Systematic study of various stages during the growth process of diamond-like carbon film by atomic force microscopy

The diamond like carbon (DLC) films have been grown by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) in methane-argon plasma. In PECVD, the plasma sheath potential drop arising due to argon plasma was utilized to grow the DLC film on silicon (100) substrate at low temperature without using any external negative bias voltage. The growth process of the DLC film has been studied completely starting from nucleation to continuous film by atomic force microscopy. It was seen that the DLC film nucleates around surface defects on the substrate and that the film growth occurs by both adatom deposition and coalescence between nucleated islands. Raman spectrum confirms that the DLC film nucleates excessively in sp² hybridized state and that during the growth process the fraction of sp³ CH_x (x = 1 − 3) increases which leads to the amorphous nature of the film. Long range uniformity of the film was identified using scanning electron microscope.