AVS 46th International Symposium
    Thin Films Division Monday Sessions
       Session TF+VM-MoA

Paper TF+VM-MoA9
High Deposition Rate Diamondlike Carbon Films Deposited using Permanenet Magnet Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasmas

Monday, October 25, 1999, 4:40 pm, Room 620

Session: Advances in Hard and Superhard Coatings II
Presenter: C. Doughty, ASTeX PlasmaQuest
Authors: C. Doughty, ASTeX PlasmaQuest
J.B. Bailey, ASTeX PlasmaQuest
Correspondent: Click to Email
We report deposition of hard diamondlike carbon films at deposition rates exceeding 500 nm/min using permanent magnet ECR plasma CVD. These films are characterized by high hardness ~10-20 GPA and stresses ~300-500 MPa. The deposition rates obtained exceed typical values for plasma CVD deposition by a factor of 10-50 and enable a range of novel applications including economically attractive deposition of >10-um-thick films. These films have electrical resistivities ~10^12 ohm cm at 1 MV/cm, and optical bandgaps ~2 eV. Index of refraction can be controlled over the range 1.7 - 2.2 by manipulation of the deposition parameters. Film hardness has been measured by nanoindentation and will be reported as a function of deposition parameters. Adhesion promoting processes have been developed and films exceeding 5 um thickness have been deposited on silicon, glass and stainless steel substrates without delamination failures. Thin films (<200 nm) exhibit low pinhole densities. Novel applications utilizing the high deposition rates available in this system will be discussed.