Polytetrafluoroethylene films have been deposited for use as low dielectric constant materials, in microelectronic chips. Deposition is performed through pyrolysis of hexalluoropropylene oxide on a heated filament array to produce CF2, which can then polymerize and deposit as a thin film. The variation of CF2 concentration as a function of the pressure and filament temperature has been characterized by ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy. The CF, concentration is seen to approach a constant as filament temperature approaches 400degreesC, and an activation energy of 11.9 kcal/mol is measured at lower temperatures. Attempting to develop a specific relationship between the CF, concentration and deposition rate yields a sticking coefficient of similar to4 X 10(-5). which is consistent with what has been measured in a CF2 beam experiment. However, this result is not sufficient to explain deposition properties observed in other related work. This implies that it is possible for of the. properties of the deposition process to affect the sticking coefficient. A consistent alternative Picture is also developed in which gas phase polymerization can produce (CF,), species that are responsible for depostion.