We present the results of photoconductivity, photosensitivity, and dec
ay time of photocurrent measurement as a function of temperature, for
both nitrogen doped (N-DLC) and nondoped a:DLC films. The a:DLC films
were deposited using RF glow discharge of methane gas (CH4) as a sourc
e of carbon. Several films were doped employing nitrogen (N-2) as dopi
ng gas. The spectral response of photosensitivity of doped films shift
s to higher energy, similar to the measured optical energy gap of thes
e films. Unlike the photosensitivity, the photocurrent of doped film i
s larger by two orders of magnitude than that of nondoped film. The mo
bility of doped films (2.43 x 10(-5)) is also larger by two orders of
magnitude than the nondoped films (5.64 x 10(-7)) at room temperature.
In order to provide nano-scale information about the morphological pr
operties of the a:DLC and N-DLC films surface we have used the atomic
force microscope. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.