Amorphous Carbon Films for Electronic Applications

Abstract While various crystalline carbon allotropes, including graphene, have been actively investigated, amorphous carbon (a‐C) thin films have received relatively little attention. The a‐C is a disordered form of carbon bonding with a broad range of the CC bond length and bond angle. Although accurate structural analysis and theoretical approaches are still insufficient, reproducible structure–property relationships have been accumulated. As the a‐C thin film is now adapted as a hardmask in the semiconductor industry and new properties are reported continuously, expectations are growing that it can be practically used as active materials beyond as a simple sacrificial layer. In this perspective review article, after a brief introduction to the synthesis and properties of the a‐C thin films, their potential practical applications are proposed, including hardmasks, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicles, diffusion barriers, deformable electrodes and interconnects, sensors, active layers, electrodes for energy, micro‐supercapacitors, batteries, nanogenerators, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and nanomembranes. The article ends with a discussion on the technological challenges in a‐C thin films.