Adhesion between polycarbonate substrate and SiO2 film formed from silane and nitrous oxide by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

We studied the adhesion of a silicon dioxide film, formed from silane and nitrous oxide gas by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, to a polycarbonate substrate and the bonding between the film and the substrate by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Adhesion of the SiO2 film to the polycarbonate increases with increasing SiH4 flow rate. All SiO2 film squares produced at a SiH4 flow rate of 10 standard cm3 min−1 exhibited good adhesion to the substrate. An analysis of the x-ray photoelectron spectra indicates that more phenyl groups are decomposed as adhesion increases. The bonding between the SiO2 film and the polycarbonate substrate is discussed on the basis of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The Si–O–C bonding between SiO2 and polycarbonate results in good adhesion between the film and the substrate.