QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENTS OF ATOMIC-HYDROGEN DURING THE DEPOSITION OFDIAMOND-LIKE CARBON-FILMS

Measurements of the level of atomic hydrogen in a 13.56 MHz r.f plasma were obtained during the deposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC) film s. Two techniques were used, firstly multiphoton laser induced fluores cence (MPLIF), and secondly a novel combination of Langmuir probe and emission spectroscopy. In the latter technique the data obtained from electron energy distribution functions (EEDFs) and hydrogen emission l ine intensities were combined using a computer modelling technique to give the atomic hydrogen concentration. This system can potentially be used as a portable atomic hydrogen probe. The results were compared w ith those obtained using the MPLIF technique which was calibrated usin g a hydrogen transfer standard. The transfer standard was calibrated b y titration. The two techniques were used to measure atomic hydrogen, initially in a hydrogen plasma and subsequently in acetylene-hydrogen containing plasmas during the deposition of DLC films. In conjunction with these measurements, in situ ellipsometry was used to obtain the h im thickness, refractive indices and extinction coefficients. A correl ation was obtained relating the concentration of atomic hydrogen with the in situ ellipsometry data for films with refractive index between 1.6 and 2.1 (at 675 nm).