Single source precursor vs. precursor mixture for N-rich plasma polymer deposition: Plasma diagnostics and thin film analyses

Abstract

Two distinct methods of producing N-rich films, that mainly differ in their choice of precursor are compared; the first method involves a single source precursor and the second, a mixture of precursors that consists of a heteroatom source gas and hydrocarbon (HC) gas. Plasma diagnostics and thin film chemistry of allylamine (AA), cyclopropylamine (CPA), ammonia/ethylene (AmEt) and ammonia/1,3-butadiene (AmBu) are studied, while maintaining the same N to C ratio, 1 to 3, in the gas phase. Single source precursors produce films containing higher N, whereas, precursor mixtures, owing to reduced dehydrogenation, produce films with a low nitrile content. While similarities between fragmentation patterns of single source precursors and precursor mixtures are observed in the plasma phase as the energy supplied is increased, chemical differences still exist between films produced by these two methods, within the studied range of power.