Kinetics of growth and plasma destruction of polymer films deposited in a glow discharge in methane

Abstract

The kinetics of the deposition of polymer films in methane plasma and the kinetics of their plasma destruction in argon and oxygen has been investigated experimentally. It has been shown that, in the studied range of conditions, both processes are stationary and proceed in the kinetic mode; moreover, the dependences of the deposition rate on the external parameters of the discharge correspond to a radical or radicalionic polymerization mechanism. It has been proposed that the rate of polymer film destruction in the argon and oxygen plasma is controlled by heterogeneous processes with the participation of intrinsic plasma ultraviolet radiation.