Study of depth profile of hydrogen in hydrogenated diamond like carbon thin film using ion beam analysis techniques

Abstract: The Hydrogenated Diamond Like Carbon (HDLC) thin films are deposited on Silicon substrate at room temperature using asymmetric capacitively coupled RF plasma with varying flow rates of methane. These films are undergone annealing at high vacuum and high temperature furnace. The as-prepared and annealed HDLC films have been depth profiled for hydrogen using the resonance at 6.44 MeV in nuclear reaction between fluoride ion beam and HDLC. The as prepared films exhibit non-uniform depth distribution of hydrogen: it decreases with depth. Annealing in vacuum brings about a significant desorption of hydrogen from the films. Loss of hydrogen, albeit in much lower proportions, is also induced by the bombarding beam. The films also experience a mild loss of carbon, as shown by proton backscattering spectrometry, during high vacuum annealing. The depth profiles of hydrogen in the annealed films are indicative of the prevalence of graphitic carbon near interface between film and substrate.