PREPARATION OF PPHMDSO THIN FILMS IN CAPACITIVELY COUPLED RF GLOW DISCHARGES UNDER DUSTY PLASMA CONDITIONS

The deposition of organosilicone thin films from mixture of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) and oxygen by using capacitively coupled R.F. glow discharges under dusty plasma conditions was investigated. High resolution topography and mechanical property maps of the prepared films were acquired by using atomic force microscopy techniques. The chemical bond and composition of the deposited films were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The mechanical properties of the films were studied using quasistatic as well as dynamic nanoindentation tests and their surface free energies were evaluated by means of contact angle measuring technique using several testing liquids exhibiting various surface tensions. The thermal stability of the films was studied using thermal desorption spectroscopy. Neural network modelling was used to study the effect of plasma parameters on the hardness of ppHMDSO films.