Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of thin films has generated considerable interest in recent years. Much of this interest stems from the ability of high energy electrons in rf glow discharges (plasmas) to break chemical bonds and thereby promote chemical reactions at or near room temperature. Such considerations are particularly important when depositing films onto substrates which cannot withstand high temperatures. A further advantage, however, is that the highly reactive plasma atmosphere can result in the formation of materials with unique chemical, physical, and electrical properties. In this paper, the plasma-enhanced deposition of oxide, nitride, transition metal, and transition metal silicide films will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed upon the chemistry occurring in the glow discharge, and on the manner in which this chemistry controls the resulting film properties.

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques have played a major role in the development of modern technology, and the rise of nanotechnology has further increased their importance, thanks to techniques such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) and vapor liquid solid growth, which are able to control the growth process at the nanoscale. This book aims to contribute to the knowledge of recent developments in CVD technology and its applications. To this aim, important process innovations, such as spatial ALD, direct liquid injection CVD, and electron cyclotron resonance CVD, are presented. Moreover, some of the most recent applications of CVD techniques for the growth of nanomaterials, including graphene, nanofibers, and diamond-like carbon, are described in the book.