Closed Batch Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition of Ultrathin, Functional, and Conformal Polymer Films

A modified fabrication process based on initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) has been developed for producing ultrathin and uniform polymer films. This so-called “closed batch” (CB) iCVD process provides fine-tuning of the thickness and deposition rate of polymeric materials while using significantly less reactant material than the conventional continuous flow (CF) iCVD process. Four different polymers, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), poly(trivinyltrimethylcyclotrisiloxane), poly(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyl acrylate), and poly(e-caprolactone), were synthesized by both CB and traditional CF iCVD. The resulting CB iCVD polymers are functionally identical to CF iCVD and solution-polymerized materials. Additionally, the new CB process retains the desirable ability to achieve conformal coverage over microstructures. Ultrathin (<30 nm) films can be controllably and reproducibly deposited; no prior optimization process is required to obtain excellent film thickness uniformity. The CB iCVD films are also extrem...