Water vapor barrier properties of polymer-like amorphous carbon deposited polyethylene naphthalate film

Polymer-like amorphous carbon films were deposited on polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrate by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and their water vapor transmission rates (WVTR) were tested. propane was used as precursors. To make a polymer-like amorphous carbon film the deposition rate, surface roughness, light transmittance, and WVTR of the films were characterized as a function of the precursor feed ratio and plasma power. The water vapor transmission rates of bare PEN film and single layer PAC on PEN substrate were 6.95 g/m2/day and 0.3 g/m2/day, respectively. The superior property the water vapor permeability of thin layers of PAC was attributed to uniform coverage and good adhesion between PAC film and PEN substrate.