Plasma diagnostic and mechanical properties of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) Thin films deposited by varying pulse power and mixed discharge parameters using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering.
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| Title: | Plasma diagnostic and mechanical properties of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) Thin films deposited by varying pulse power and mixed discharge parameters using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering. |
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| Authors: | Yang, Fu-Sen1,2 (AUTHOR), Kuo, Yu-Lin1 (AUTHOR), Chang, Chi-Lung1,2,3 (AUTHOR) clchang@mail.mcut.edu.tw |
| Source: | Diamond & Related Materials. Jan2026, Vol. 161, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. |
| Subjects: | Amorphous carbon, Thin films, Plasma diagnostics, Magnetron sputtering, Mechanical behavior of materials, Pulsed power systems, Carbon films |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the deposition of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) thin films using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) with a graphite target under various pulse power parameters and discharge modes, including a mixed-mode HiPIMS combined with arc discharge. Plasma diagnostics revealed that both HiPIMS and mixed-mode HiPIMS+Arc configurations significantly enhanced plasma energy, ionization rate, and density. A peak power density of 5.9 kW/cm2 and a high-energy C+ ion distribution were achieved by adjusting the high-voltage pulse duration. Combined X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses showed that modifying the pulse count or the high-voltage pulse duration increased thin film density and reduced surface roughness, yielding a maximum density of 2.6 g/cm3 and a minimum roughness of 0.88 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that while the ta-C thin films remained predominantly amorphous, localized nanocrystalline i‑carbon (intermediate carbon phase, ICP) (110) structures with an interplanar spacing of 0.32 nm were formed under high-energy plasma conditions. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and nanoindentation demonstrated that both discharge modes improved the sp3 bonding ratio, I D /I G ratio, hardness, and Young's modulus. The highest sp3 content (37.2 %) and compressive stress (−2.79 GPa) were achieved using a three-pulse HiPIMS configuration, while the highest hardness (27.2 GPa) and modulus (219.6 GPa) were obtained at a high-voltage pulse duration of 80 μs. These findings confirm that mixed-mode HiPIMS+Arc discharge provides an effective approach for producing dense, smooth, and mechanically robust ta-C thin films with localized nanocrystalline structures. Energy distribution of the carbon plasma ions under different power modes and the corresponding SAED crystal structure variations of the tetrahedral amorphous carbon thin films. [Display omitted] • i-Carbon (intermediate carbon phase, ICP) nanocrystals identified by TEM/SAED at d ≈ 0.32 nm (110) plane. • sp3-rich bonding achieved through energetic ion bombardment control. • Mixed-mode discharge enhances carbon ionization and thin film densification. • ta-C thin films show improved hardness and structural compactness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Diamond & Related Materials is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 190440821 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Plasma diagnostic and mechanical properties of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) Thin films deposited by varying pulse power and mixed discharge parameters using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yang%2C+Fu-Sen%22">Yang, Fu-Sen</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kuo%2C+Yu-Lin%22">Kuo, Yu-Lin</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chang%2C+Chi-Lung%22">Chang, Chi-Lung</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2,3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> clchang@mail.mcut.edu.tw</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Diamond+%26+Related+Materials%22">Diamond & Related Materials</searchLink>. Jan2026, Vol. 161, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Amorphous+carbon%22">Amorphous carbon</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thin+films%22">Thin films</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Plasma+diagnostics%22">Plasma diagnostics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Magnetron+sputtering%22">Magnetron sputtering</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mechanical+behavior+of+materials%22">Mechanical behavior of materials</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pulsed+power+systems%22">Pulsed power systems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Carbon+films%22">Carbon films</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: This study investigates the deposition of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) thin films using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) with a graphite target under various pulse power parameters and discharge modes, including a mixed-mode HiPIMS combined with arc discharge. Plasma diagnostics revealed that both HiPIMS and mixed-mode HiPIMS+Arc configurations significantly enhanced plasma energy, ionization rate, and density. A peak power density of 5.9 kW/cm2 and a high-energy C+ ion distribution were achieved by adjusting the high-voltage pulse duration. Combined X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses showed that modifying the pulse count or the high-voltage pulse duration increased thin film density and reduced surface roughness, yielding a maximum density of 2.6 g/cm3 and a minimum roughness of 0.88 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that while the ta-C thin films remained predominantly amorphous, localized nanocrystalline i‑carbon (intermediate carbon phase, ICP) (110) structures with an interplanar spacing of 0.32 nm were formed under high-energy plasma conditions. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and nanoindentation demonstrated that both discharge modes improved the sp3 bonding ratio, I D /I G ratio, hardness, and Young's modulus. The highest sp3 content (37.2 %) and compressive stress (−2.79 GPa) were achieved using a three-pulse HiPIMS configuration, while the highest hardness (27.2 GPa) and modulus (219.6 GPa) were obtained at a high-voltage pulse duration of 80 μs. These findings confirm that mixed-mode HiPIMS+Arc discharge provides an effective approach for producing dense, smooth, and mechanically robust ta-C thin films with localized nanocrystalline structures. Energy distribution of the carbon plasma ions under different power modes and the corresponding SAED crystal structure variations of the tetrahedral amorphous carbon thin films. [Display omitted] • i-Carbon (intermediate carbon phase, ICP) nanocrystals identified by TEM/SAED at d ≈ 0.32 nm (110) plane. • sp3-rich bonding achieved through energetic ion bombardment control. • Mixed-mode discharge enhances carbon ionization and thin film densification. • ta-C thin films show improved hardness and structural compactness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Diamond & Related Materials is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1016/j.diamond.2025.113105 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 1 StartPage: N.PAG Subjects: – SubjectFull: Amorphous carbon Type: general – SubjectFull: Thin films Type: general – SubjectFull: Plasma diagnostics Type: general – SubjectFull: Magnetron sputtering Type: general – SubjectFull: Mechanical behavior of materials Type: general – SubjectFull: Pulsed power systems Type: general – SubjectFull: Carbon films Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Plasma diagnostic and mechanical properties of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) Thin films deposited by varying pulse power and mixed discharge parameters using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Yang, Fu-Sen – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kuo, Yu-Lin – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Chang, Chi-Lung IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Text: Jan2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 09259635 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 161 Titles: – TitleFull: Diamond & Related Materials Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
