Patent ID: 8227352

Claim:
A method of forming a composite amorphous carbon layer for improved stack defectivity on a substrate, comprising: introducing a hydrocarbon source gas into a process chamber containing a substrate; introducing a diluent source gas into the process chamber; introducing a plasma-initiating gas into the process chamber; generating a plasma in the process chamber; forming an amorphous carbon initiation layer on the substrate, wherein a ratio of a volumetric flow rate of the hydrocarbon source gas to a volumetric flow rate of the diluent source gas is 1:12 or less; and forming a bulk amorphous carbon layer on the amorphous carbon initiation layer, wherein a ratio of a volumetric flow rate of a hydrocarbon source gas used to form the bulk amorphous carbon layer to a volumetric flow rate of a diluent source gas is 1 : 6 or greater to form the composite amorphous carbon layer.