Plasma deposition of amorphous carbon films on copper

The plasma source ion implantation (PSII) technique was used in an attempt to promote diamond formation on a copper substrate via the so-called carbon -implantation-out-diffusion (CIOD) method. Carbon films were deposited on c opper substrates in DC and pulsed plasma modes at temperatures and substrat e bias voltages (BV) ranging from room temperature (RT) to 950 degrees C an d 0 to - 30 kV, respectively. All carbon films deposited in the DC-plasma m ode at 800-950 degrees C with a BV up to 10 kV exhibited G-band and D-band Raman shifts typical of polycrystalline graphite. Very similar Raman spectr a were also obtained from carbon films deposited in the pulsed plasma mode at 800-950 degrees C and a BV up to - 30 kV. The Raman spectral shape of th e carbon film deposited at RT and - 300 V in the pulsed plasma mode showed an asymmetric broad single peak typical of an amorphous diamond-like carbon film with G-band peak shifted toward the lower frequency end at 1520 cm(-1 ) from the original graphite G-line position at 1580 cm(-1). No trace of cr ystalline diamond, signatured by a distinct sharp peak at 1332 cm(-1), was found under the experimental conditions examined. Results from XPS analyses were consistent with those of the Raman studies. (C) 2000 Published by Els evier Science S.A. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.