Amorphous Carbon Films PACVD in CH4-CO2 under Pulsed and Continuous Substrate Bias Conditions

G. GOTTARDI; N. LAIDANI; R. BARTALI; M. FILIPPI; L. CALLIARI; R.S. BRUSA; S. MARIAZZI; C. MACCHI

DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2004 vol. 14 p. 1031 - 1035

0925-9635

This work is a comparative study of the different effects on the growth of a-C:H films obtained with the application of a pulsed bipolar (+-100 V) rather than of a continuous, only negative (100 V), substrate bias. The depositions were performed from a CH4?CO2 gas mixture in a RF-PACVD system, in which an external bias was applied to the substrates to produce an energetic ion bombardment of the growing film. Pulsing the bias turned out to be much more effective in the densification and hardening of the material than the application of a continuous negative voltage and in assuring, at the same time, better adhesion to the substrate.