials

Abstract—We investigated the effects of the flame-ablation treatment on the inner surface of borosilicate glass vials and the adhesion of fluorinated diamond-like carbon coating to glass vials. Transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis show that the flame-ablation treatment removed the less durable layers that contained sodium borate, which might cause elution and delamination in an aqueous solution, and formed a flat surface. The outermost surface of the flame-ablated inner wall of the vials formed a microcrystal layer containing Na and K. In addition, the flame-ablation treatment improved the adhesion of the coating to the glass vials. The EDX maps show that F derived from the F-DLC coating and Na and K derived from the glass were mixed and formed an interface layer between the F-DLC coating and the glass vial. This result indicates that the flame-ablation treatment is a promising method to improve the adhesion of the coating to borosilicate glass vials.