Raman light scattering in hydrogenated metal-carbon composite filmst

Abstract

We have used Raman scattering, elemental analysis, and structural analysis to study the effect of the concentration of incorporated metals (Cu, Ni) on the ratio of sp2/sp3 carbon bonds in composite hydrogen-containing films a-C:H/Cu and a-C:H/Ni, formed by combining plasma-enhanced vapor phase deposition of carbon and sputtering of the metal, using a mixture of argon and methane or acetylene gases. We have shown that formation of a nanosized structure of metallic crystallites (2–5 nm) in the composite films leads to a significant increase in the fraction of disordered sp3-bonded carbon clusters and a decrease in the linear dimensions of the graphite-like carbon clusters.