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Non-classical crystallization, in which charged nanoparticles (NPs) are the building blocks of film growth, has been extensively studied in chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Here, the deposition behavior of silicon oxide films by the two-step growth process, where NPs are generated in the gas phase at high temperature and deposited as films at low temperature, was studied in the CVD process. Although we supplied SiH4, H2, and N2, the deposited film turned out to be silicon oxide, which is attributed to relatively poor vacuum. Also, silicon oxide NPs were captured on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) carbon membranes of a copper grid for 10 s under various conditions. When the quartz tube with a conical nozzle was used, the size of nanoparticles increased drastically with increasing processing time (or delay time) and porous films with a rough surface were deposited. When the quartz tube without a nozzle was used, however, the size did not increase much with increasing processing time and dense films with a smooth surface were deposited. These results suggest that the size of nanoparticles is an important parameter for the deposition of dense films for two-step growth at low temperatures.

SiOxNy thin films were synthesized on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate at low temperature (~40°C) by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICP- CVD) system. Details of the RF power, gas ratio (Si, N2, O2, Ar, H2), and film thickness effects on the SiOxNy/PET film properties in terms of deposition rate, chemical composition, water vapor transmittance rate (WVTR), transmittance, refractive index, surface morphologies, defect, and residual stress were described. When the RF power increased from 500W to 1200W, the deposition rate and surface roughness increased while WVTR decreased to a value near 0.008g/m2/day which is very good WVTR property as a single inorganic barrier thin films. A lower WVTR value can be achieved under a barrier thickness of 300nm.