Visible detection of performance controlling pinholes in silica encapsulation films

Fiona M. Elam, Yaoge Liu, Bernadette C.A.M. van der Velden-Schuermans, Sergey A. Starostin, Mauritius C.M. van de Sanden, Hindrik W. de Vries

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

For the first time in atmospheric pressure-plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition of amorphous silica onto flexible polymer substrates, pinholes have been visibly detected using interferometric microscopy and their average diameter of 1.7 μm calculated. Pinholes were found to control the water vapour transmission rate of all 30 nm films deposited with input energies greater than 9 keV per precursor molecule, thus presenting an opportunity for the synthesis of single layer thin films with precisely targeted permeation rates. The pinholes themselves were understood to originate from interactions between the polymer substrate and filaments in the plasma. The non-uniformity of the discharge was attributed to the reduced concentrations of precursor tetraethyl orthosilicate and oxygen species necessary to deposit amorphous silica at high specific energies.

Original languageEnglish
Article number43LT01
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Physics D: Applied Physics
Volume51
Issue number43
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 24 Sept 2018

Funding

This research received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement No. 606889; project ESR7 in the framework of the RAPID (Reactive Atmospheric Plasma processIng—eDucation network) Marie Curie Initial Training Network (www.rapid-itn.eu). The work is also in association with the Industrial Partnership Programme i31 (APPFF) that is carried out under an agreement between FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V. and FOM, which is part of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The author would like to thank R van Bei-jnen, E Gommers and B Korngold (FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V., Tilburg, The Netherlands) for their technical assistance.

Keywords

  • AP-PECVD
  • defects
  • encapsulation flms
  • plasma-surface interactions
  • porosity
  • silica thin flms
  • silica thin films
  • encapsulation films

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