Film Chemistry Control and Growth Kinetics of Pulsed Plasma-Polymerized Aniline

The polymerization of aniline under continuous and pulsed RF-plasma conditions is studied using the same plasma reactor. The effects of input power, on and off-times, frequency and duty cycle variations on the growth kinetics and on the chemical structure of the obtained layers are examined. The chemical structure of the films is characterized using Fourier Transform Infra-Red, X-ray photoelectron and UltraViolet?CVisible spectroscopies. The thickness of the films is determined by profilometry. The results show a strong dependence of film chemistry and deposition rates on the discharge power and on-time. The film deposited by pulsed plasma grows mainly during the plasma-on period. Furthermore, this work shows that the retention of aromatic rings can be evaluated by Fourier transform infrared analysis whereas oxidation degree of plasma polyaniline can be determined by X-ray photoelectron and UV?CVis spectroscopies.