Atomic hydrogen interactions with amorphous carbon thin films

The atomic-scale interactions of H atoms with hydrogenated amorphous carbon a-C:H films were identified using molecular dynamics MD simulations and experiments based on surface characterization tools. Realistic a-C:H films developed using MD simulations were impinged with H atoms with a kinetic energy corresponding to a temperature of 700 K. The specific chemical reactions of the H atoms with the a-C:H surface were identified through a detailed analysis of the MD trajectories. The MD simulations showed that hydrogenation occurs primarily at the sp2 sites and converts them to sp3-hybridized C atoms. Depending on the hybridization of the next-nearest neighbor, a dangling bond may or may not be created. The hydrogenation reaction is highly exothermic, 2.5 eV, and proceeds with a negligible activation energy barrier via a mechanism similar to Eley–Rideal. In certain cases hydrogenation may also cleave a C–C bond. The reaction events observed through MD simulations are consistent with the surface characterization of D-exposed a-C:H films using Raman spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. © 2009 American Institute of Physics. doi:10.1063/1.3238305