Characterization of magnetron sputtered carbon nitride films

• Published in: Diamond and related materials 1999-06, Vol.8 (6), p.1039-1045
• Main Authors: Kulisch, W, Delplancke-Ogletree, M.P, Buliř, J, Jelı́nek, M, Jurek, K, Zemek, J, Klimovič, J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon nitride; Compositional analysis; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition by sputtering; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Sputtering; Structural analysis; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology
• ISSN: 0925-9635; 1879-0062
• DOI: 10.1016/S0925-9635(98)00452-X

A set of carbon nitride samples has been prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering. The only parameter varied was the nitrogen partial pressure p N 2 . It turns out, however, that p N 2 has noticeable influence on the composition and the structure of the films only below 0.1 Pa. The composition of the bulk of the samples was investigated by elastic recoil detection (ERD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), wavelength dispersive X-ray analysis (WDX) and Rutherford backscattering (RBS); although all of them give the same trend, some systematic differences were observed concerning the absolute values. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements revealed that the surface is somewhat depleted in nitrogen. Sputter depth profiling could not be applied due to very strong preferential sputtering of nitrogen. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the films are almost amorphous. Structural information was obtained from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), EELS, and XPS; it turned out that the films are graphitic or paracyanogen-like with a density of approx. 2 g cm -3. All of the characterization methods applied are discussed in view of the information they yield on carbon nitride films, and problems of their application to this special type of film.