The surface morphologies of diamondlike carbon (DLC) films with atomic force microscopy (AFM) are reported. The films were prepared by laser ablation with tuning power densities range from 3×108 to 1×1010 W/cm2. For power densities above 2×109 W/cm2, the films reveal smooth surfaces with uniform shapes of nanometer sized carbon clusters (sp3 bonding) and retain the surface roughness of the silicon substrate. For power densities below that, graphitic films are formed, and the surface roughness increases with decreasing laser intensity. The present AFM studies confirm that there exists a clear correlation between surface morphologies and the degree of diamondlike qualities.

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