The Structure and Dielectric Properties of Plasma-Polymerized Benzene and OFCB Thin Films (Preprint)

Polymeric dielectric and photonic thin films can be fabricated using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), a room temperature, solvent-free and versatile technique. Many organic precursors have been deposited yielding plasma polymerized thin films with a wide range of functionalities. These films, exhibiting highly cross-linked structures, pin-hole free bulk morphologies and smooth surfaces for a variety of film thicknesses, have been targeted for optical and dielectric applications such as waveguides, AR coatings, band-gap filters for integrated optics, and high performance dielectric devices. In this work, benzene and octafluorocyclobutane (OFCB) were chosen as starting precursors for exploring the relationship between structure and dielectric properties. Prepared in collaboration with Materials Science and Technology Applications, LLC, Dayton, OH, and the University of Dayton Research Institute, Dayton, OH.