Plasma-polymerized and polycondensed thin films of vinyltriethoxysilane were deposited on planar glass substrates and glass fibers using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and a wet chemical process. Deposited films were extensively characterized by microscopic and spectroscopic techniques and indentation tests in order to compare their elemental composition, chemical structure, wettability, elastic modulus, hardness, and adhesion. The physicochemical properties of the polycondensed films were invariable, while those of the plasma-polymerized films could be varied in relatively wide ranges by altering the deposition conditions. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.