A Low-Stress, Elastic, and Improved Hardness Hydrogenated Amorphous Carbon Film

Abstract EN

The evolution of hydrogenated amorphous carbon films with fullerene-like microstructure was investigated with a different proportion of hydrogen supply in deposition.

The results showed at hydrogen flow rate of 50 sccm, the deposited films showed a lower compressive stress (lower 48.6%), higher elastic recovery (higher 19.6%, near elastic recovery rate 90%), and higher hardness (higher 7.4%) compared with the films deposited without hydrogen introduction.

Structural analysis showed that the films with relatively high sp2 content and low bonded hydrogen content possessed high hardness, elastic recovery rate, and low compressive stress.

It was attributed to the curved graphite microstructure, which can form three-dimensional covalently bonded network.