Electrodeposition of diamond-like amorphous carbon films on Si from N,N-dimethylformamide

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were deposited on an Si plate from N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) with pulse-modulated power. The deposition process can be facilitated by the promotion of the temperature or the decrease of the electrode separation distance. The films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The results showed that the films were hydrogenated DLC films. Hydrogen was removed and the primary bonding in the films changed gradually from sp3-bonded carbon to sp2-bonded carbon as annealing proceeded.