Novel polymeric thin film deposition system: Injector-apparatus/PECVD reactor

A monomer injection apparatus has been developed to be used with a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reactor to deposit polymeric thin films from precursor monomers with boiling points ranging from low to very high. The system (PECVD reactor-injection apparatus) allows deposition of layered, as well as doped, polymeric thin films. Thin film deposition from a mixture of two monomers with very different boiling points-thiophene and 2,3-dihydrothieno [3,4-b]-1,4-dioxin (EDOT)-and other monomers like dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and 2-chloro-p-xylene has been performed to demonstrate the capabilities of the deposition system. Thermal analysis of the deposited thin film using microthermal analysis (muTA(TM)) and differential scanning calorimetry performed on deposited films is also presented. The injection apparatus associated with a PECVD reactor proved to be a very versatile tool for novel polymeric thin film deposition.