Organic Polymer Synthesis byCat‐CVD‐Related Technology – InitiatedCVD(iCVD)

This chapter introduces a new chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology named as initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD), which is the most suitable technique for high-quality organic thin films. It describes CVD methods for the single-step synthesis of organic films from vapor-phase monomers, achieved using resistively heated wires/filaments/metal pins suspended inside reactor chambers held at modest vacuum. These methods contain a mechanistic step for initiating the growth of the macromolecular chains. The chapter describes the first hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD)/iCVD polymer to be discovered, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), along with the scientific principles underlying its growth process. It overviews the fundamental knowledge that enabled the rapid expansion of iCVD film compositions and applications. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion on polymer reactors, including large-scale systems used in commercial production and directions for future developments.