DIAMOND 2008, 19^th European Conference on Diamond, Diamond-Like Materials, Carbon Nanotubes, and Nitrides, 07.09-11.09.2008, Sitges, Spanien

Topic D Diamond like carbon, including carbon nitride

Title:

Influence of Ion Energy, Ion Flux, Flux of Film Forming Particles and Surface Temperature on the Constitution of Highly Tetrahedral Hydrogenated Carbon Thin Films

Authors & affiliations:

S. Ulrich¹, M. Stüber¹, C. Ziebert¹, J. Ye¹, S. Sattel²

¹ Institute for Materials Research I, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany

² Gühring oHG, Winterlinger Str. 12, D-72488 Sigmaringen-Laiz, Germany

Abstract: (Your abstract must use Normal style and must fit in this box. Your abstract should be no longer than 300 words and text-only. DO NOT INCLUDE FIGURES AND DIAGRAMS IN THE ABSTRACT)

Highly tetrahedral hydrogenated amorphous carbon thin films have been deposited by a plasma beam source. The plasma beam is generated by of a capacitive coupled, magnetically confined, high frequency (13.56 MHz), low pressure (0.02 Pa) acetylene plasma discharge. As a result from energy and mass analysis the film forming particle flux consists to a main extent (95%) of C₂H₂⁺ ions. The ion current density amounts to be 0.2 mA/cm². The influence of the deposition temperature T_S (30°C < T_S < 400°C) and of the ion energy per C-atom E_ion,C (65 eV < E_ion,C < 260 eV) on the film constitution (XRD, EELS) as well as on the film properties (compressive stress, mass density) has been investigated systematically. An analytical function describes quantitatively the film densification by direct subsurface ion implantation and the film relaxation processes, induced by both, ion bombardment and substrate temperature.

Keywords: Diamond like carbon, ta-C:H, densification, modeling