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 CF 4 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.