WC-based thin films obtained by reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering using W target and methane gas

Abstract Deposition of tungsten carbide (WC) films was investigated by radio-frequency reactive sputtering using a tungsten target and methane gas. The effect of some processing parameters (pressure, power, CH 4 -to-Ar gas flow ratio) upon the chemical and structural properties of the films has been investigated. The evolution of the chemical composition has been analyzed by photoemission, the microstructure has been studied through electron microscopy techniques and the crystallographic structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction as well as Raman spectroscopy. This study demonstrates that the formation of tungsten carbide is highly dependent on the deposition conditions: thin films are…