Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films with a range of sp(3) fractions have been e
xamined by ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy with 244 nm excitation. The UV Ram
an spectra of both hydrogenated and unhydrogenated films show the G peak ne
ar 1600 cm(-1) and a broad peak around 1200 cm(-1), which is attributed to
C-C stretching vibrations of sp(3) sites. It is found that the ratio of the
intensities of the C peak and the 1200 cm(-1) peak follows a universal dep
endence with the sp(3) content in both hydrogenated and unhydrogenated DLCs
. This can be used for non-destructive evaluation of the sp(3) content of a
ny DLC film. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.