Robust barrier coatings deposited by Microwave CVD method

A composite material including a microwave-plasma-enhanced-chemical-vapor-deposited modified silicon oxide barrier coating have been produced by a method including the steps of providing an evacuable deposition chamber having a deposition region defined therein; providing a source of microwave energy ; providing a temperature sensitive substrate within said deposition region in said deposition chamber; evacuating said deposition chamber to a subatmospheric pressure; performing a plasma pretreatment of said temperature sensitive substrate; introducing a precursor gaseous mixture into said deposition region within said deposition chamber, said precursor gaseous mixture including at least a silicon-hydrogen containing gas, an oxygen containing gas and a gas containing at least one modifier element selected from the group consisting of germanium, tin, phosphorus, and boron; directing microwave energy from said source of microwave energy to said deposition region, thereby creating a plasma in said deposition region by interaction of said microwave energy and said precursor gaseous mixture; depositing from said plasma, onto said temperature sensitive substrate, said silicon oxide barrier coating, said coating providing the coated substrate with oxygen and water vapor barrier properties greater than the non-coated substrate; and introducing a sufficient flow rate of oxygen-containing gas into said precursor gaseous mixture to substantially eliminate the inclusion of silicon-hydrogen bonds into the deposited coating.