Method for reducing roughness of ultra-nano crystalline diamond film

Hard masks and methods of forming hard masks are described. The hard mask has an average roughness of less than 10 nm and a modulus of greater than or equal to 400 GPa. In one embodiment, a method includes exposing a substrate to a deposition gas at a temperature of less than or equal to 550 C, the deposition gas comprising a dopant gas or precursor (solid (e.g., alkylborane compound) or liquid (e.g., borazine)), a carbon gas, and argon, and igniting a plasma from the deposition gas, and forming an ultra-nanocrystal diamond film having an average roughness of less than 10 nm and a modulus of greater than or equal to 400 GPa. 描述了硬掩模及形成硬掩模的方法。硬掩模具有小于10nm的平均粗糙度，及大于或等于400GPa的模量。方法包含在小于或等于550C的温度下将基板暴露至沉积气体，沉积气体包含掺杂物气体或前驱物(固体(例如，烷基硼烷化合物)或液体(例如，环硼氮烷))、碳气体及氩气，及从沉积气体点燃等离子体，以形成具有小于10nm的平均粗糙度及大于或等于400GPa的模量的超纳米结晶金刚石膜。