Plasma fluorination of diamond-like carbon surfaces: mechanism and application to nanoimprint lithography

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films, used as molds for nanoimprint lithography, were treated with a fluorocarbon-based plasma in order to enhance their anti-adhesion properties. While ellipsometry and atomic force microscope measurements showed negligible changes in thickness and surface roughness after plasma processing, contact angle measurement found fluorine plasma-treated DLC surfaces to be highly hydrophobic, with surface energy values reduced from approximately 45 mJ m(-2) for untreated films to approximately 20-30 mJ m(-2) after fluorination. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed a thin (from approximately 0.5 to approximately 3 nm) fluorocarbon layer on the DLC surface. Proposed mechanisms for the formation of this layer include two competing processes: etching of DLC and deposition of fluorocarbon material, with one or the other mechanism dominant, depending on the plasma conditions. Fluorocarbon plasma-treated DLC molds for nanoimprint lithography were used to pattern sub-20 nm size features with a high degree of repeatability, demonstrating an extended lifetime of the anti-adhesion coating.