Static SIMS investigation of the surface structure of plasma deposited films prepared from stable isotope-labeled carbonyl precursors

The plasma deposition of organics is an emerging technology, permitting the formation of ultrathin films of technological interest on a variety of substrates. However, the thin film nature of plasma deposited films (PDF) and their complex chemistry, i.e., multifunctional, cross-linked etc., has hindered their characterization. The advent of static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) as a surface characterization technique provides for the direct interrogation of polymer structure. We have attempted to elucidate aspects of the surface structure of a set of oxygen-functionalized organic PDF's through the use of static SIMS. The static SIMS analysis of PDF's created from carbonyl-functionalized precursors and their site-specific isotopically labeled analogs revealed that the PDF's were primarily HC in nature. Additionally, a mixture of aliphatic and aromatic fragments were observed in their positive-ion static SIMS spectra, which may be related to unsaturation and crosslinking effects.

Duke Scholars

Author Ashutosh Chilkoti Biomedical Engineering