STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF GERMANIUM CARBIDE FILMS PREPARED BY RF REACTIVE SPUTTERING IN AR CH4/

Germanium carbide (GexC1-x) films have been prepared by RF reactive sp uttering at various mixtures of argon and methane from a germanium tar get. The compositions, structures and properties of GexC1-x films have been investigated using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), Visible ne ar-infrared photometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray d iffraction (XRD). The AES analyses show the atomic ratio (Ge/C) of the films decreased with increasing the gas flow ratio CH4/(Ar + CH4). Th e XRD and SEM results indicate that the films were generally smooth an d featureless, and had amorphous structure. The refractive index of Ge xC1-x films can be varied between 1.8 and 4.3 by changing the gas flow ratio. The hardness values of the films grew with the augmentation of the amount of carbon content in the films, and were higher than those of IR optical material Ge and ZnS. It can be predicted that GexC1-x f ilms possess excellent abrasion resistance.