Reactive magnetron sputter deposited CNx: Effects of N2 pressure and growth temperature on film composition, bonding, and microstructure

Abstract

Articles you may be interested inLowtemperature deposition of cubic BN:C films by unbalanced direct current magnetron sputtering of a B4C target Effects of nitrogen pressure and ion flux on the properties of direct current reactive magnetron sputtered Zr-N films J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 13, 2808 (1995); 10.1116/1.579709Preparation and characterization of epitaxial gold films deposited on mica by direct current magnetron sputteringThe effects of growth processes on the chemical bond structure, microstructure, and mechanical properties of carbon-nitride ͑CN x ͒ thin films, deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in a pure N 2 discharge, are reported. The film deposition rate R D increases with increasing N 2 pressure P N 2 while N/C ratios remain constant. The maximum N concentration was ϳ35 at. %. R D was found to be dependent upon the film growth temperature T s . For a given P N 2 , R D decreased slightly as T s was increased from 100 to 600°C. The variations in R D with both P N 2 and T s can be explained by ion-induced desorption of cyano radicals CN x from both the target and growth surfaces during deposition. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy ͑FTIR͒ analyses showed that N atoms in films grown at T s Ͼ350°C with low nitrogen partial pressures P N 2 , ϳ2.5 mTorr, were bound to C atoms through hybridized sp 2 and sp 3 configurations. For low T s ϭ100°C and higher P N 2 , 10 mTorr, triple-bonded CwN was detected by FTIR. Two types of microstructures were observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, depending on T s : an amorphous phase, containing crystalline clusters for films deposited at T s ϭ100°C, while a turbostraticlike or fullerenelike phase was observed for films deposited at T s Ͼ200°C CN x films deposited a higher T s and lower P N 2 were found to have higher hardness and elastic modulus.

Raman spectra of nitrogen-doped tetrahedral amorphous carbon from first principles

“…However, because of the overlap with stronger N2-C (sp 2 ) vibrations, the N1 contribution to the Raman spectrum is essentially negligible. This is in agreement with the experiment [27] .…”

Stress induced preferred orientation and phase transition for ternary WCxNy thin films

“…1a), WC x N y films exhibit an approximately symmetric peak at binding energy of 283.0 eV, which is similar to that for pure WC film, indicating W-C bonds are formed in WC x N y films [36,37]. It is worth noting that neither C-N/ C N/CBBN peaks, generally occur in the range of 284.5-289.9 eV [38,39], nor C-C ones at about 284.4 eV [38,39] appear in the C 1s spectra for WC x N y samples, probably meaning that no C-N/C N/ CBBN or C-C bonds are formed in the WC x N y films. This can be further verified by their N 1s spectra (Fig.…”

“…This can be further verified by their N 1s spectra (Fig. 1b), in which only an approximately symmetric W-N peak at about 397.0 eV appears [40,41], and no C-N/C N/CBBN ones, generally occur in the range of 398.3-400.3 eV in N 1s spectra [38,39], can be observed. In the W 4f spectra (Fig.…”

Field emission enhancement of amorphous carbon films by nitrogen-implantation

“…It can be seen that, after nitrogen-implantation, the D band position only shifts slightly, but the G band position has a pronounced downshift of $40 cm À1 . The downshift of the G band signifies the increase of sp 3 -bonding fraction at the expense of the sp 2 -bonding fraction [22,23]. Therefore, it is likely that nitrogen-implantation into a-C films is bound to a carbon atom, and promotes Nsp 3 C bonds rather than N-sp 2 C bonds.…”