Optical properties of diamond like carbon films containing copper, grown by high power pulsed magnetron sputtering and direct current magnetron sputtering: Structure and composition effects

• Optical properties of diamond like carbon (DLC:Cu) films containing Cu were studied.
• Reactive high power pulsed magnetron sputtering was used for deposition.
• Extinction, absorbance and reflectance spectra of DLC:Cu films depend on Cu content.
• Plasmonic peak intensity and position of the peak depend on Cu amount.

In the present study chemical composition, structure and optical properties of hydrogenated diamond like carbon films containing copper (DLC:Cu films) deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering were studied. Different modes of deposition — direct current (DC) sputtering and high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) as well as two configurations of the magnetron magnetic field (balanced and unbalanced) were applied. X-ray diffractometry, Raman scattering spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to study the structure and composition of the films. It was shown that by using HIPIMS mode contamination of the cathode during the deposition of DLC:Cu films can be suppressed. In all cases oxygen atomic concentration in the films was in 5–10 at.% range and it increased with the copper atomic concentration. The highest oxygen content was observed in the films deposited employing low ion/neutral ratio balanced DC magnetron sputtering process. According to the analysis of the parameters of Raman scattering spectra, sp3/sp2 bond ratio decreased with the increase of Cu atomic concentration in the DLC films. Clear dependence of the extinction, absorbance and reflectance spectra on copper atomic concentration in the films was observed independently of the method of deposition. Surface plasmon resonance effect was observed only when Cu atomic concentration in DLC:Cu film was at least 15 at.%. The maximum of the surface plasmon resonance peak of the absorbance spectra of DLC:Cu films was in 600–700 nm range and redshifted with the increase of Cu amount. The ratio between the intensities of the plasmonic peak and hydrogenated amorphous carbon related peak at ~ 220 nm both in the extinction and absorbance spectra as well as peak to background ratio of DLC:Cu films increased linearly with Cu amount in the investigated 0–40 at.% range. Reflectance of the plasmonic DLC:Cu films was in 30–50% range that could be important in practical optical applications of DLC:Cu films.