Carbon Film

Carbon films are a type of fossil, or preservation. They are thin film coatings which consist predominantly of the chemical element carbon, which include plasma polymer films, amorphous carbon films (diamond-like carbon, DLC), CVD diamond films as well as graphite films. The soft tissues of organisms are made largely of organic carbon compounds. Sometime fossils contain only carbon. Fossils usually form when sediments bury a dead organism. As sediment piles up, the organism's remains are subjected to pressure and heat. These conditions force gases and liquids from the body. A thin film of carbon residue is left, forming a silhouette of the original organism called a carbon film.