EFFECT OF BIAS AND TEMPERATURE ON THE BULK AND SURFACE-PROPERTIES OF GOLD-CONTAINING PLASMA-POLYMERIZED FLUOROCARBONS

Gold-containing plasma-polymerized fluorocarbon thin films have been deposited in an RF glow discharge fed with hexafluoroethane, while a gold target was simultaneously sputtered. The temperature T(s) and RF-induced bias U(s) of a third electrode, used as a substrate holder, were separately varied. The influence of T(s) and U(s) on the plasma and the film characteristics were individually studied using actinometric optical emission spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and measurements of optical transmission and surface contact angles. Increasing U(s) (up to -200 V) and T(s) (up to 90-degrees-C) resulted in similar effects, namely a higher degree of cross-linking, higher gold concentration, better film stability with time, and increased wettability. A key role of the energy flux of particles impinging on the growing surface has been shown to account for the experimental results.