Photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry characterization of diamond-like carbon films

Photoelectron spectroscopy at different photon energies was used to optimize the photoexcitation cross section for valence band study of diamond-like hydrogenated carbon films. The electronic states of diamond-like carbon (DLC) were studied by synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. The valence band spectra measured at different excitation energies show the gradual emergence of the p-π band in relation to the sample annealing and ion bombardment amorphization. The p-π band of the annealed DLC was characterized by localized p_z states whilst the formation of the amorphous carbon surface was accompanied by appearance of the delocalized p_z states in the gap. Secondary ion mass spectrometry and thermal desorption spectroscopy showed that sample annealing was accompanied by hydrogen content decrease.