Density and sp3 content in diamond-like carbon films by x-ray reflectivity and electron energy loss spectroscopy

Grazing angle x-ray reflectivity (XRR) is used to study density, thickness, internal layering and roughness of a variety of carbon samples, with and without hydrogen and nitrogen. The bulk mass density of optimised tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) is 3.26 g/cm(2), for which Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) found a sp(3) fraction of 85%. Combining XRR and EELS we benchmark the dependence of sp3 fraction on density for hydrogen-free carbons. Hydrogenated ta-C (ta-C:H) deposited by electron cyclotron wave resonance (ECWR) reactor from acetylene gas, has a density of 2.35 g/cm(3), 75% sp(3) and similar to 30% hydrogen. These data provide a similar validation for density and sp(3) EELS data for hydrogenated DLCs. XRR can also reveal internal layering in films, and indeed less dense layers may be found at the surface or interface of ta-C films, but no such layers are found in ta-C:H films.