Deposition of transparent amorphous carbon films

• US 4,060,660 A
• Filed: 01/15/1976
• Issued: 11/29/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RCA Corporation
• Original Assignee: RCA Corporation
• Inventors: Carlson, David Emil, Tracy, Chester Edwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Newsome, John H.
• Application Number:
  US05/649,548
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 427/39, 427/101, 427/122, 204/173, 204/164, 428/408, 428/426
• US Class Current: 428/408
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/22 with other inorganic material C03C17/34, C03C17/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/282 Carbides, silicides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/152 by cvd
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/26 Deposition of carbon only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/503 using dc or ac discharges
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 17/12 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

Abstract

Applying a D. C. glow discharge to a heated glassy substrate in an evacuated chamber to which a volatile hydrocarbon has been added, produces a glassy substrate coated with a hard, transparent, resistive, amorphous carbon coating.

Claims

1. A method of depositing a transparent, resistive, amorphous carbon film on a glassy substrate which comprises:

a. heating said glassy substrate to a temperature in the range of from about 300°

to 550°

C. but below the softening temperature of the substrate in an evacuated chamber,

b. introducing a volatile hydrocarbon into said evacuated chamber,

c. applying a D.C. glow discharge between two electrodes situated in said chamber, the cathode of which is said glassy substrate, at a current density of from about 0.05 to about 1.0 mA/cm² for a period of about 15 seconds to about 3 minutes, so that said glassy substrate becomes coated with an amorphous carbon film.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current density is about 0.2 mA/cm² for about 30 seconds in a pressure of about 0.75 torr.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the discharge voltage is about 400V.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the glassy substrate is a soda-lime-silicate glass.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the glassy substrate is a ceramic.

6. An amorphous carbon film produced by the method of claim 1.

7. A transparent amorphous carbon film having a room temperature surface resistance of from about 10¹² ohm/sq. to about 10⁷ ohm/sq.

8. A transparent amorphous carbon film of claim 7 having a room temperature surface resistance of from about 10⁹ ohm/sq. to about 10⁷ ohm/sq.