Enhancement of fluorine doped amorphous carbon thin films from microwave surface wave plasma activated above room temperature

• Published in: Diamond and related materials 2009-02, Vol.18 (2), p.465-468
• Main Authors: Ghimire, Dilip Chandra, Adhikari, Sudip, Aryal, Hare Ram, Kalita, Golap, Umeno, Masayoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Composition and phase identification; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition temperature; Exact sciences and technology; Fluorinated amorphous carbon; Ion and electron beam-assisted deposition; ion plating; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Optical band gap; Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Plasma applications; Plasma-based ion implantation and deposition; Structural properties; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology
• ISSN: 0925-9635; 1879-0062
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2008.10.006

Fluorinated amorphous carbon (a-C:F) thin films were synthesized above room temperature by microwave surface wave plasma chemical vapour deposition (MW SWP CVD). The effect of deposition temperature on optical, electrical, chemical and bonding properties of the a-C:F films were studied by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–VIS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), Raman spectrometry and TEM measurements. The film exhibits high transparency and decrease in optical band gap with increasing deposition temperature. FTIR study shows the increase in C C and decrease in C–Fx bonds of the films with increasing deposition temperature. Raman study shows some important structural changes in the films due to fluorine incorporation. XPS result shows the shift of carbon peak to higher binding energy due to carbon fluorine link to the films. TEM shows the increasing graphitic layer in the films with increasing deposition temperature.