CHARACTERISTICS OF DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON THIN-FILMS PREPARED BY RF PLASMA PULSED DEPOSITION METHOD - EFFECT OF ANNEALING TEMPERATURE

Diamondlike carbon (DLC) thin films were deposited by the plasma CVD m ethod in which radio frequency was powered on the substrate electrode. Deposition temperature was controlled by the pulsed deposition techni que (5 s deposition and 3 min cooling repeatedly). The differences in the effect of the deposition temperature and the annealing temperature as well as the influences of annealing temperature on the properties and structure of the films have been studied carefully. Both internal stress reductions and film hardness increases are simultaneously obser ved within a certain annealing temperature range (similar to abt. 300 degrees C). These results suggest that internal local strains are redu ced by the annealing procedures and rearrangement of three dimensional network: structure progresses to a certain degree, and then the densi fication of the network structure occurs in the films. With further in crease of annealing temperature, network structure cleavages are obser ved and the DLC thin films are deteriorated exceedingly.