Role of unsaturated groups in glow discharge polymerization

Abstract

The role of unsaturated groups of the starting compounds in glow discharge polymerization was investigated by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and ESCA. Tetramethylsilane (TMS), trimethylvinylsilane (TMVS), and ethyltrimethylsilane (ETMS) were used as starting materials. Glow discharge conditions (W/FM value meaning the rf power input per mass of the monomers) as well as a degree of the unsaturation of the starting materials had strong influences upon the polymer deposition rate and the elemental composition of the formed polymers. The C1s and the Si2p spectra showed that the chemical composition of these polymers was distinguished by either presence or absence of the unsaturated groups in the starting compounds rather than kind of the unsaturated groups. The polymer formation, when the monomers containing double and triple bonds were served, is proceeded not only through these unsaturated bonds but also through the cleavage between Si and C atoms.