Y. Aoi et al., Preparation of amorphous CNx thin films by pulsed laser deposition using aradio frequency radical beam source, J APPL PHYS, 86(4), 1999, pp. 2318-2322
Amorphous CNx thin films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) co
mbined with a nitrogen rf radical beam source which supplies active nitroge
n species to the growing film surface. The dominant active nitrogen species
are excited N-2 molecules and nitrogen atoms. The deposited films were cha
racterized by scanning electron microscope, x-ray photoelectron spectroscop
y (XPS), Raman scattering, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrosco
py. Nitrogen content of the deposited films increased with increasing rf in
put power and N-2 pressure in the PLD chamber. The N/C ratio 0.23 was obtai
ned at 400 W of rf input power and 1.3 Pa. XPS N 1s spectra shows the exist
ence of N-sp(2)C and N-sp(3)C bonds in the deposited films. The fraction of
the N-sp(3)C increased with increasing of N-2 pressure in the PLD chamber
during the operation of radical beam source. FTIR and Raman spectra of the
deposited films indicated that N equivalent to C bonds in the films were fe
w as compared to the other carbon and nitrogen bonds. (C) 1999 American Ins
titute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)02216-1].