Nanostructured diamond-like carbon by dual pulsed laser ablation-pulsed gas feeding
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Date
2007
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Abstract
Diamond-like carbon films is a metastable form of carbon containing mixture of sp3 and sp2 hybridization. In the previous decades Diamond-like carbon has been studying widely due to its unique properties resembling those of diamond. These properties exhibit the high hardness, high wear resistance, low friction coefficient, chemical inertness, high electrical resistance, and optical transparency in the IR region. These properties make DLC films a good candidate in various applications such as the mechanical, optical, coating magnetic hard dicks, and biocompatibility in the replacement of hip joints, heart valves, stents, as well as zinc sulphide for IR windows. In the present work nano-structure diamond-like carbon was deposited at room temperature by Pulsed Laser Ablation in a methane atmosphere on corning glass and silicon substrate. The structures of Diamond-like carbon film such the surface morphology and the composition has been studied by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The structural properties of DLC films have been studying by were investigated by Raman spectroscopy. The vibrational mode of C-H molecules and the composition of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen have been investigated
by Fourier transformations Infrared Absorption, Rutherford backscattering, Elastic Recoil Detector. The optical and the surface topography of the films have been studied by Ultraviolet Visible spectrophotometer, Zygo interferometer, and Stylus Profiler. SEM shows that DLC films deposited in a high vacuum peel out of the silicon substrate whereas the films deposited on glass shows the dark yellow color depending on the thickness of the films. Raman results indicate the depended of DLC films on deposition time, the sp3 fraction increase from 21% to 97.1% and the peak position changes with respect to time. XPS result shows excellent films produced by pulsed laser ablation with Cls in the range 81.5%-88.8 % with the surface roughness less 30nm. These smooth film shows promise applications on hard and medical biocompatibility. DLC films deposited on have refractive (n) in range of 1.7 to 2.2 suitable for optical applications.
Description
Thesis presented in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Sciences in the Department of Physics and Engineering at the
University of Zululand, 2007.
Keywords
Pulsed laser ablation, Diamond-like carbon