In-depth distribution of elements and chemical bonds in the surface region of calcium-doped diamond-like carbon films

In the present work we determined surface composition and chemical bonds at the top surface and in a shallow sub-surface region of the calcium-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) layers using angular-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) aided by the Maximum Entropy Method (MEM). The resulting non-destructive depth profiles showed that the composition and the chemical bonding vary significantly on the way from the top surface to the shallow sub-surface region. We demonstrate, for the first time, that Ca doping induced (i) the accumulation of the calcium carbonate, CaCO3, at the surface, while the calcium oxide, CaO, is located in a deeper sub-surface region, (ii) structural conversion from the C sp(2)-rich top surface observed in the undoped DLC layer to the C sp(3)-rich top surface of the Ca-doped DLC samples, and (iii) conversion in the opposite direction which occurred in a sub-surface region. Our conclusions are consistent with Raman and Ion Surface Scattering spectra. Obtained results can be useful for deeper understanding the interaction between doped DLC layer surfaces with surroundings and particularly with living tissue.

Automated summary

The study used ARXPS and MEM techniques to analyze the surface composition and chemical bonds of calcium-doped DLC layers, revealing significant variations in compounds and chemical bonds between the surface and shallow sub-surface regions.