A Survey Upon the Growth of GeC Thin Layers by Dual-Ion-Beam Sputtering Deposition

In this letter, as we know the importance of the layers for the industrial safety operation, the study about one of the rare materials and verifying it’svarious aspects, that is Germanium carbide (GeC) and it’s layers is the main subject of this letter. Germanium carbide layers were prepared by single and dual-ion-beam sputtering deposition at room temperature. An assisted Ar+ ion beam (ion energy Ei = 150 eV) was directed to bombard the substrate surface to be helpful for forming GeC layers. The microstructure and optical properties of nonirradicated and assisted ion-beam irradicated layers have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra. TEM result shows that the layers are amorphous. The layers exposed to a low-energy assisted ion-beam irradicated during sputtering from GeC target have exhibited smoother and compacter surface topography than which deposited with nonirradicated. The ion-beam irradicated improves the adhesion between film and substrate and releases the stress between film and substrate. With assisted ion-beam irradicated, the density of the Ge–C bond in the film has increased. At the same time, the excess C atoms or the size of the sp2 bonded clusters reduces. These results indicate that the composition of the film is essentially Ge–C bond.

Keywords:

Germanium carbide (GeC) layers , FTIR , TEM , SEM , DIBSD method