Molecular reactions at plasma-polymerized film surfaces

The ability of a variety of molecules to stick to the surface of a growing plasma-deposited polymer film was tested by a new technique. An inductively coupled rf plasma of an organic molecule was sampled through an orifice into a vacuum chamber. The beam of all plasma species intersected a substrate and plasma polymer was deposited. A second beam of a probe species was scattered from the surface of the film during deposition in the vacuum chamber and the IR spectra of the final film and the deposition rate were measured to determine the effect of the scattering. Molecules which are not attached to the film include 2-vinylpyridine, deuterium, C2D2, toluene, and C2Cl4. The molecules O2 and NO readily attach to the growing film while having no effect on the deposition rate. It was also determined that ion bombardment of the film surface does not play a significant role in the deposition process