Low temperature growth of diamond-like films by cathodic arc plasma deposition

Diamond-like films with electrical resistivity exceeding 108 Ω·cm are grown successfully on silicon substrates at 40°C in a cathodic arc plasma deposition system with a steered-arc source. The substrate is placed in an atmosphere of argon/oxygen mixture and RF-bias is applied. Low density graphite serves as a cathode target and a carbon source. The magnetic field due to magnets behind the graphite target makes the arc spot move. The observed speed of the steered-arc spot is strongly dependent on the magnitude of the applied arc current and the intensity of the radial magnetic field at the surface of the target. Addition of O2 to the system tends to improve the quality of the diamond-like films by increasing the sp3-Csp2-C ratio and reducing the number and size of graphite microparticles with decreased deposition rate of the films. The application of RF-bias also appears to have a similar beneficial effect on the quality of the films.