The audio frequency (AC) plasma of some kind of fluorocarbon chemical was applied to deposit a nanoparticulate hydrophobic film onto a cotton fabric surface. The measurement of the video contact angle showed that the superhydrophobicity of the cotton fabric was obtained with a treatment of only 30 s. The softness, water retention, moisture regain, color retention, abrasion, friction, and permeability were thoroughly investigated by a standard method that compared the fabric with a commercial Scotchgard-protector-sprayed cotton fabric. The results showed that the textile performances of the plasma-coated fabric were superior to those of Scotchgard-sprayed samples, except for the moisture regain, which was almost the same. A post-treatment at a high temperature was conducive to increasing the hydrophobicity and the recovery of the water repellency of the plasma-coated fabric after it was washed. Atomic force microscopy images and time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectra of plasma thin films on silicon wafers indicated that some physical and chemical changes took place during the post-treatment process. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.