We compare the Raman spectra and other macroscopic properties of nearly one hundred amorphous carbon films deposited at five research laboratories by a total of five different methods in search of correlations useful for both process control and basic understanding of the structure of these materials. For the full range of carbon-hydrogen alloys, including so-called ‘‘amorphous diamond,’’ hydrogenated ‘‘diamondlike’’ carbon, and plasma-polymers, a simple parametrization of the Raman spectrum in the usual 1000 cm−1 to 2000 cm−1 range can be used as a reliable predictor of hydrogenation and other properties (e.g., optical gap, hardness). Raman features in the 200 cm−1 to 1000 cm−1 range, a spectral region not usually reported for carbon films, may also be used as an indicator of hydrogenation. These growth method independent correlations greatly enhance the utility of Raman spectroscopy as a non-destructive characterization and process control tool.

Carbon bonding environments (measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and compressive stress in plasma-deposited hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have been examined systematically as a function of substrate bias voltage. These results are related in terms of random network theory to show that hard DLC formed in an intermediate voltage range (100–400 V) consists of small graphitic clusters linked in a random network which is stiffened by a high density of quaternary carbon.

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Silicon-containing amorphous hydrogenated carbon films deposited by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process were studied using both Raman and ellipsometry spectroscopies. Analyses of the experimental data from both these techniques yielded valuable information about the microstructure of the films. The silicon incorporation in amorphous hydrogenated carbon breaks down large size sp2 carbon clusters and enhances sp3 bonding. The reduction of large sp2 graphitic defects, the enhancement of sp3 bonding, and the associated microstructure changes are responsible for the desired properties of silicon-containing amorphous hydrogenated carbon.

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