Abstract

Diamond-like carbon thin films have been deposited by unbalanced radio frequency magnetron sputtering of a graphite target in a pure argon discharge. The formation of a dense sp3-coordinated structure is usually described by the subplantation model in which the role of two critical factors, i.e. the energy of bombarding argon ions EAr+ and the flux ratio of ions to neutral carbon atoms, ΦAr+/ΦC, is well-known. The present study aimed, furthermore, at describing the influence of the energy of neutral carbon atoms EC on the constitution of resulting films. To this end, the ion energy dependence of the micro-density and the sp3 content of the deposited films were examined by means of EELS for two different working pressures (0.2 Pa and 2 Pa) at a constant flux ratio ΦAr+/ΦC=5. Due to enhanced collisional processes in the plasma at 2 Pa, the effects of an energy reduction of carbon atoms are revealed. The results can be explained again according to subplantation processes.

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