In situ plasma diagnostics for chemical vapor deposition of nano-carbon thin film materials
A. N. Obraztsov
, 
, a, A. A. Zolotukhina, A. O. Ustinova, A. P. Volkova, Yu. Svirkob and K. Jefimovsb
a Department of Physics, Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia
b Department of Physics, University of Joensuu, Joensuu, FIN 80101, Finland
Available online 14 June 2003.
We report on the study of nano-carbon film deposition by in situ measuring of the optical emission and electrical parameters of the d.c. discharge in a methane–hydrogen gas mixture. By changing the deposition process parameters over a wide range, we obtain a variety of carbon thin film materials, the structure and composition of which are qualitatively characterized by a number of methods including the Raman and electron microscopy. The obtained results show the presence of H-, H2-, CH-, and C2-activated species in the discharge plasma. These species play a decisive role in the formation of nano-carbon graphite-like films including carbon nanotubes, and in carbon condensation in gas phase. We propose a model that describes the formation of graphitic nanostructured carbon films in the C2-dimers enriched plasma.
Author Keywords: Plasma CVD; OES; Nanostructures
