Effect of metal target power on the properties of co-sputtered Sn-DLC and W-DLC thin films

There is a great interest in understanding the properties of sputtered DLC films in order to enable their wide application in electronic devices and sensors. In present study, metal-containing diamond-like carbon (Me-DLC) thin films were deposited on Si (100) substrates by DC magnetron co-sputtering using a carbon target under a fixed power (150 W) and a metal target (tin or tungsten) under varying power (10-30 W), while the other parameters were kept constant. The growth rate, chemical composition, structure and electrical resistivity of the Sn-DLC and W-DLC thin films were studied by mechanical profilometer, RBS, SEM, Raman spectroscopy and four points probe, respectively. The results showed that the growth rate of Sn-DLC thin film is higher than the W-DLC. Furthermore, the Sn incorporation in DLC films is higher than W-DLC for the same power applied to the metal target. Relationship between the electrical resistivity of both film types and the power applied was also observed.