Evidence for continuous areas of crystalline beta-C3N4 in sputter-deposited thin films

Carbon nitride films have been deposited using Penning-type opposed target de reactive sputtering. These films show large (>10 mu m(2)) continuous are as of nanocrystalline material in an amorphous matrix. Electron diffraction shows the nanocrystalline areas to have crystallography consistent with th e beta-C3N4 phase. Film chemistry analysis using Rutherford backscattering and Raman spectroscopy indicates that only carbon, nitrogen, and trace leve ls of hydrogen are present. Given this film chemistry and the fit of diffra ction data to that predicted for the beta-C3N4 structure, it seems likely t hat the sputtering parameters used have, indeed, produced continuous region s of the elusive beta-C3N4 phase.