Structuring of DLC:Ag nanocomposite thin films employing plasma chemical etching and ion sputtering

Abstract

We analyze structuring effects of diamond like carbon based silver nanocomposite (DLC:Ag) thin films by CF4/O2 plasma chemical etching and Ar+ sputtering. DLC:Ag films were deposited employing unbalanced reactive magnetron sputtering of silver target with Ar+ in C2H2 gas atmosphere. Films with different silver content (0.6–12.9at.%) were analyzed. The films (as deposited and exposed to plasma chemical etching) were characterized employing scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDS), optical microscopy, ultraviolet–visible light (UV–VIS) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. After deposition, the films were plasma chemically etched in CF4/O2 mixture plasma for 2–6min. It is shown that optical properties of thin films and silver nano particle size distribution can be tailored during deposition changing the magnetron current and C2H2/Ar ratio or during following plasma chemical etching. The plasma etching enabled to reveal the silver filler particle size distribution and to control silver content on the surface that was found to be dependent on Ostwald ripening process of silver nano-clusters. Employing contact lithography and 4μm period mask in photoresist or aluminum the films were patterned employing CF4/O2 mixture plasma chemical etching, direct Ar+ sputtering or combined etching processes. It is shown that different processing recipes result in different final grating structures. Selective carbon etching in CF4/O2 gas mixture with photoresist mask revealed micrometer range lines of silver nanoparticles, while Ar+ sputtering and combined processing employing aluminum mask resulted in nanocomposite material (DLC:Ag) micropatterns.