Plasma-deposited parylene-like thin films: process and material properties

We report on the deposition of parylene-like films by plasma polymerization, starting from the sublimation of the di-para-xylylene precursor. The experiments were performed in a 13.56 MHz RF plasma set-up consisting of a tubular reactor with external electrodes. Deposition rates in the range of 4-250 nm min(-1) were obtained. Depending on the RF power and precursor mass flow values, layers with various morphology and composition can be obtained, ranging from rough semi-crystalline to smooth amorphous and from polymer-like to hydrogenated carbon-like films. The electrical properties of the layers studied by means of dielectric spectroscopy and charge stability measurements correlate to the structural film properties. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.