Properties of fluorinated silica glass deposited at low temperature by atmospheric plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 519; no. 4; pp. 1307 - 1313
• Main Authors: Barankin, Michael D., Williams, Thomas S., Gonzalez, Eleazar, Hicks, Robert F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-12-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Afterglows; Atmospheric pressure plasma; Atmospherics; Chemical vapor deposition; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Coatings; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Fluorinated silicon oxide; Fluorination; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Optical properties; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of specific thin films; Physics; Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition; Precursors; Refractive index; Silica glass; Silicon; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; Vapor phase epitaxy; growth from vapor phase; Atmospheric pressure plasma; Fluorinated silicon oxide; Optical properties; Refractive index; Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition; Atmospheric pressure; Growth rate; Fluorine; Roughness; Glass; Organic silane; Coatings; Precursor; Silica; Thin films; Vapor deposition; Afterglow; Plasma-enhanced chemical; Silicon oxides; Silicon; PECVD; Porosity
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2010.09.030

The atmospheric pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of fluorinated silica glass was demonstrated at a temperature of 120
°C. The process was carried out by simultaneously feeding tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (TMCTS) and triethoxyfluorosilane (TEOFS) into the afterglow of helium and oxygen plasma. The effect of the flow rate of the fluorinated precursor on the growth rate, composition, and optical properties was examined. The ratio of atomic fluorine to atomic silicon increased up to 10% at a TEOFS/TMCTS atomic Si feed ratio of 1.3 and then leveled off. Coatings made from pure TMCTS and both precursors showed higher surface roughness and porosity, and more hydroxyl content compared to coatings made from pure TEOFS. The refractive indices at 633
nm of films produced using pure TMCTS, a TEOFS/TMCTS atomic Si feed ratio of 1.3 and pure TEOFS were 1.457, 1.449, and 1.411, respectively.