Growth processes and surface properties of diamondlike carbon films

Abstract

Temperature dependent properties of silicon containing diamondlike carbon films prepared by plasma source ion implantation J. Appl. Phys. 107, 083307 (2010); 10.1063/1.3394002 Ion-induced surface activation, chemical sputtering, and hydrogen release during plasma-assisted hydrocarbon film growth J. Appl. Phys. 97, 094904 (2005); 10.1063/1.1883729Electron cyclotron resonance deposition, structure, and properties of oxygen incorporated hydrogenated diamondlike amorphous carbon filmsIn this study, we compare the deposition processes and surface properties of tetrahedral amorphous carbon ͑ta-C͒ films from filtered pulsed cathodic arc discharge ͑PCAD͒ and hydrogenated amorphous carbon ͑a-C:H͒ films from electron cyclotron resonance ͑ECR͒-plasma source ion implantation. The ion energy distributions ͑IEDs͒ of filtered-PCAD at various filter inductances and Ar gas pressures were measured using an ion energy analyzer. The IEDs of the carbon species in the absence of background gas and at low gas pressures are well fitted by shifted Maxwellian distributions. Film hardness and surface properties show a clear dependence on the IEDs. ta-C films with surface roughness at an atomic level and thin ͑0.3-0.9 nm͒ graphitelike layers at the film surfaces were deposited at various filter inductances in the highly ionized plasmas with the full width at half maximum ion energy distributions of 9-16 eV. The a-C:H films deposited at higher H / C ratios of reactive gases were covered with hydrogen and sp 3 bonded carbon-enriched layers due to the simultaneous interaction of hydrocarbon species and atomic hydrogen. The effects of deposited species and ion energies on film surface properties were analyzed. Some carbon species have insufficient energies to break the delocalized ͑nC͒ bonds at the graphitelike film surface, and they can govern film formation via surface diffusion and coalescence of nuclei. Dangling bonds created by atomic hydrogen lead to uniform chemisorption of hydrocarbon species from the ECR plasmas. The deposition processes of ta-C and a-C:H films are discussed on the basis of the experimental results.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Chemical Vapor Deposition of Amorphous Carbon: Dependence on H/C Ratio of Source Gas

“…Actually, we confirmed that the deposition rate in the experimental data cited from Liu et al[Fig. 3(c)], 22) which was defined as the deposition thickness per unit time, can be fitted by the exponential function of source H/C ratio.…”

“…The deposition rate on the graphite (0001) surface was smaller than those of the diamond surfaces. In plasma CVD experiments, 22,23) the relationship between deposition rate and source H/C ratio was researched. Actually, we confirmed that the deposition rate in the experimental data cited from Liu et al [Fig.…”

Principles for designing sputtering-based strategies for high-rate synthesis of dense and hard hydrogenated amorphous carbon thin films

“…The formation of C2H radicals via dissociation has the lowest energy threshold (~ 7.5 eV) [29] and therefore, a very high probability for the reaction is expected. The C2H radicals are highly reactive and possess a very high surface loss probability [13,32]. Therefore, they take part in the polymerization of parent C2H2 molecules leading to the long-chained poly-acetylene molecules (C2H2)n (n = 1,2,3…) [19] as well as they are lost to the surfaces in the chamber.…”

“…Bonding configuration and hydrogen content can be, in turn, tailored by controlling the energy and flux of the depositing species [5,6]. An efficient way to achieve this is by using ionized deposition fluxes which can be generated by high plasma density discharges, such as cathodic vacuum arc (CVA) [8,9], pulsed laser deposition (PLD) [10,11], inductively coupled plasma (ICP) [12] and electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) [13] based plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Synthesis of a-C using magnetron sputtering-based discharges may be more industrially relevant owing to their conceptual simplicity and scalability.…”

Manufacturing and Characterization of a Carbon-Based Amorphous (a-CNX) Coating Material

“…The mechanical and tribological properties of carbonbased coatings can be tailored by controlling the energy and flux of the depositing ions, radicals and molecules to substrates [17,18] in various high plasma density discharge-based deposition processes such as cathodic vacuum arc (CVA) [19], pulsed laser deposition (PLD) [20], inductively coupled plasma (ICP) [21], plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) coupled with electron cyclotron resonance [22], and magnetron sputtering [23]. Comparing to direct current magnetron sputtering (dcMS) and radio frequency magnetron sputtering (RFMS), highpower impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) process is known to generate higher plasma density (10 19 m -3 comparing to 10 17 m -3 in dcMS) [24,25].…”