CRYSTALLINITY, MORPHOLOGY AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITED CARBON-FILMS ON DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES

Carbon films have been deposited by chemical vapor deposition from C2H 4 at 900 degrees C on various substrates. Film characterization with r espect to crystallinity, morphology and surface microstructure was per formed by X-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, Raman spectr oscopy and atomic force microscopy. The substrate material strongly af fected the film characteristics. On Si, Al2O3 and quartz, turbostratic carbon was deposited, while Ni and Monel (Ni-Cu alloy) yielded highly oriented graphite. The surface microstructure on the Si, Al2O3 and qu artz was quite rough, with carbon nodules 10-40 Angstrom high evenly d istributed over the surface. However, the Ni substrate yielded atomica lly flat graphite grains separated by grain boundaries that formed rid ges. The formation of ridges resulted from a higher growth rate in the grain boundaries.