Polymerization mechanisms of hexamethyldisiloxane in low-pressure plasmas involving complex geometries

Polymerization mechanisms of hexamethyldisiloxane in low-pressure plasmas involving complex geometries

WoS Article

Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) low-pressure plasmas are known for their versatility in the deposition of plasma polymer films (PPFs) with different properties and applications. Although they have been studied for decades, the reaction mechanisms of plasma polymer formation leave open questions, particularly when deposition on 3D materials with complex geometries such as cavities and undercuts is considered. In the present study, two configurations named "cavity" and "undercut" have been selected to study the influence of diffusion of film forming species and surface reactivity in HMDSO plasmas without and with O2 admixture. A varying spatial chemical composition of the plasma polymer deposit along the penetration depth of the studied configurations indicates different sticking probabilities of the film-forming species. Furthermore, although ion-induced effects are usually only considered for direct plasma exposure, the obtained results and additional etching experiments reveal that the contribution of high-energy particles might still be considered underneath small openings. Finally, the relevance of oxidizing chemical reactions at the surface inside the configurations is clarified when O2 is added to the plasma.

Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) low-pressure plasmas are known for their versatility in the deposition of plasma polymer films (PPFs) with different properties and applications. Although they have been studied for decades, the reaction mechanisms of plasma polymer formation leave open questions, particularly when deposition on 3D materials with complex geometries such as cavities and undercuts is considered. In the present study, two configurations named "cavity" and "undercut" have been selected to study the influence of diffusion of film forming species and surface reactivity in HMDSO plasmas without and with O2 admixture. A varying spatial chemical composition of the plasma polymer deposit along the penetration depth of the studied configurations indicates different sticking probabilities of the film-forming species. Furthermore, although ion-induced effects are usually only considered for direct plasma exposure, the obtained results and additional etching experiments reveal that the contribution of high-energy particles might still be considered underneath small openings. Finally, the relevance of oxidizing chemical reactions at the surface inside the configurations is clarified when O2 is added to the plasma.

Plasma polymerization; HMDSO; ATR-FTIR; Surface oxidation

Plasma polymerization; HMDSO; ATR-FTIR; Surface oxidation

Navascués, P; Buchtelová, M; Zajícková, L; Rupper, P; Hegemann, D

2025

01.02.2024

ELSEVIER

AMSTERDAM

1873-5584

APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE

645

158824

Kingdom of the Netherlands

9

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169433223025047

http://hdl.handle.net/11012/254273

1-s2.0-S0169433223025047-main