Terminal topography by linear chain polymerization

The growth mechanism of linear chain polymerization by vapor deposition was investigated based on dynamic scaling analysis of atomic force microscopy images of parylene-C films grown simultaneously on liquid and solid substrates. These controlled experiment allow us to identify the role of fourth order surface diffusion driven by chemical potential gradient (or the local curvature) of interface even in the presence of nonlocal effects due to bond limitations during linear chain polymerization. The average global slope of surface structures evolved along different paths on different substrates overlaps and remains the same at film thickness above 200 nm, where the film growth rate stabilizes, reaching a “terminal topography”. Terminal topography, a coarse-grained representation of the surface structure, occurs independently of parylene type and growth conditions and is an inherent property of linear chain polymer films grown by vapor deposition polymerization.