Growth and characterization of diamond-like carbon and diamond films: Effect of atomic hydrogen beams and studies of field emission of electrons

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition using a graphite target. An atomic hydrogen beam was also directed at some of the growing or already grown films. Atomic force microscopy showed the film grown with hydrogen to be smoother and have fewer particles than films that were not exposed to hydrogen during growth. Films grown with the hydrogen beam had a resistivity nearly two orders of magnitude higher than the films grown without hydrogen. Raman scattering confirmed a higher degree of sp 3 bonding in films exposed to hydrogen atoms during growth. Films grown without hydrogen but exposed to the hydrogen beam after growth showed a significant increase in resistivity after exposure.; Diamond and DLC films have been grown by the recently developed plasma-enhanced chemical transport process. The films are determined by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction to be of better diamond crystalline quality at higher hydrogen growth pressure and smaller electrode separation. The field emission of electrons, however, is much better at lower growth pressure and larger electrode separation. Some of the low-pressure films emitted as well as the best films reported in the literature to date. There is an optimal growth pressure below which field emission again decreases. The addition of argon to the growth chamber was found to decrease the size of the diamond crystals and increase the emission site density, but to decrease the total amount of field emission current for a given growth pressure and electrode separation.