Formation of polymer thin films and interface control by physical vapor deposition

摘要

Some strategies of physical vapor deposition (PVD) of polymer thin films have been proposed. Direct vapor deposition can be applied for simple polymers like polyethylene and Teflon. Coevaporation of bifunctional monomers can be achieved to deposit polyimide, polyurea etc., while chain polymerization assisted by ultraviolet or electron irradiation can be used to form vinyl or acryl polymers from single evaporation source. Surface-initiated deposition polymerization, which combines the self-assembled monolayer and vapor deposition, is another unique method to grow polymer thin films that are chemically bound to the substrate surface. The last method is also effective in controlling the interface between polymer films and inorganic substrates. The solvent-free nature of PVD is convenient for the formation of nanometer-thick films and especially multilayers that are required for device fabrication. Application of vapor deposition polymerization for fabrication of organic light-emitting diode is also described.