Photoluminescence of amorphous carbon films fabricated by layer-by-layer hydrogen plasma chemical annealing method

A method in which nanometre-thick film deposition was alternated with hydrogen plasma annealing (layer-by-layer method) was applied to fabricate hydrogenated amorphous carbon films in a conventional plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition system. It was found that the hydrogen plasma treatment could decrease the hydrogen concentration in the films and change the sp²/sp³ ratio to some extent by chemical etching. Blue photoluminescence was observed at room temperature, as a result of the reduction of sp² clusters in the films.