The growth of amorphous and graphitic carbon layers under ion bombardment in an rf plasma

Methods of preparing C-films from energetic C-ions and from ion impact bombardment of hydrocarbon species are reviewed. It is shown that amorphous C-deposits resulting from impact damage can have dielectric properties and be exceptionally hard. The rf plasma technique used to grow a-C-films on a negatively biased target is described and the effects of temperature rise on structural change is followed using differential scanning calomimetry. The as-grown films contain absorbed hydrogen which produces compressive stress and is released to form gas bubbles at 400°C.