Dielectric Properties of Plasma-Polymerized Hexamethyldisiloxane Films: 2 Dielectric Breakdown

The dielectric breakdown characteristics of plasmapolymerized hexamethyldisiloxane (PPHMDSO) films prepared under different fabrication conditions have been investigated. The principal fabrication variable, substrate temperature Ts was varied from 25 to 400°C. Dielectric breakdown strength Eb for given fabrication conditions is substantially increased if the sample is first subjected to self-healing breakdown treatment, which leads to clearing of defect sites. As Ts is raised, the number of selfhealing healing breakdowns decreases, and Eb increases. A preliminary correlation study suggests that spheroidal particles included in the film structure constitute a principal type of defect site. For the best material investigated, PPHMDSO deposited at Ts=400°C, Eb= 12.5 MV cm-1 after self-healing, close to the published value for thermally-grown SiO2.