ELECTRICAL PROPERTY AND STRUCTURE OF DIAMOND LIKE CARBON FILMS PREPARED BY IBAD

Abstract

Abstract In order to find potential applications of Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) films in electronic devices, the electrical properties of DLC films, especially electron emission, has been investigated. An amorphous carbon film with a smooth surface and a good adhesion to substrates was prepared by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition (IBAD) using a single ion source. The energy of Ar ions ranged from 400 to 1500 eV The structure and composition of the films were characterized using Raman spectroscopy, ERD, RBS and FTIR. Electrical resistivity and work function of the films have been measured. The hydrogen content measured by ERD was about 2.05 at.%. As the ion energy and beam current increased, the density of the film increased, but electrical resistivity decreased due to the decreased concentration of sp 3 bonds in the film. The work function of the DLC film was measured using AES; different work functions were obtained giving rise to different onsets of secondary electron emission. The highest work function of the DLC film coated on a molybdenum substrate is 5.2 eV DLC was found not to be a Negative Electron Affinity (NEA) material.