Low pressure capacitively coupled radiofrequency plasmas operated in a mixture of aniline vapor and argon are used for the deposition of thin films on silicon substrates. The influence of the aniline vapor fraction in the gas mixture upon the plasma properties and the characteristics of the deposited thin film is analyzed. Plasmas diagnostics are carried out using mass spectrometry and optical emission spectroscopy and the thin films are characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and nearedge X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy. Experiments highlight that the use of a low aniline/argon ratio leads to the deposition of an amorphous film whereas high-aniline/argon ratios allow the synthesis of a plasma polymer similar to polyaniline. The properties of such plasmas and the mechanisms involved in the deposition process are discussed in detail.
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