Silicon oxide films are deposited in atmospheric-pressure (AP) He/O-2/HMDSO plasma excited by a 150 MHz VHF power using a cylindrical rotary electrode. The atomic bonding configurations and deposition rate are studied by controlling the O-2 concentration (O-2/HMDSO source ratio) and VHF power density, the other parameters being maintained constant. Under the addition of 0.03 % O-2 to the process gas mixture (O-2/HMDSO a parts per thousand 0.09), AP-VHF plasma greatly enhances the fragmentation and oxidation of HMDSO, so that an almost inorganic film is obtained at a very high deposition rate of 33 nm s(-1). A silicon oxide coating on a polycarbonate pane is demonstrated with no significant thermal deformation of the pane, showing that AP-VHF plasma would be an efficient coating tool for polymer substrates.