Effects of nitrogen trifluoride on the growth and properties of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited diamond-like carbon films

The effects of nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) on the growth and properties of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were investigated. The addition of NF₃ increases the deposition rate of DLC film due presumably to the removal of activated hydrogen species by the fluorine radical (F⁻). Diamond-like carbon films deposited in a methane/NF₃ mixture have a higher refractive index, a lower bulk resistivity, and a lower optical bandgap compared to films deposited in pure methane due to a lower hydrogen content in the films. Moreover, the bulk resistivity of methane/NF₃ DLC films remains constant for annealing temperatures below 400°C. Thus, DLC films deposited with NF₃ are more stable than DLC films deposited without NF₃.