Chemical kinetics simulation of deposition and sp2/sp3 bond ratio of diamond-like carbon film in plasma

In this work a theoretical model for the simulation of diamond-like carbon (DLC) film deposition in thermal plasma will be investigated. A chemical kinetics model for the most important molecular processes occurring in the gas-phase and gas-surface will be presented. This investigation is focused on the molecular processes in the gas and the elementary interactions of activated gas species with the deposited surface. The model quantitatively predicts the kinetics concentration of important plasma activated species. Also the net rate of the production of gas, surface, and bulk phase species will be calculated. Finally the growth rate of DLC film and the sp(2)/sp(3) growth ratio under different reactor conditions (temperature, gas flow rate and reactor pressure) will be calculated and verified with literature data. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.