Nanocrystalline carbon flakes deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

Abstract Carbon nanostructures were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering at deposition times from 30 to 120 min and temperatures on silicon substrates from 390 °C to 510 °C. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations showed that carbon films deposited at 510 °C consisted of nanostructured polycrystalline carbon nanoflakes. Dark field TEM images showed carbon nanocrystals of 1 nm average size. The sp 2 hybridization decreases with increasing deposition time, as it was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The nature of these carbon nanostructures would be turbostratics, an intermediate state between hexagonal and amorphous phases.