Plasma-assisted physical vapor deposition

Ultrathin PTFE, PVDF, and FEP Coatings Deposited Using Plasma-Assisted Physical Vapor Deposition... 

This chapter examines the deposition of fluorinated polymers using plasma-assisted physical vapor deposition. Ultrathin coatings, between 20 and 5000 nm have been produced, using RF magnetron sputtering. The method of coating, fabrication, and deposition conditions are described. 

PAPVD Plasma-assisted physical vapor deposition... 

Plasmas are also used for the low temperature deposition of thin solid films, for example amorphous hydrogenated silicon, diamond, and a host of other materials. Since the fundamentals of plasma physics and chemistry are the same for both plasma etching and plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), the latter will only be discussed briefly in Section 6.6. A review of PECVD can be foxmd in [14]. Sputtering is discussed by Chapman [15], and plasma polymerization is covered by Yasuda [16]. 

Figure 2 presents the most common plasma-based surface modification techniques for biomedical applications, described in more detail later plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition or PACVD (RF, MW), physical vapor deposition or PVD (sputtering, cathodic arc), plasma polymerization and grafting, plasma-based thermochemical treatments (e.g. plasma nitriding), ion implantation, plasma immersion ion implantation or PHI, and plasma spraying. Each technique has unique advantages and applications, and the choice of the more adequate technique often depends on the... 

Fig. 2. Plasma-based processes for biomedical applications (PACVD Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition PVD Physical Vapor Deposition PHI Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation).

Subsequent preliminary comparative studies of the behavior of an SiC based layer on Ta, Mo, Ti and steel substrates showed that better mechanical stability was obtained with a coating deposited on tantalum. This element was consequently considered to make PFCVD deposit/interlayer/steel stacks. Tantalum can be produced by physical vapor deposition (PVD), at variable thickness, with reproducible morphology. Note that preparation by chemical vapor deposition with or without plasma assistance (CVD or PECVD) is possible at low temperature but would require an optimization study in order to be compatible with the deposition conditions of the silicon carbide layer, the aim being to increase the mechanical stability. 

In order to find the domain of LCVD, it is necessary to compare various vacuum deposition processes chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), plasma chemical vapor deposition (PCVD), plasma-assisted CVD (PACVD), plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), and plasma polymerization (PP). All of these terms refer to methods or processes that yield the deposition of materials in a thin-film form in vacuum. There is no clear definition for these terms that can be used to separate processes that are represented by these terminologies. All involve the starting material in vapor phase and the product in the solid state. 

For the formation of a metallic film in addition to thick film silk-screen technique, thin film metallization is another means for the film deposition. Deposition of thin film can be accomplished by either physical or chemical means, and thin film technology has been extensively used in the microelectronics industry. Physical means is basically a vapor deposition, and there are various methods to carry out physical vapor deposition. In general, the process involves the following 1) the planned deposited metal is physically converted into vapor phase and 2) the metallic vapor is transported at reduced pressure and condensed onto the surface of the substrate. Physical vapor deposition includes thermal evaporation, electronic beam assisted evaporation, ion-beam and plasma sputtering method, and others. The physical depositions follow the steps described above. In essence, the metal is converted into molecules in the vapor phase and then condensed onto the substrate. Consequently, the deposition is based on molecules and is uniform and very smooth. 

Deposition of thin film by ion beam and plasma sputtering are very similar, in principle, to electron beam assisted evaporation, with the difference in the energy source applied. Details of each of these physical vapor deposition methods can be found elsewhere. ... 

Dual ion beam-assisted deposition is a method based on physical vapor deposition (PVD). A plasma of ions to be deposited is generated by bombardment of a target with low-energy ions. The ions are then extracted from the plasma and accelerated to be included into the PVD layer growing on the substrate. 

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