SiO2 thin films were deposited on the inner surfaces of a commercial poly(tetrafluoroethylene) narrow tube with an inner diameter of 0.5 mm using tetraethoxysilane/O-2 feedstock gases and He carrier gas by atmospheric-pressure microplasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. A glow microplasma. was generated inside the tube by radio frequency (RF) capacitively coupled discharge. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra showed that the tube inner surface was covered by a SiO2 thin film. Transparent SiO2 thin films were obtained with a deposition rate of 230 nm/min at an RF power of 6 W and substrate temperature of 100 degrees C. The wettability of the SiO2-coated tube was about 3 times as large as that of an untreated sample tube. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.