Influence of nitrogen doping on different properties of a-C:H

• Published in: Thin solid films 1995-11, Vol.268 (1), p.22-29
• Main Authors: Hauert, R., Glisenti, A., Metin, S., Goitia, J., Kaufman, J.H., van Loosdrecht, P.H.M., Kellock, A.J., Hoffmann, P., White, R.L., Hermsmeier, B.D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amorphous materials; Carbon; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Defects and impurities: doping, implantation, distribution, concentration, etc; Doping; Exact sciences and technology; Nitrogen; Physics; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/0040-6090(95)06824-4

Amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) exhibits outstanding properties such as high hardness, low mechanical wear and friction, high thermal conductivity, etc. These properties are irreversibly altered above 400 °C. Doping the a-C:H films with nitrogen revealed the possibility to continuously tune properties such as internal stress, hardness, electrical conductivity and surface energy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to analyze the chemical and structural modifications caused by the introduction of nitrogen into the films. An increased onset temperature of the thermal C-H bond decomposition in a-C:H films up to 600 °C (in vacuum) is observed. Hardness measurements on N-doped samples show an increase in thermal stability of the films, however, without ever reaching the hardness values obtained from the undoped a-C:H film.