Initiated and Oxidative Chemical Vapor Deposition of Polymeric Thin Films: iCVD and oCVD

TLDR

iCVD and oCVD enable fabrication of chemically well‑defined thin polymeric films on complex micro‑ and nano‑scale objects. The article reviews the development of iCVD and oCVD as platform technologies, covering background, fundamentals, and applications. iCVD uses a thermally labile initiator to enhance deposition rate while preserving polymer functionalities, whereas oCVD simultaneously introduces oxidant and monomer to form infusible, electrically conductive films directly on the substrate. Vapor‑phase deposition avoids wetting and solution effects, producing conformal films that can coat delicate substrates with low energy.

Abstract

Abstract The techniques of initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) and oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD) enable the fabrication of chemically well‐defined thin polymeric films on complex objects with micro‐ and nano‐scale features. By depositing polymers from the vapor phase, many wetting and solution effects are avoided, and conformal films can be created. In iCVD, a variant of hot filament CVD, the deposition rate is enhanced and chemical functionalities of the polymers' constituents are maintained by including a thermally labile initiator in the feed stream. Due to the low energy required when using an initiator, delicate substrates can be coated. In oCVD, infusible, electrically conductive films are formed directly on the substrate of interest as the oxidant and monomer are introduced into the reactor simultaneously. This Feature Article provides an overview of the work that has been done to develop iCVD and oCVD into platform technologies. Relevant background, fundamentals, and applications will be discussed.