Atomic hydrogen interactions with amorphous carbon thin films

作者：Jariwala Bhavin N; Ciobanu Cristian V^*; Agarwal Sumit

来源：Journal of Applied Physics, 2009, 106(7): 073305.

DOI：10.1063/1.3238305

The atomic-scale interactions of H atoms with hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films were identified using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and experiments based on surface characterization tools. Realistic a-C: H films developed using MD simulations were impinged with H atoms with a kinetic energy corresponding to a temperature of 700 K. The specific chemical reactions of the H atoms with the a-C: H surface were identified through a detailed analysis of the MD trajectories. The MD simulations showed that hydrogenation occurs primarily at the sp(2) sites and converts them to sp(3)-hybridized C atoms. Depending on the hybridization of the next-nearest neighbor, a dangling bond may or may not be created. The hydrogenation reaction is highly exothermic, >2.5 eV, and proceeds with a negligible activation energy barrier via a mechanism similar to Eley-Rideal. In certain cases hydrogenation may also cleave a C-C bond. The reaction events observed through MD simulations are consistent with the surface characterization of D-exposed a-C:H films using Raman spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.

• 出版日期2009-10-1