Ultrahigh rate, wide area, plasma polymerized films from high molecular weight low vapor pressure liquid or solid monomer precursors

A new process has been developed for the high rate vacuum deposition of sol id films from high molecular weight/low vapor pressure liquid, or even soli d,monomer precursors. The gas resulting from the flash evaporation of a liq uid monomer mixture or from a suspension of liquid monomer and, insoluble s olid particles is used as the support medium for a glow discharge in a plas ma enhanced chemical Gaper deposition-like process. Due to the high molecul ar weight/low vapor pressure nature of the precursors, the plasma of the fl ash evaporated gas cryocondenses at an extremely high rate on substrates at ambient, and higher, temperatures. Upon condensation the liquefied plasma immediately begins to polymerize to form a solid film due to the high conce ntration of radicals and ions contained in the liquid film. The process has been successfully implemented,in, a vacuum roll coating system in a roll-t o-roll deposition process. Polymer films and molecularly doped polymer comp osite films of polymer and light emitting organic molecules have, been depo sited at thicknesses ranging from about 0.1 to 24 mu m at web speeds betwee n 96 and 0.5 linear meters per minute. This new deposition process will be discussed along with some properties of the films fabricated with this new process. (C) 1999 American Vacuum Society. [S0734-2101(99)09704-3].