Complementary analysis techniques for the morphological study of ultrathin amorphous carbon films

Lemoine, P.; Lamberton, R.W.; Ogwu, A. A.; Zhao, Jinchao; Maguire, PD; McLaughlin, James

doi:10.1063/1.371615

Cited by 22 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…7 and 8; these are formed on the boundary layer, where the colloidal concentration is high, the evaporation rate is slow and therefore where desorption from the nanospheres is likely to proceed further. Overall, the results show that it is only by comparing results from several techniques that one can interpret correctly images of nanostructures, as usually such techniques are complementary [30,31].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Complementary Analysis of Metallic Templates Fabricated by Nanosphere Lithography

Yadav

George

McLaughlin

et al. 2009

e-J. Surf. Sci. Nanotechnol.

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We present a comparative microscopic study on metallic templates prepared by nanosphere lithography. Scanning electron microscopy, low kV Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning ion microscopy, atomic force microscopy and confocal Raman spectroscopy were used to analyse the assembly of the nano-templates. Contact angle measurements allowed us to optimise the surface treatment of the Si substrate to obtain maximal spreading and regularity of the nanosphere arrays. After metal deposition and toluene nanosphere removal, we found the expected interstitial triangular structures, originating from the 2D single layer hexagonal sphere array. We also detected a number of other features such as rings, circles, cups and lines which were found to be generally positioned below the nanospheres. A review of proposed mechanisms and the various analysis performed here indicate that some of these features are partly polymeric and partly caused by residual material leaching out of the nanospheres at various stages of the process.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Complementary Analysis of Metallic Templates Fabricated by Nanosphere Lithography

Yadav

George

McLaughlin

et al. 2009

e-J. Surf. Sci. Nanotechnol.

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“…The EDX data obtained at 5 kV indicates large Ga atomic percentages (up to 25%). The Kanaya range for 5 kV electrons is around 500 nm [15], hence these EDX analysis of the IBD samples is mostly confined to the carbon film. Again, according to Monte Carlo simulations [14], the Ga + ion penetrates about 10-15 nm into an aluminium target.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances on the use of carbon based materials at the biological and surface interface for applications in medical implants

McLaughlin¹,

Maguire²

2008

Diamond and Related Materials

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We present a comparative study where carbon nanostructures were prepared by electron and ion beam methods. Thin films of 10 × 10 µm 2 area were prepared and analysed by Raman analysis, nanoindentation, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The material formed is not soft and graphitic, but of intermediate hardness (6-13 GPa) and with Raman spectral features similar to those of hydrogenated amorphous carbon, although it contains a significant Ga content (up to 25 at. %). This study was used to form sharp AFM supertip structures which were used to image sintered ceramic samples and films of aligned carbon nanotubes. Compared to traditional Si tips, this gave an improved rendering of the sample's aspect ratio although the resolution is limited by the diameter of the C supertips.

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“…Scratch tests of ultrathin, ionbeam-deposited carbon nitride films indicate film failure by brittle fracture followed by abrasive wear [14]. Nanoindentation and nanoscratching is being used to evaluate fracture toughness of ultrathin films [11,[64][65][66].…”

Section: B Hardness and Elastic Modulusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrathin diamond-like carbon films deposited by filtered carbon vacuum arcs

Anders

Fong

Kulkarni

et al. 2001

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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Ultrathin (< 5 nm) hard carbon films are of great interest to the magnetic storage industry as the areal density approaches 100 Gbit/in 2 . These films are used as overcoats to protect the magnetic layers on disk media and the active elements of the read-write slider. Tetrahedral amorphous carbon films can be produced by filtered cathodic arc deposition, but the films will only be accepted by the storage industry only if the "macroparticle" issue has been solved. Better plasma filters have been developed over recent years. Emphasis is put on the promising twist filter system -a compact, open structure that operates with pulsed arcs and high magnetic field. Based on corrosion tests it is shown that the macroparticle reduction by the twist filter is satisfactory for this demanding application, while plasma throughput is very high. Ultrathin hard carbon films have been synthesized using Sfilter and twist filter systems. Film properties such as hardness, elastic modulus, wear, and corrosion resistance have been tested. Index Terms: diamond-like carbon, cathodic vacuum arc, macroparticle filtering, magnetic storage, carbon overcoats 3 I. INTRODUCTIONUltrathin (< 5 nm) hard carbon films are used as protective overcoats on hard disks and readwrite heads. The tribological properties of the head-disk interface are not only of mechanical but also of chemical nature: the overcoat should protect the magnetic layers against wear and corrosion [1, 2]. The areal density of information stored in disk drive products increased at an amazing rate of over 65% for many years rate, and continues to accelerate to even greater rates [3]. To accomplish this, the "magnetic spacing" between the magnetic layers of the disk and read/write sensor of the head must continue to decrease. The magnetic spacing includes the overcoats, lubrication, and the fly height. Thinner overcoats allow the read-write head to be closer to the magnetic layer of the disk, and hence, the size of individual bits on the disk to be smaller. As we work toward an areal density of 100 Gbit/in 2 , the magnetic spacing approaches the sub-10-nm regime (pseudo-contact recording) and overcoat thickness must shrink to 1-2 nm. Overcoats currently used are sputtered or ion-beam deposited diamond-like carbon films, typically doped with hydrogen or nitrogen. They cease to provide acceptable levels of corrosion protection when the film thickness is less than 5 nm.Overcoats need to be tough (hard and elastic), chemically inert, pinhole-free, and compatible with the lubricant. The challenge of ultrathin film synthesis is to make the films as thin as possible and still continuous, as opposed to an assembly of islands.Nucleation and growth of ultrathin films is a field of intense research. For carbon, it is well known that films that are rich in sp 3 (diamond) bonds should be grown in a kinetic mode at low temperature (less than 200°C, preferably room temperature), with film-forming carbon atoms or ions having an energy of about 100 eV. This energy is optimized for subplantat...

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Complementary analysis techniques for the morphological study of ultrathin amorphous carbon films

Cited by 22 publications

References 19 publications

Complementary Analysis of Metallic Templates Fabricated by Nanosphere Lithography

Complementary Analysis of Metallic Templates Fabricated by Nanosphere Lithography

Advances on the use of carbon based materials at the biological and surface interface for applications in medical implants

Ultrathin diamond-like carbon films deposited by filtered carbon vacuum arcs

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