Deposition of Functional Plasma Polymers Influenced by Reactor Geometry in Capacitively Coupled Discharges

The deposition of functional plasma polymers such as a-C:H:O films is mainly influenced by fragmentation of the parent molecules in the gas phase as well as by the energetic conditions during film growth at the surface. The influence of gas phase and surface processes on the a-C:H:O film properties was thus investigated in order to optimize cross-linking and functional group density. The control of both conditions enables permanent functional plasma polymer films deposited within different reactor geometries (capacitively coupled symmetric vs. asymmetric at driven electrode and at grounded electrode). Comparison and up-scaling of such plasma polymerization processes are facilitated by knowing the internal energy input into the plasma and into the growing film surface.