Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Formation of diamondlike nanocrystallites in amorphous carbon films synthesized by radio-frequency sputtering

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and fast Fourier transformation (FFT) analysis were used to examine the microstructures of amorphous carbon (a-C) films deposited on Si(100) by radio-frequency (rf) sputtering without magnetron. TEM analysis revealed that a-C films synthesized under certain deposition conditions contained randomly dispersed nanocrystallites ∼35 Å in size. FFT results indicated that the nanocrystallites possessed diamondlike cubic structures with their close-packed {111} planes parallel to the film surface. The formation of diamondlike nanocrystallites is attributed to metastable carbon atom clusters of trigonal carbon hybridization that were sputtered off from the graphite target under certain process conditions. Cluster distortion upon deposition onto the growing film surface by the bombarding Ar+ ions promoted tetrahedral carbon atom hybridization and, possibly, epitaxial growth of diamondlike nanocrystallites for a short duration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

TABLE I.
FIG. 1
FIG. 2
FIG. 3
FIG. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A. Erdemir, C. Donnet: Tribology of diamond-like carbon films: Recent progress and future prospects. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 39, R311 2006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. P.K. Chu, L. Li: Characterization of amorphous and nanocrystalline carbon films. Mater. Chem. Phys. 96, 253 2006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. J. Robertson: Diamond-like amorphous carbon. Mater. Sci. Eng. R 37, 129 2002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. D.M. Gruen, S. Liu, A.R. Krauss, J. Luo, X. Pan: Fullerenes as precursors for diamond film growth without hydrogen or oxygen additions. Appl. Phys. Lett. 64, 1502 1994

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. D.M. Gruen: Nanocrystalline diamond films. Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci. 29, 211 1999

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. C. Gu, X. Jiang, Z. Jin, W. Wang: Electron emission from nanocrystalline diamond films. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 19, 962 2001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. W.J. Zhang, X.S. Sun, H.Y. Peng, N. Wang, C.S. Lee, I. Bello, S.T. Lee: Diamond nucleation enhancement by direct low-energy ion-beam deposition. Phys. Rev. B 61, 5579 2000

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. I. Gouzman, I. Lior, A. Hoffman: Formation of the precursor for diamond growth by in situ direct current glow discharge pretreatment. Appl. Phys. Lett. 72, 296 1998

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. G.D. Lian, E.C. Dickey, M. Ueno, M.K. Sunkara: Ru-doped nanostructured carbon films. Diamond Relat. Mater. 11, 1890 2002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. F.G. Celii, J.E. Butler: Diamond chemical vapor deposition. Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 42, 643 1991

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. S. Ravi, P. Silva, S. Xu, B.X. Tay, H.S. Tan, W.I. Milne: Nanocrystallites in tetrahedral amorphous carbon films. Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 491 1996

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. P. Komninou, G. Nouet, P. Patsalas, T. Kehagias, M. Gioti, S. Logothetidis, T. Karakostas: Crystalline structures of carbon complexes in amorphous carbon films. Diamond Relat. Mater. 9, 703 2000

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. D. Wan, K. Komvopoulos: Effect of low-pressure plasma discharge conditions on the thickness and roughness of ultrathin films of amorphous carbon. J. Appl. Phys. 100, 063307 2006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. D. Wan, K. Komvopoulos: Tetrahedral and trigonal carbon atom hybridization in thin amorphous carbon films synthesized by radio-frequency sputtering. J. Phys. Chem. C 111, 9891 2007

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. D.B. Williams, C.B. Carter: Transmission Electron Microscopy II: Diffraction Plenum New York 1996 Chap. 18

    Book  Google Scholar 

  16. D. Wan, K. Komvopoulos: Transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy analysis of ultrathin amorphous carbon films. J. Mater. Res. 19, 2131 2004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (Grant CMS-9734907). The authors gratefully acknowledge fruitful discussions with Professor R. Gronsky.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA

    D. Wan & K. Komvopoulos

Authors
  1. D. Wan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Komvopoulos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. Komvopoulos.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wan, D., Komvopoulos, K. Formation of diamondlike nanocrystallites in amorphous carbon films synthesized by radio-frequency sputtering. Journal of Materials Research 23, 700–703 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2008.0098

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2008.0098

Search

Navigation