Structure changes in a-C : H films in inductive CH4/Ar plasma deposition

The effects of Ar addition on the structure of a-C:H films have been studie d in inductively coupled CH4/Ar plasmas. The deposition rate was determined carefully with an incubation time prior to the film growth. The compressiv e stress and bonding properties of the films, and the emissive species and total ion flux in the plasmas were examined to find out the relation betwee n the film structure and the bombarding species and Aux. The stress increas ed for the Ar content in the feeding gas from 0 to 0.6, then drastically de creased, together with an increase in the sp(2) phase, for the Ar content e xceeding 0.6. The structure changes in the films accompanied by the stress change is discussed in terms of the two competitive Ar content dependent pr ocesses; the densification by Ar incorporation into the films and the damag e production especially caused by Ar+ bombardment. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scienc e S.A. All rights reserved.