Insight into plasma polymerization with a significant
contribution of etching to the deposition process

J 2025

Insight into plasma polymerization with a significant contribution of etching to the deposition process

JANŮŠOVÁ, Martina; David NEČAS; Paula NAVASCUÉS; Dirk HEGEMANN; Stevan GAVRANOVIĆ et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Insight into plasma polymerization with a significant contribution of etching to the deposition process

Authors

JANŮŠOVÁ, Martina; David NEČAS; Paula NAVASCUÉS; Dirk HEGEMANN; Stevan GAVRANOVIĆ and Lenka ZAJÍČKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Surface and Coatings Technology, Elsevier B.V. 2025, 0257-8972

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Article in a journal

Field of Study

20506 Coating and films

Country of publisher

Switzerland

Confidentiality degree

is not subject to a state or trade secret

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 5.400 in 2023

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2025.131962

UT WoS

001441709300001

EID Scopus

2-s2.0-86000165315

Keywords in English

PECVD; Coating 3D or porous structures; Oxygen-containing plasma polymers; Deposition rate; Monte Carlo simulation

Abstract

In the original language

Plasma polymer deposition processes are well-studied and optimized on flat substrates. Understanding the role of substrate geometry is crucial for optimizing deposition on non-planar substrates. We investigated the altered transport of film-forming species into two 3D geometries, cavities with a slit opening and a cavity with an undercut, to assess the contribution of ions to the deposition and etching and to estimate the sticking coefficient of depositing species for the CO2/C2H4/Ar gas mixture. Profilometry and ellipsometry were employed to obtain film thicknesses. It revealed a significant extension of the deposition inside the cavities attributed to film- forming species with a low sticking coefficient. These depositing species contain less oxygen because a spatially resolved ATR-FTIR analysis revealed an increasing proportion of hydrocarbons further inside the cavity. Inside the cavities with a slit, the film thickness exceeded its value on the flat Si surface outside. This difference indicated that ions responsible for etching collide during their flight toward the growing film inside the slit. However, it also suggests that some ionic species contribute to the deposition because directional species become more prominent under the slit than outside due to the geometrical shielding of thermalized species represented by the structure's angular aperture. Monte Carlo simulations inside the cavity with different slits confirmed that diffusion alone did not explain the experimentally obtained profiles, as the model considering thermalized deposition and etching particles is not able to reproduce the narrow film thickness profiles obtained in the cavities with a slit. The model with directional particles demonstrated significantly better agreement.

Links

90251, large research infrastructures

Name: CzechNanoLab II

Cite

JANŮŠOVÁ, Martina; David NEČAS; Paula NAVASCUÉS; Dirk HEGEMANN; Stevan GAVRANOVIĆ and Lenka ZAJÍČKOVÁ. Insight into plasma polymerization with a significant contribution of etching to the deposition process. Surface and Coatings Technology. Elsevier B.V., 2025, vol. 503, May, p. 1-13. ISSN 0257-8972. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2025.131962.

@article{2488529,
   author = {Janůšová, Martina and Nečas, David and Navascués, Paula and Hegemann, Dirk and Gavranović, Stevan and Zajíčková, Lenka},
   article_number = {May},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2025.131962},
   keywords = {PECVD; Coating 3D or porous structures; Oxygen-containing plasma polymers; Deposition rate; Monte Carlo simulation},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0257-8972},
   journal = {Surface and Coatings Technology},
   title = {Insight into plasma polymerization with a significant contribution of etching to the deposition process},
   url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2025.131962},
   volume = {503},
   year = {2025}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 2488529
AU  - Janůšová, Martina - Nečas, David - Navascués, Paula - Hegemann, Dirk - Gavranović, Stevan - Zajíčková, Lenka
PY  - 2025
TI  - Insight into plasma polymerization with a significant contribution of etching to the deposition process
JF  - Surface and Coatings Technology
VL  - 503
IS  - May
SP  - 1-13
EP  - 1-13
PB  - Elsevier B.V.
SN  - 02578972
KW  - PECVD
KW  - Coating 3D or porous structures
KW  - Oxygen-containing plasma polymers
KW  - Deposition rate
KW  - Monte Carlo simulation
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2025.131962
N2  - Plasma polymer deposition processes are well-studied and optimized on flat substrates. Understanding the role of substrate geometry is crucial for optimizing deposition on non-planar substrates. We investigated the altered transport of film-forming species into two 3D geometries, cavities with a slit opening and a cavity with an undercut, to assess the contribution of ions to the deposition and etching and to estimate the sticking coefficient of depositing species for the CO2/C2H4/Ar gas mixture. Profilometry and ellipsometry were employed to obtain film thicknesses. It revealed a significant extension of the deposition inside the cavities attributed to film- forming species with a low sticking coefficient. These depositing species contain less oxygen because a spatially resolved ATR-FTIR analysis revealed an increasing proportion of hydrocarbons further inside the cavity. Inside the cavities with a slit, the film thickness exceeded its value on the flat Si surface outside. This difference indicated that ions responsible for etching collide during their flight toward the growing film inside the slit. However, it also suggests that some ionic species contribute to the deposition because directional species become more prominent under the slit than outside due to the geometrical shielding of thermalized species represented by the structure's angular aperture. Monte Carlo simulations inside the cavity with different slits confirmed that diffusion alone did not explain the experimentally obtained profiles, as the model considering thermalized deposition and etching particles is not able to reproduce the narrow film thickness profiles obtained in the cavities with a slit. The model with directional particles demonstrated significantly better agreement.
ER  -

JANŮŠOVÁ, Martina; David NEČAS; Paula NAVASCUÉS; Dirk HEGEMANN; Stevan GAVRANOVI$\backslash$'C and Lenka ZAJÍČKOVÁ. Insight into plasma polymerization with a significant contribution of etching to the deposition process. \textit{Surface and Coatings Technology}. Elsevier B.V., 2025, vol.~503, May, p.~1-13. ISSN~0257-8972. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2025.131962.

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