Investigation of atmospheric-pressure plasma deposited SiOx films on polymeric substrates

The novel technique of plasma chemical vapor deposition without using vacuum chamber was investigated to deposit SiOx films on polymeric substrates through tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)/Air atmospheric-pressure plasma (APP) glow discharge. Depending on the proper deposition parameters, thin and smooth SiOx films on polycarbonate substrates were prepared. The atmospheric-pressure plasma deposited SiOx films obtained the desirable transparency in the visible and increased absorption in UV region. The surface characteristics of APP deposited SiOx films were examined by various surface analysis methods including FTIR, XPS, and SEM. It is shown that SiOx films exhibited low porosity and admirable hardness for optical applications.