Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition of Poly(Ethylhexyl Acrylate) Films in a Large-Scale Batch Reactor

The present study demonstrates the successful deposition of poly(ethylhexyl acrylate) thin films in a large-scale closed-batch initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) system. A horizontal cylindrical stainless-steel vacuum tank, which is highly utilized in industrial vacuum applications, was used as iCVD reactor. The effects of substrate temperature, precursor ratio, and pressure on the deposition rates were studied, and the results showed that a deposition rate of 315 nm/min can be achieved in a single run at a reactor pressure of 600 mTorr. At a lower chamber pressure of 400 mTorr, deposition rate decreases, whereas film uniformity increases. By carrying out depositions at successive cycles, thicker films could be obtained, without the need for extensive monomer consumption. The yield percentage was found to be 3.5 for the films deposited in closed-batch system at 400 mTorr, which is 35-fold larger than that of the classical iCVD flow system.