Chun Huang, Chi-Hung Liu, Siang-Syuan Wu

Surface characterization of the SiO(x) films prepared by a remote atmospheric pressure plasma jet

Surface and Interface Analysis 41 (2009) 44-48

The deposition rate and surface properties of SiO(x) films were prepared and investigated using remote atmospheric pressure plasma (APP)jet. The APP, generated with low frequency power at 16 kHz, was fed with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)/air gas mixture. After deposition, the SiOx films were analyzed for chemical characteristics, elemental composition, surface morphology, and hardness. It was found that the deposition substrate temperature is the key factor to affect the deposition rate of remote APP chemical vapor deposition process. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated that APP deposited SiO(x) films are an inorganic feature. XPS examination revealed that the SiO(x) films contained approximately 30% silicon, 58% oxygen and 12% carbon. Atomic forced microscopy (AFM) analysis results indicated a smooth surface of SiOx films in deposition under higher substrate temperature. Also, pencil hardness tests indicated that the hardness of APP deposited SiO(x) films was greatly improved with increasing substrate temperatures. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article may also be available to you online

Cited Articles

1. Trunec D., Navrátil Z., Sťahel P., Zajíčková L., Buršíková V.,
   Deposition of Thin Organosilicon Polymer Films in Atmospheric Pressure Glow Discharge,
   Journal of Physics D 37 (2004) 2112–2120