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Microstructure of amorphous C:H and metal-containing C:H films deposited on steel substrates

Sjöström, H. ; Hultman, L ; Sundgren, JE and Wallenberg, LR LU (1993) In Thin Solid Films 232(2). p.169-179
Abstract
Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM), including high-resolution microscopy (HREM), was employed to characterize the interface between different amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) films and steel substrates. Additional analyses using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were also performed. Films were deposited both by high-energy (50 keV) nitrogen ion-beam decomposition of large hydrocarbon molecules and by magnetron plasma decomposition of C2H2 in mixed Ar-C2H2 discharges. The latter method was also used to deposit Mo- or W-containing a-C:H films (Me-C:H films) onto steel substrates with interlayers of the pure metals between the substrate and Me-C:H film. The films were found to be truly... (More)
Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM), including high-resolution microscopy (HREM), was employed to characterize the interface between different amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) films and steel substrates. Additional analyses using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were also performed. Films were deposited both by high-energy (50 keV) nitrogen ion-beam decomposition of large hydrocarbon molecules and by magnetron plasma decomposition of C2H2 in mixed Ar-C2H2 discharges. The latter method was also used to deposit Mo- or W-containing a-C:H films (Me-C:H films) onto steel substrates with interlayers of the pure metals between the substrate and Me-C:H film. The films were found to be truly amorphous except for the cases of the metal-containing films, where 1–2 nm crystalline clusters were present in an a-C:H matrix. In the case of Mo the clusters were identified from HREM micrographs to have a bcc-like structure, characteristic of metallic Mo. The metal interlayers had a columnar microstructure with column widths of ∼ 30 nm. The interfaces between the Mo and W interlayers and the a-C:H films were found to extend over 20–40 nm with a gradual crystalline-to-amorphous transition. In most of the a-C:H film-substrate interface regions a thin layer ( < 10 nm) was observed which was predominantly amorphous but contained a small fraction of crystalline grains. AES showed an increase of both O and N close to the interface. However, for the cases with Mo and W interlayers, the substrate surface contaminants were less localized, and on some parts of the substrate surface the lattice fringes of the substrate and metal interlayer phase were continuous across a sharp interface. (Less)
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Contribution to journal
publication status
published
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in
Thin Solid Films
volume
232
issue
2
pages
11 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:0027659626
ISSN
0040-6090
DOI
10.1016/0040-6090(93)90005-A
language
English
LU publication?
yes
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ff873083-2d5b-4754-bb97-598c81c7093e
date added to LUP
2023-10-31 15:31:24
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2025-04-04 14:33:47
@article{ff873083-2d5b-4754-bb97-598c81c7093e,
  abstract     = {{Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM), including high-resolution microscopy (HREM), was employed to characterize the interface between different amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) films and steel substrates. Additional analyses using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were also performed. Films were deposited both by high-energy (50 keV) nitrogen ion-beam decomposition of large hydrocarbon molecules and by magnetron plasma decomposition of C2H2 in mixed Ar-C2H2 discharges. The latter method was also used to deposit Mo- or W-containing a-C:H films (Me-C:H films) onto steel substrates with interlayers of the pure metals between the substrate and Me-C:H film. The films were found to be truly amorphous except for the cases of the metal-containing films, where 1–2 nm crystalline clusters were present in an a-C:H matrix. In the case of Mo the clusters were identified from HREM micrographs to have a bcc-like structure, characteristic of metallic Mo. The metal interlayers had a columnar microstructure with column widths of ∼ 30 nm. The interfaces between the Mo and W interlayers and the a-C:H films were found to extend over 20–40 nm with a gradual crystalline-to-amorphous transition. In most of the a-C:H film-substrate interface regions a thin layer ( &lt; 10 nm) was observed which was predominantly amorphous but contained a small fraction of crystalline grains. AES showed an increase of both O and N close to the interface. However, for the cases with Mo and W interlayers, the substrate surface contaminants were less localized, and on some parts of the substrate surface the lattice fringes of the substrate and metal interlayer phase were continuous across a sharp interface.}},
  author       = {{Sjöström, H. and Hultman, L and Sundgren, JE and Wallenberg, LR}},
  issn         = {{0040-6090}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{169--179}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Thin Solid Films}},
  title        = {{Microstructure of amorphous C:H and metal-containing C:H films deposited on steel substrates}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0040-6090(93)90005-A}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/0040-6090(93)90005-A}},
  volume       = {{232}},
  year         = {{1993}},
}