SYNTHESIS OF INORGANIC FILMS BY ION BEAM IRRADIATION OF ORGANOSILICON POLYMER FILMS

THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM IS DIRECTED TOWARD A NOVEL TECHNIQUE TO CONVERT ORGANOMETALLIC POLYMER FILMS INTO USEFUL CERAMIC FILMS BY ION BEAM IRRADIATION. A SELECT GROUP OF ORGANOSILICON POLYMERS THAT CAN BE CONVERTED INTO SIC, SI3N4, SI2ON2, AND SIO2, WILL BE SYNTHESIZED. THIN POLYMER FILM ON SILICON SUBSTRATE WILL BE PREPARED BY SPIN-ON METHODS. THIS PROCESS HAS SEVERAL ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER CONVENTIONAL DEPOSITION METHODS. THE VISCOSITY OF POLYMER SOLUTION CAN BE ADJUSTED EASILY BY SOLVENTS SO AS TO BE IDEAL FOR THIN FILM PREPARATION. THESE POLYMERIC MATERIALS CAN BE INITIALLY PROCESSED LIKE AN ORGANIC POLYMER AND SUBSEQUENTLY CONVERTED TO INORGANIC FILMS. THE RESULTANT FILM COMPOSITIONS CAN BE MODIFIED EASILY BY USING VARIOUS ORGANOMETALLIC POLYMERS. THE THIN POLYMER FILM WILL BE SUBJECTED TO ION BEAM IRRADIATION. HIGH ENERGY ION BEAM IRRADIATION OF THE POLYMER FILM CAN DISSOCIATE THE POLYMER INTO SMALLER FRAGMENTS, AND ORGANIC VOLATILE FRAGMENTS WILL DIFFUSE THROUGH THE FILM AND ESCAPE. ANY ELEMENT THAT IS NOT REMOVED IN THE FORM OF VOLATILE SPECIES IS SUBSEQUENTLY ENRICHED WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER ELEMENTS. THE CONVERSION (REMOVAL OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPONENT) CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED AT RELATIVELY LOW PROCESSING TEMPERATURES. INORGANIC FILMS PREPARED BY THIS METHOD ARE EXPECTED TO BE DENSER AND MORE ADHERENT TO THE SUBSTRATE THAN THOSE PRODUCED BY CONVENTIONAL THIN FILM TECHNIQUES.