CARBON NITRIDE FILMS PRODUCED BY HIGH-ENERGY SHOCK PLASMA DEPOSITION

High-energy shock plasma deposition techniques are used to produce car bon-nitride films containing both crystalline and amorphous components . The structures are examined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, parallel-electron-energy loss spectroscopy, and electron diffraction. The crystalline phase appears to be face-centered cubic w ith a unit cell parameter approx. a = 0.63 nm, and it may be stabilize d by calcium and oxygen at about 1-2 at. % levels. 85 at. % of the car bon atoms appear to have trigonal bonding for the crystalline phase, t he remaining 15 at. % having tetrahedral bonding. The amorphous carbon -nitride film component varies from essentially nanocrystalline graphi te, containing virtually no nitrogen, to amorphous carbon-nitride cont aining up to 10 at. % N, where the fraction of sp(3) bonds ranges up t o approx. 85 at. %. There is PEELS evidence that the nitrogen atoms ha ve sp(2) trigonal bonds in both the amorphous and crystalline phases.