Methods for plasma depositing polymers comprising cyclic siloxanes and related compositions and articles

Abstract

Methods for plasma depositing polymers comprising cyclic siloxanes and related articles and compositions are generally provided. In some embodiments, the methods comprise flowing a precursor gas in proximity to a substrate within a PECVD reactor, wherein the precursor gas comprises an initiator and at least one monomer comprising a cyclic siloxane and at least two vinyl groups, and depositing a polymer formed from the at least one monomer on the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of fabricating a polymer via a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, comprising:
 flowing a precursor gas in proximity to a substrate within a PECVD reactor, wherein the precursor gas comprises an initiator and at least one monomer comprising a cyclic siloxane and at least two vinyl groups; and   depositing a polymer formed from the at least one monomer on at least a portion of the substrate,   wherein the power density of the PECVD process is less than or equal to 15 mW/cm 2 .   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one monomer comprises at least two vinyl groups. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one monomer comprises one or more of trivinyltrimethylcyclotrisiloxane, tetravinyltetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, or trivinylpentamethyltetrasiloxane. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one monomer comprises trivinyltrimethylcyclotrisiloxane. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a percentage of the cyclic siloxane groups in the polymer is greater than or equal to about 65%. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the percentage of the cyclic siloxane groups in the polymer is determined by dividing a maximum absorbance of a cyclic siloxane peak in an FTIR spectrum by a sum of the maximum absorbance of the cyclic siloxane peak and a maximum absorbance of a linear siloxane peak, and multiplying by 100%. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer is formed as a film on a portion of a surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the film has a thickness of greater than or equal to 50 nm and less than or equal to 10 um. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the film has a dielectric constant of less than or equal to 3. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initiator comprises a peroxide. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the precursor gas further comprises at least one inert gas. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises one or more of gold, copper, solder, solder flux, indium phosphide, gallium sulfide, gallium nitride, and silicon. 
     
     
         13 . A method of fabricating a polymer via a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, comprising:
 flowing a precursor gas in proximity to a substrate within a PECVD reactor, wherein the precursor gas comprises an initiator and at least one monomer comprising a cyclic siloxane and at least two vinyl groups; and   depositing a polymer formed from the at least one monomer on at least a portion of the substrate,   wherein the percentage of the cyclic siloxane groups in the polymer is greater than or equal to about 60%.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one monomer comprises at least two vinyl groups. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one monomer comprises one or more of trivinyltrimethylcyclotrisiloxane, tetravinyltetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, or trivinylpentamethyltetrasiloxane. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one monomer comprises trivinyltrimethylcyclotrisiloxane. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the percentage of the cyclic siloxane groups in the polymer is determined by dividing a maximum absorbance of a cyclic siloxane peak in an FTIR spectrum by a sum of the maximum absorbance of the cyclic siloxane peak and a maximum absorbance of a linear siloxane peak, and multiplying by 100%. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the polymer is formed as a film on a portion of a surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the film has thickness of greater than or equal to 50 nm and less than or equal to 10 um. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the film has a dielectric constant of less than or equal to 3. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the initiator comprises a peroxide. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the precursor gas further comprises at least one inert gas. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the substrate comprises one or more of gold, copper, solder, solder flux, indium phosphide, gallium sulfide, gallium nitride, and silicon. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the peroxide is tert-butyl peroxide. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the peroxide is tert-amyl peroxide. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the peroxide is tert-butyl peroxide. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the peroxide is tert-amyl peroxide.