Degradation of mechanical properties of nitrogen-doped organosilicon plasma polymers induced by post-deposition reactions
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Surfaces and Interfaces |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468023025015895 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfin.2025.107337 |
| Keywords | HMDSO; Plasma polymers; Aging; Microindentation; Differential hardness; Chemical composition |
| Description | Organosilicon plasma-polymer coatings based on hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) are versatile materials with a wide range of applications. However, the degradation of their mechanical properties has not been extensively studied, despite growing application-oriented interest. This study focuses on evaluating the aging of mechanical properties in plasma-polymerized hexamethyldisiloxane (ppHMDSO) coatings, driven by structural changes over time. We investigate the chemical interactions of nitrogen-doped organosilicon thin films with ambient atmosphere under controlled laboratory conditions. These films were prepared via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using a capacitively coupled radio-frequency (RF) glow discharge in a mixture of HMDSO and N2. To assess the time-dependent mechanical properties of these rapidly degrading plasma polymers, nanoindentation and microindentation techniques were employed. Quasi-static partial unloading (QSpul) experiments and differential hardness (HD) measurements were also conducted to analyze how mechanical properties evolve with structural changes during aging. Trends in the mechanical properties were correlated with FTIR and XPS analyses to provide insights into the underlying aging mechanisms of nitrogen-doped HMDSO thin films. |
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