Large-scale initiated chemical vapor deposition of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) thin films

The initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) was scaled up using dimensionless analysis. In the first stage, PGMA was deposited onto a large stationary substrate and a deposition rate as high as 85 nm/min was achieved. It was found that the deposition rate increases with increasing filament temperature, whereas the deposition rate and the number-average molecular weight decrease with increasing substrate temperature. In the second stage, PGMA was deposited onto a moving substrate. At speeds between 20 mm/min and 60 mm/min, the deposition rate on the moving substrate was found to be equal to the deposition rate on the stationary substrate. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the epoxide functionality of the PGMA films was retained during the iCVD process. Since the iCVD polymerization of different vinyl monomers all use similar parameters, this scale up can be applied to the scale up of other vinyl monomers such as 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and perfluoroalkyl ethyl methacrylate.