1998 Volume 1998 Issue 181 Pages 2-7
Diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films were deposited under the deposition temperature control using theplasma pulsed CVD method (five seconds deposition and three minutes cooling repeatedly). We investigated theeffects of the deposition temperature on the reactive ion etching (RIE) with oxygen plasma for these DLC films interms of self-bias voltages, etching temperatures, surface profiles, contact angles and etching rates. Furthermore, somekinds of bonds between carbon and oxygen formed by O2 plasma etching treatments were identified on the surfaces of the DLC films and the dependence of the quantities of these bonds on the deposition temperature was also confirmed. The results obtained in this report are attributed to the densification of the DLSfilm structure.
