The Effect of Low Pressure Plasma Polymerization Modes on the Properties of the Deposited Plasma Polymers

This work characterizes the properties of deposited plasma polymer that has been generated using three different low-pressure, low-temperature plasma modes: magnetron-enhanced audio frequency (15 kHz), magnetron-enhanced radio frequency (13.56 MHz), and radio frequency (13.56 MHz). A correlation between the applied plasma modes, the concentration of generated radicals in the deposited nanofilms, and the radical decay kinetics was found and is discussed. In addition, the role of the plasma driving frequency with respect to the properties of the films, in particular their density and their barrier properties, has been elucidated.