Surface modification of low dielectric fluorinated amorphous carbon films by nitrogen plasma treatment

The effects of nitrogen post-plasma treatment on the properties of fluorinated amorphous carbon (a-C:F) films were investigated, In this study, the a-C:F films were prepared by an electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECRCVD) system (ASTeX AX4505) using a gas mixture of fluorocarbon (C2F6) and hydrocarbon (CH4). The post-plasma treatment was carried out for various strengths and durations after deposition without breaking the vacuum seal. As the power and time of the treatments increased, the fluorine concentration of the film surface decreased, yet the surface energy increased sharply, The dielectric constant and the refractive index of a-C:F films remain nearly constant regardless of the plasma treatment power. From this study, it was found that the plasma treatment of a-C:F films produces a more reactive surface and affected the fluorine concentration of the surface, the structure of chemical bonding and the electric properties.