Diamond-like carbon films prepared with a laser ion source

Abstract

Diamond-like carbon films have been deposited onto clean, unseeded substrates using a hybrid ion beam technique. In this method the ion fluences available for acceleration were particularly enhanced by the use of laser ablation plumes ejected from highly purified graphite targets. The combination of levels of purity characteristic of ultrahigh vacuum environments, large ratios of ion to neutral concentrations, and high fluences showed considerable merit for the growth of large-area (10 cm2) films of optical quality and uniformity at deposition rates approaching 20 μm/h.