Plasma polymer electrets

Plasma polymer films produced by high frequency glow discharges occur in an electret state, under suitable fabrication conditions. These have been examined in detail for the case of the organsilicon, hexamethyldixiloxane. Surface potentials up to about 50 volts have been measured for freshly prepared samples. However, under certain fabrication conditions, residual mechanical stresses cause microscopic separation of the films from their substrate, which has been found to give rise to surface potentials of several hundred volts.