High rate PLD of diamond-like-carbon utilizing copper vapor lasers

Thin film formation by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has been routinely demonstrated at the laboratory scale for many elements and compounds. In order for processes based on PLD to progress from bench top experiments to commercialization, a number of key issues must be resolved. The principal limitations of current PLD technology are low deposition rate, inclusion of macro particles in the film that are ejected from the target, and difficulty in producing uniform coatings over large areas. Only thin films of very high value are considered economic at present deposition rates, of order 10 μm-cm²/h. Recently, a significant increase in PLD rate has been achieved in our laboratory, over 2000 μ · cm²/h. These rates were accompanied by good surface characteristics by utilizing a copper vapor laser, operating at 100 W to 200 W average power and 4.3 kHz pulse repetition rate. The initial system demonstrations were performed by depositing high quality diamond-like-carbon (DLC) films with a remarkably low level of macro particle inclusions. The experiments and material characterizations performed on the deposited material are reviewed here.