The effect of an Ar plasma treatment on polycarbonate substrates was investigated using $TiO_2$ coatings produced by reactive ion-beam assisted sputtering. The typical pressure used during sputtering was about $10^{-4}$ Torr. After the Ar plasma treatment, the contact angle of a water droplet was reduced from $88^{circ}$ to $52^{circ}$ and then further decreased to $12^{circ}$ with the addition of oxygen into the chamber. The surface of the polycarbonate substrate hanged from hydrophobic to hydrophilic with these treatments and revealed its changing nano-scale roughness. The $TiO_2$ films on the treated surface showed various colors and periodic ordering dependant on the film thickness due to optical interference.