Combined magnetron sputtering and pulsed laser deposition of carbides and diamond‐like carbon films

A hybrid technique is reported, which combines magnetron sputtering and pulsed laser ablation to produce plasma fluxes intersected on a substrate surface to form metal, ceramic and diamond‐like materials. Deposition of crystalline Ti, TixCy, TiCN, and amorphous diamond‐like carbon films at low temperatures by the new technique is discussed. The variation of laser pulse frequency is found to be a simple way to control film chemical composition. The technique can be used to prepare materials with transitional structure, as, for example, between metal carbides and diamond‐like carbon. A hybrid technique is reported, which combines magnetron sputtering and pulsed laser ablation to produce plasma fluxes intersected on a substrate surface to form metal, ceramic and diamond‐like materials. Deposition of crystalline Ti, TixCy, TiCN, and amorphous diamond‐like carbon films at low temperatures by the new technique is discussed. The variation of laser pulse frequency is found to be a simple way to control film chemical composition. The technique can be used to prepare materials with transitional structure, as, for example, between metal carbides and diamond‐like carbon.