Plasma treatment of poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) leads to changes in the surface composition that can be followed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Prolonged plasma treatment in argon or hydrogen leads to an increase in oxygen, a decrease in carbon, and only minor changes in the silicon content. The extent of the change in elemental composition is dependent on the plasma conditions (e.g., the power and pressure during the treatment). We have determined how these parameters influence the surface composition of PDMS exposed to argon and hydrogen microwave plasma as a function of treatment time. A model has been developed describing the extent of change in surface composition under different plasma conditions. The power had a large impact on the rate of change in elemental surface composition, whereas the pressure had only a minor influence. We show that the rate of change in elemental composition can be described by one factor common for all treatments and one factor specific for each plasma condition of power, pressure, and gas. Using this model we can determine the plasma parameters and treatment time to obtain any desired extent of surface modification. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.