Fabrication of fluorine-terminated diamond-like carbon thin film using a hyperthermal atomic fluorine beam

Surface modification of diamond-like carbon (DLC) film was performed using a hyperthermal atomic fluorine beam on the purpose of production of hydrophobic surface by maintaining the high hardness of DLC film. By the irradiation of atomic fluorine beam of a 1.0 × 1020 atoms/cm2, the contact angle of a water drop against the DLC surface increased from 73° to 111°. The formation of CF3, CF2 and CF bonding on the modified DLC surface was confirmed from the measurements of X-ray photoelectron spectra and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectra. Irradiation of hyperthermal atomic fluorine beam was concluded to produce insulator fluorine-terminated DLC film, which has high F content on the surface, by the taking of the use of neutral atomic beam as a fluorine source.

► DLC films were modified by using hyperthermal atomic F beam to fabricate the DLC with hydrophobic surface for the production of F-terminated DLC, which has a high F/C ratio.
► By the irradiation of atomic fluorine beam of a 1.0 × 1020 atoms/cm2, the contact angle of a water drop against the DLC surface increased from 73° to 111°.
► The formation of CF3, CF2 and CF bonding on the modified DLC surface was concluded to synthesis hydrophobic surface on a DLC film.