Diamond-Like Carbon Films Deposited by Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering System with Rotating Cathode

Extended cylindrical magnetron sputtering system with rotating 600-mm long and 90-mm diameter graphite cathode and pulsed power supply voltage generator were developed and fabricated. Time-dependent Langmuir probe characteristics as well as carbon films thickness were measured. It was shown that ratio of ions flux to carbon atoms flux for pulsed magnetron discharge mode was equal to $\Phi_{i}$ $\Phi$sub C/ = 0.2. It did not depend on the discharge current in the range of $I_{d}$ / = 10∼60 A since both the plasma density and the film deposition rate were found approximately proportional to the discharge current. In spite of this fact carbon film structure was found to be strongly dependent on the discharge current. Grain size increased from 100 nm at $I_{d}$ = 10∼20 A to 500 nm at $I_{d}$ = 40∼60 A. To deposit fine-grained hard nanocrystalline or amorphous carbon coating current regime with $I_{d}$ = 20 A was chosen. Pulsed negative bias voltage ($\tau$= 40 ${\mu}\textrm{s}$, $U_{b}$ = 0∼10 ㎸) synchronized with magnetron discharge pulses was applied to a substrate and voltage of $U_{b}$ = 3.4 ㎸ was shown to be optimum for a hard carbon film deposition. Lower voltages were not sufficient for amorphization of a growing graphite film, while higher voltages led to excessive ion bombardment and effects of recrystalization and graphitization.