Abstract

Hydrophobic polymeric thin films (e.g., fluorocarbon) are used in micro-fluidic applications for drag reduction. However, one of the major issues hindering their usage is reliability. Previous work shows a degradation/delamination of fluorocarbon (FC) film over a period of time. This paper investigates various processing parameters influencing the adhesion of hydrophobic FC coating to a silicon substrate. The FC film is processed using the “Bosch” process (alternating etching and deposition steps) to perform deep anisotropic silicon etching. The Si(100) wafers are first etched to a depth of about 5–10 μm and then coated with CF x film from the C 4F 8 monomer. The effect of pressure, inductively coupled plasma power, thickness of the film, and the gas ratio of mixing H 2 to C 4F 8 has been investigated using a fractional factorial experimental design. By better understanding the effect of each input variable, the reliability of the deposited film can be improved and this is discussed in detail in this paper.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.