Structural, mechanical and hydrophobic properties of fluorine-doped diamond-like carbon films synthesized by plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIII?D)

Abstract

Fluorine-doped diamond-like carbon (a-C:F) films with different fluorine content were fabricated on Si wafer by plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIII–D). Film composition and structure were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman scattering spectroscopy. Surface morphology and roughness were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Hardness and scratch resistance were measured by nano-indentation and nano-scratch, respectively. Water contact angles were measured by sessile drop method. With the increase of the CF4 flux, fluorine content was gradually increased to the film. Raman spectra indicates that these films have a diamond-like structure. The addition of fluorine to diamond-like carbon films had a critical influence on the film properties. The film surface becomes more smoother due to the etching behavior of F+. Hardness was significantly reduced, while the scratch resistance results show that these films have a fairly good adhesion to the substrate. Evident improvements of the hydrophobicity have been made to these films, with contact angles of double-stilled water approaching that of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Our study suggests that broad application regions of the fluorine-doped amorphous carbon films with diamond-like structure, synthesized by PIII–D, can be extended by combining the non-wetting properties and mechanical properties which are far superior to those of PTFE.