MODELING PLASMA-ASSISTED DEPOSITION OF DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON-FILMS

A model of diamond-like carbon growth in low-pressure plasma reactors using methane as the precursor is presented. The model considers a sim plified description of transport phenomena, assuming a well-mixed gas phase and a detailed kinetic mechanism consisting of gas and surface r eactions. Rate constants taken from the literature were combined with others calculated using thermochemical methods. The model predicts the film growth rate and its hydrogen content as a function of substrate temperature, pressure, feed flow rate, and applied electric power. Fur thermore the catalytic effect of ions on the growing surface is explai ned, and methyl is identified as the most important precursor to depos ition. The results of the simulations were compared with three differe nt plasma reactors described in the literature and characterized by di fferent working conditions: an electron cyclotron resonance reactor an d two radio-frequency reactors (with 13.56 and 2.0 MHz discharge frequ encies).