Hα emission as a feedback control sensor for reactive sputter deposition of nano-structured, diamond-like carbon coatings

C. Christopher Klepper; Eric P. Carlson; Robert C. Hazelton; Edward J. Yadlowsky; Bao Feng; Mahmoud A. Taher; Harry M. Meyer

doi:10.1109/TPS.2005.844531

Hα emission as a feedback control sensor for reactive sputter deposition of nano-structured, diamond-like carbon coatings

C. Christopher Klepper, Eric P. Carlson, Robert C. Hazelton, Edward J. Yadlowsky, Bao Feng, Mahmoud A. Taher, Harry M. Meyer

Surface Chemistry & Catalysis Group

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper discusses the potential use of the hydrogen atomic line emission at 656.3 nm (H_α) as an effective in-situ sensor for a closed-loop control system to improve the reproducibility of reactive sputter deposition of nano-structured, metal-containing, hydrogenated, diamond-like carbon (Me:DLC:H) coatings. The paper includes experimental results showing a good correlation between H_α emission in the process plasma and the formation of metal-carbide, an important component of these coatings. The first attempts at actual feedback-control of the process showed that this sensor can be effective, at least over the stage of the deposition when mostly carbides are formed in the coating. A spectrally resolved analysis of the H_α emission for the various stages of the deposition have shown that the emission profile is dominated by a "hot" component (∼ 10-20 eV), which can be attributed to dissociative excitation of molecular hydrogen (H₂). The molecular hydrogen is understood to evolve from the coating as a result of carbon incorporation from the reactive gas (C₂H₂) and is particularly sensitive to metal carbide formation in the film, when most of the hydrogen is released from the surface in molecular form.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	799-807
Number of pages	9
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science
Volume	33
Issue number	2 II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TPS.2005.844531
State	Published - Apr 2005

Funding

Manuscript received August 31, 2004; revised December 22, 2004. This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Commerce under Contract NIST ATP 70NANBH0H3048. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) participation in the Auger analysis part of this research was sponsored by the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Free-domCAR and Vehicle Technologies, as part of the High Temperature Materials Laboratory User Program at ORNL, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-00OR22725.

Funders	Funder number
Office of Free-domCAR
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-AC05-00OR22725
National Institute of Standards and Technology	ATP 70NANBH0H3048
U.S. Department of Commerce
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Keywords

Atomic physics
Closed loop systems
Coatings
Plasma measurements
Process control
Sputtering
Thin films

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title = "Hα emission as a feedback control sensor for reactive sputter deposition of nano-structured, diamond-like carbon coatings",

abstract = "This paper discusses the potential use of the hydrogen atomic line emission at 656.3 nm (Hα) as an effective in-situ sensor for a closed-loop control system to improve the reproducibility of reactive sputter deposition of nano-structured, metal-containing, hydrogenated, diamond-like carbon (Me:DLC:H) coatings. The paper includes experimental results showing a good correlation between Hα emission in the process plasma and the formation of metal-carbide, an important component of these coatings. The first attempts at actual feedback-control of the process showed that this sensor can be effective, at least over the stage of the deposition when mostly carbides are formed in the coating. A spectrally resolved analysis of the Hα emission for the various stages of the deposition have shown that the emission profile is dominated by a {"}hot{"} component (∼ 10-20 eV), which can be attributed to dissociative excitation of molecular hydrogen (H2). The molecular hydrogen is understood to evolve from the coating as a result of carbon incorporation from the reactive gas (C2H2) and is particularly sensitive to metal carbide formation in the film, when most of the hydrogen is released from the surface in molecular form.",

keywords = "Atomic physics, Closed loop systems, Coatings, Plasma measurements, Process control, Sputtering, Thin films",

author = "Klepper, {C. Christopher} and Carlson, {Eric P.} and Hazelton, {Robert C.} and Yadlowsky, {Edward J.} and Bao Feng and Taher, {Mahmoud A.} and Meyer, {Harry M.}",

year = "2005",

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AU - Klepper, C. Christopher

AU - Carlson, Eric P.

AU - Hazelton, Robert C.

AU - Yadlowsky, Edward J.

AU - Feng, Bao

AU - Taher, Mahmoud A.

AU - Meyer, Harry M.

PY - 2005/4

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N2 - This paper discusses the potential use of the hydrogen atomic line emission at 656.3 nm (Hα) as an effective in-situ sensor for a closed-loop control system to improve the reproducibility of reactive sputter deposition of nano-structured, metal-containing, hydrogenated, diamond-like carbon (Me:DLC:H) coatings. The paper includes experimental results showing a good correlation between Hα emission in the process plasma and the formation of metal-carbide, an important component of these coatings. The first attempts at actual feedback-control of the process showed that this sensor can be effective, at least over the stage of the deposition when mostly carbides are formed in the coating. A spectrally resolved analysis of the Hα emission for the various stages of the deposition have shown that the emission profile is dominated by a "hot" component (∼ 10-20 eV), which can be attributed to dissociative excitation of molecular hydrogen (H2). The molecular hydrogen is understood to evolve from the coating as a result of carbon incorporation from the reactive gas (C2H2) and is particularly sensitive to metal carbide formation in the film, when most of the hydrogen is released from the surface in molecular form.

AB - This paper discusses the potential use of the hydrogen atomic line emission at 656.3 nm (Hα) as an effective in-situ sensor for a closed-loop control system to improve the reproducibility of reactive sputter deposition of nano-structured, metal-containing, hydrogenated, diamond-like carbon (Me:DLC:H) coatings. The paper includes experimental results showing a good correlation between Hα emission in the process plasma and the formation of metal-carbide, an important component of these coatings. The first attempts at actual feedback-control of the process showed that this sensor can be effective, at least over the stage of the deposition when mostly carbides are formed in the coating. A spectrally resolved analysis of the Hα emission for the various stages of the deposition have shown that the emission profile is dominated by a "hot" component (∼ 10-20 eV), which can be attributed to dissociative excitation of molecular hydrogen (H2). The molecular hydrogen is understood to evolve from the coating as a result of carbon incorporation from the reactive gas (C2H2) and is particularly sensitive to metal carbide formation in the film, when most of the hydrogen is released from the surface in molecular form.

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KW - Closed loop systems

KW - Coatings

KW - Plasma measurements

KW - Process control

KW - Sputtering

KW - Thin films

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Hα emission as a feedback control sensor for reactive sputter deposition of nano-structured, diamond-like carbon coatings

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