Diamond-like carbon thin films for high-temperature applications prepared by filtered pulsed laser deposition

Diamond-like carbon thin films (DLC) with increased thermal stability were prepared by filtered pulsed laser deposition (F-PLD). The influence of different substrate temperatures on the growth and composition of DLC films was analysed using Raman spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The increase of substrate temperature leads to an increase in sp2 carbon bond hybridisation and a decrease in the optical band gap. However, the deposited films show excellent thermal stability, with a slow transition from high sp3 to low sp3 content as a function of the substrate temperature. The importance of substrate temperature and the mechanical kinetic energy filter in relation to the mobility of the film-forming species from the highly ionised and energetic laser plume is discussed.