Optimization of radio frequency inductively coupled plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition process of diamond-like carbon films

The diamond-like carbon materials have unique mechanical, optical, electrical and chemical properties. The material is commonly applied in automotive industry, medicine and in other everyday life products. However, the diamond-like carbons are not used in micro- and optoelectronics on a wider scale due to technological problems. The application of the diamond-like carbon films in electronic structure is limited because the standard methods do not ensure that the quality and properties of the deposited film will be satisfactory for a specific application. On the other hand, more sophisticated methods that allow manufacturing the diamond-like carbon film with adequate properties, such as microwave assisted chemical vapour deposition, require heating of the substrate to high temperature (above 1000°C). The solution to the problem is the radio frequency inductively coupled plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition method that allows deposition of the diamond-like carbon films with satisfactory properties and the process can be carried out at room temperature. In the paper, basic information and issues concerning the diamond-like carbon films manufacturing technology by radio frequency inductively coupled plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition method will be explained. The diamond-like carbon films were investigated by the Raman scattering spectroscopy and the spectroscopic ellipsometry.