Ellipsometric studies of diamond like carbon films prepared by PECVD using pulsed DC power supply

Abstract

Abstract Diamonds like carbon (DLC) films were deposited by DC and pulsed DC glow discharge plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique (PECVD). High deposition rates and uniform thin film were obtained using pulsed DC PECVD glow discharge deposition technique. The optical and surface properties of these films were investigated using transmission spectroscopy, spectroscopic Ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was employed to examine the compositional properties and sp 3 / sp 2 ratio in our films. Phase modulated Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE) in wide range of 300‐1650 nm was used to determine the complex refractive index ( ñ ( λ) = n ( λ) + ik ( λ) ) using Forouhi‐Bloomer amorphous model in the analyses of SE data. The extracted parameters are reported. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)