Deposition of Amorphous Carbon Thin Films by RF Magnetron Sputtering using Woodceramics as Target

Woodceramics, a substance based on woody materials carbonized at elevated temperatures after impregnating with phenolic resin, have been developed as a new kind of porous carbonaceous material. To expand the industrial application, we attempted to produce amorphous carbon films were RF magnetron sputtering using woodceramics as its target. As a result, typical amorphous carbon films were successfully produced using woodceramics, and the films were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The films produced were composed of carbon turbostratic structure or amorphous whose electron configurations consisted of sp2 and sp3. The ratio of sp3 bonding in the films were about 53% just after the sputtering, but the number increased to about 82% after etching the material using argon ions. Fundamental mechanical properties such as hardness and friction coefficient were also measured and taken into account.