Vacuum‐Ultraviolet Photopolymerisation of Amine‐Rich Thin Films

Nitrogen‐rich organic thin films were deposited by VUV‐assisted photochemical polymerisation of flowing C2H4/NH3 mixtures. The fundamental reaction mechanisms of these binary gas mixtures were investigated as a function of the wavelength of two almost monochromatic VUV sources. Compositions of these “UV‐PE:N” films close to the surface were determined by XPS, and the amine concentrations and selectivities were quantified via chemical derivatisation. The UV‐PE:N films were compared with plasma polymers deposited using low‐pressure glow discharges in similar gas flow mixtures, “L‐PPE:N”; it is shown that VUV photochemistry is superior to plasma chemistry in producing almost monofunctional organic thin films. magnified image