Deposition of transparent SiOXNY thin film on pet by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

This study investigated the deposition of transparent SiO_XN_Y thin film on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) at room temperature via the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. SiO_X coatings have desirable properties such as optical transparency, abrasion resistance, low gases permeability and recyclability. Deposition of these layers on polymeric substrates makes them suitable for a great number of applications ranging from optics, interlayer dielectric to barrier films for the food-packaging and medical devices industries. In this work TEOS was prepared as organosilicon precursor and the mixture of oxygen and nitrogen gases were added under 24 W of radio frequency power. The nitrogen flow rate was varied between 0-150 sccm. To compare structural properties of the transparent thin films, atomic force microscopy was applied, and the chemical bonding states of films, have been investigated by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The plasma diagnostics have been done by optical emission spectrometry. The transparency of synthesized films when examined by UV-visible spectroscopy, was 85% to 90%.