Thin-film hermeticity: A quantitative analysis of diamond-like carbon using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry

Authors

• S. Orzeszko, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Bhola N. De, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• John A. Woollam, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
• John J. Pouch, NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
• Samuel A. Alterovitz, NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
• David C. Ingram, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

10-15-1988

Comments

Published in Published in Journal of Applied Physics 64:8 (October 15, 1988), pp. 4175-4180. Copyright The American Institute of Physics. Used by permission.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we report on the successful application of variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry to quantitative thin-film hermeticity evaluation. Secondly, it is shown that under a variety of film preparations and moisture introduction conditions water penetrates only a very thin diamondlike carbon (DLC) top surface-roughness region. Thus DLC is an excellent candidate for use as protective coatings in adverse chemical and aqueous environments.