The interest and research in the parylene family polymers has remained strong since their invention in 1947. There have been a handful of reviews and encyclopedia articles covering parylene and its properties, but no textbook has been devoted to the subject up to 2003. The authors are attempting to fill the void with this textbook. It provides a solid introduction to the parylene family polymers, their deposition apparatus and their film properties. The text is intended to be valuable to both users and researchers of parylene thin films. It should be particularly useful for those setting up and characterizing their first research deposition system. It provides a good picture of the deposition process and equipment, as well as information on system-to-system variations that is important to consider when designing a deposition system or making modifications to an existing one. Also included are methods to characterize a deposition system's pumping properties as well as monitor the deposition process via mass spectrometry. There are many references that should lead the reader to further information on the topic being discussed. This text should serve as a useful reference source and handbook for scientists and engineers interested in depositing high quality parylene thin films.