Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Carbon Films Prepared by Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering of Woodceramics

New carbon thin films were prepared using radio frequency magnetron sputtering of a woodceramic disk in argon plasma and their mechanical and electrical properties were measured. A film series was deposited varying the substrate temperature between 50 and 500°C. The film's mechanical and electrical properties depended on the substrate temperature. Films deposited at 50°C had a density of 1.9-2.2g/cm3, comparable to that of typical diamond-like carbon films, but the Vickers hardness of the film experienced a value as low as ≈1/50. Adhesion was between 120 and 200MPa for substrate temperatures below 300°C and decreases rapidly for temperatures higher than 400°C. Films deposited below 300°C were insulative, i.e., ρ>1010Ω·cm. For deposition below 100°C, the films showed good frequency characteristics terms of both relative permittivity and loss coefficient, which were almost constant over the range between 1kHz and 5MHz.