Diamondlike carbon films obtained by low energy cluster beam deposition: Evidence of a memory effect of the properties of free carbon clusters

Abstract

Free carbon clusters with various selected sizes (${\mathrm{C}}_{20}$,${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$,${\mathrm{C}}_{900}$) have been deposited on different substrates to obtain continuous thin films (thickness ∼100 nm). The characterization of nanostructures and electronic structures of the films have been performed using various complementary techniques (atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy). A memory effect of the free carbon cluster properties permits the synthesis of amorphous diamond or graphite films depending on the deposited incident species (${\mathrm{C}}_{20}$ or ${\mathrm{C}}_{900}$, respectively).