To control the interactions between surfaces and biological systems, it is common to attach polymers' proteins, and other species to the surfaces of interest. In this case, surface modification of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was performed by exposing PDMS films to the effluent from a microwave ammonia plasma, with a goal of creating primary amine groups on the PDMS. These amine sites were to be used as binding sites for polymer attachment. Chemical changes to the surface of the PDMS were investigated as a function of treatment time, microwave power, and PDMS temperature during plasma treatment. Functional groups. resulting from this treatment were characterized using attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy. Plasma treatment resulted in the incorporation of oxygen- and nitrogen-containing groups, including primary amine groups. In general, increasing the treatment time, plasma power and substrate temperature increased the level of oxidation of the films, and led to the formation of imines and nitriles. PDMS samples treated at 100 W and 23 degreesC for 120 s were chosen for proof-of-concept dextran coating. Samples treated at this condition contained primary amine groups and few oxygen-containing groups. To test the viability of the primary amines for attachment of biopolymers, functionalized dextran was successfully attached to primary amine sites on the PDMS films. (C) 2005 American Vacuum Society.