Initiated Chemical Vapor Depositioin (iCVD) of polymer thin films

Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) represents a new and powerful technique for producing polymer thin films, particularly for materials that are hard to process by conventional means, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, commonly known as Teflon®). In the iCVD process, an organic precursor gases are thermally decomposed over a hot surface to produce monomer radicals. These radicals polymerize through initiation and propagation steps to form the desired material on the substrate surface. We demonstrate the use of iCVD technology to create PTFE surfaces on a variety of substrates, ranging from nanoscale to macroscale. We show that coatings can be made ultra-thin and highly conformal over complex geometries, producing significant benefits for applications ranging from medical devices to textiles. The process is also eminently scalable for large areas and moving web substrates, and has excellent economy due to high efficiency of gas utilization. It can be extended to other materials systems, including silicone polymers and copolymers thereof, as well as incorporate other functionalities, such as epoxy groups. There are significant opportunities for its deployment in a plethora of commercial applications, including membranes, medical devices, textiles, and consumer optics. We will discuss the deposition process in detail, and GVD's plans for its commercialization.