Energy Conversion Efficiency in Low- and Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Polymerization Processes,Part II: HMDSO

For at least forty years, there has been an interest to correlate the structure of plasma polymer coatings with fabrication parameters during deposition, most particularly with the energy input per monomer molecule, \( E_{\text{m}} \). In our two laboratories, we have developed methods for measuring \( E_{\text{m}} \) (or somewhat equivalent activation energy, \( E_{\text{a}} \)) in low- (LP) and atmospheric-pressure (AP) discharge plasmas. We earlier proposed energy conversion efficiency, ECE, as a new parameter which permits direct comparison of LP and AP experiments. This is done here for the case of a much-studied organosilicon precursor (monomer), hexamethyl-disiloxane. “Critical” \( E_{\text{m}} \) (or \( E_{\text{a}} \)) values that demarcate ECE regimes separating different fragmentation/reaction mechanisms are found to agree remarkably well, and to correlate with specific mechanisms. Furthermore, deposition rates, and structural (for example, “organic/inorganic” content ratio) characteristics are seen to display very similar behaviors, despite additional drastically differing fabrication conditions like pure or highly diluted (in Ar carrier gas) monomer feed in the LP and AP cases, respectively.