Paper PS1-TuA4
The Roles of Ions and Neutrals in Growth Mechanisms of Plasma Polymer Films

Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 3:00 pm, Room 24

Plasma polymers have been used since the 1960s and have found a wide range of applications. However the basic processes and mechanisms leading to plasma polymer film growth are poorly understood. Due to this lack of understanding, external parameters such as RF power and monomer flowrate are typically quoted in the literature, which provide no information on processes at the molecular level. Therefore reproducing films with different reactors is usually done by trial-and-error as the critical parameters determining growth processes are largely unknown.

Here we will discuss the roles of ions and neutrals in contributing mass to the film with a view to understanding the molecular processes by which plasma polymer films grow. The pivotal role of monomer chemical structure, specifically sites of unsaturation, in determining which growth mechanisms dominate will also be demonstrated.