High power impulse magnetron sputtering process to achieve a high density high SP3 containing layer

1. A method of forming a carbon-containing layer, comprising:

delivering a sputter gas to a substrate positioned in a processing region of a first process chamber, the first process chamber having a carbon-containing sputter target;

delivering an energy pulse to the sputter gas to create a sputtering plasma, the sputtering plasma being formed by energy pulses having an average power between about 1 W/cm 2 and about 10 W/cm 2 and a pulse width which is less than 100 μs and greater than 30 μs, the sputtering plasma being exposed to a magnetic field that is less than 300 Gauss;

forming an ionized species comprising a carbon containing material sputtered from the carbon-containing sputter target, wherein the ionized species forms a crystalline carbon-containing layer on the substrate, and wherein the substrate is maintained at a temperature of less than 100 degrees Celsius;

providing a bias to the substrate;

forming a plasma in the presence of a deposition gas to form an activated deposition gas, the deposition gas comprising a carbon-containing source; and

delivering the activated deposition gas to the substrate to form a nanocrystalline diamond layer on the crystalline carbon-containing layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition gas further comprises a hydrogen source.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition gas comprises CH 4 , H 2 , Ar, CO 2 or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sputter target is a graphitic target.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is maintained at a pressure between about 2 mTorr and about 20 mTorr.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crystalline carbon-containing layer is a nanocrystalline diamond layer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition gas is activated using a microwave source.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the energy pulse is between about 10 microseconds and 100 microseconds.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field is less than about 200 Gauss.

10. A method for forming a carbon-containing layer, comprising:

delivering a sputtering gas to a substrate positioned in a processing region of a first process chamber, the first process chamber having a graphitic target;

delivering an energy pulse to the sputter gas to create a sputtering plasma, the sputtering plasma being formed by an energy pulse having an average power between about 1 W/cm 2 and about 10 W/cm 2 and a pulse width which is less than 100 μs, the sputtering plasma being controlled by a magnetic field, the magnetic field being less than 300 Gauss;

forming the sputtering plasma so that an intermediate carbide layer is formed on the substrate, wherein the substrate is maintained at a temperature range of below about 100 degrees Celsius;

transferring the substrate having the intermediate carbide layer to a second process chamber;

delivering a deposition gas to the second process chamber;

activating the deposition gas to create an activated deposition gas, the deposition gas comprising CH 4 , H 2 , Ar, CO 2 or combinations thereof;

delivering the activated deposition gas to a substrate; and

growing a nanocrystalline diamond layer on the intermediate carbide layer.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the substrate is maintained at a pressure between about 2 mTorr and about 20 mTorr.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the duty cycle is less than about 10% of the of the sputtering duration.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the deposition gas is activated using a microwave source.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the energy pulse is between about 10 microseconds and 100 microseconds.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the magnetic field is less than about 200 Gauss.

16. A method for forming a carbon containing layer, comprising:

delivering a sputter gas to a substrate positioned in a processing region of a PVD process chamber, the PVD process chamber having a graphitic sputter target;

delivering an energy pulse to the sputter gas to create a sputtering plasma, the sputtering plasma being formed by energy pulses having an average power between 1 W/cm 2 and 10 W/cm 2 and a pulse width which is less than 100 μs and greater than 30 μs, the sputtering plasma being exposed to a magnetic field that is less than 300 Gauss;

delivering the sputtering plasma to the graphitic sputter target to form a crystalline carbon-containing layer on the substrate;

delivering an inert gas to the substrate positioned in the processing region of the PVD process chamber;

maintaining the PVD process chamber at a temperature of less than 100 degrees Celsius;

delivering an energy pulse to the inert gas to create a sputtering plasma, the sputtering plasma having a sputtering duration, the energy pulse having an average power between 1 W/cm 2 and 10 W/cm 2 , a pulse voltage which is greater than the average power and a pulse width which is less than 100 μs, the sputtering plasma being controlled by a magnetic field, the magnetic field being less than or equal to 200 Gauss; and

delivering the sputtering plasma to the graphitic sputter target to form a nanocrystalline diamond layer on the crystalline carbon-containing layer.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the substrate is maintained at a pressure between about 2 mTorr and about 20 mTorr.