Deposition of Fe-C:H coatings from a ferrocene precursor in a plasma-activated r.f. process

Abstract

Fe-C:H coatings were deposited in a PAMOCVD (plasma-activated chemical vapour deposition of metallorganic compounds) process with ferrocene ((C 5 H 5 ) 2 Fe) as a volatile metallorganic precursor. This deposition technique has, in comparison with a conventional CVD/PVD process using hydrocarbon/Ar gas mixtures, several advantages. The deposition rate is about 50 μm h −1 , a factor of about 10 higher. Further, owing to the variable negative bias potential (deposition onto the cathode, which is not possible in a conventional CVD/PVD process) the metal-C:H films grew under controllable ion bombardment. Finally, it seems possible to deposit Me-C:H films with very low metal concentration, which is again not possible in the conventional process owing to poisoning of the metal target by carbon deposition. In the present study, we report on the growth rates of films deposited from pure ferrocene and ferrocene/hydrogen or argon mixtures. The deposited films were characterized using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and electrical conductivity measurements.