COMPOSITION AND CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE OF CARBON NITRIDE FILMS PREPARED BYTHE ELECTRON-CYCLOTRON-RESONANCE PLASMA SPUTTERING METHOD

Carbon nitride films were prepared on a Si(100) substrate by an electr on cyclotron resonance plasma sputtering method using a carbon target and a nitrogen atmosphere. The maximum value of the N/C ratio in the f ilm deposited at a substrate bias potential of about - 55 V and ambien t temperature was 1.35, which is close to the stoichiometric compositi on of C3N4. The surface morphology observed with scanning electron mic roscopy of the film deposited at 600 degrees C showed a crystalline st ructure with a 500 nm average grain diameter. The x-ray diffraction pa ttern-of the film deposited at 600 degrees C and a substrate bias pote ntial of - 50 V indicates no amorphous phase in the film, which is com posed of beta- and alpha-C3N4 phases containing an unidentified C-N ph ase. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.