Microhardness Studies on Thin Carbon Films Grown on p-Type, (100) Silicon

摘要

A program to grow thin carbon films and investigate their physical and electrical properties is described. Characteristics of films grown by rf sputtering and vacuum arc deposition on p type, (100) silicon wafers are presented. Microhardness data were obtained from both the films and the silicon via the Vickers diamond indentation technique. These data show that the films are always harder than the silicon, even when the films are thin (of the order of 1000 A). Vacuum arc films were found to contain black carbon inclusions of the order of a few microns in size, and clusters of inclusions of the order of tens of microns. Transmission electron diffraction showed that the films being studied were amorphous in structure.