Structure evolution on annealing of copper-doped carbon film

Thin copper-doped (8 at.% Cu) carbon film was deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering of composite graphite/copper target in argon plasma. The evolution of film structure on annealing at 600 °C in a vacuum has been studied by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The as-deposited film was amorphous with copper atoms uniformly distributed over the film volume. Annealing resulted in precipitation of copper particles within carbon film followed by the decrease in the density of copper particles and increase in particle average size with annealing time due to diffusion coalescence within the ensemble of copper particles. The coalescence occurred by the mixed mechanism of bulk and surface diffusion of copper atoms within carbon film that contained a large number of structural defects. As a result, the mean radius of copper particles in ensemble changed as R¯5 ∼ t.