Composition and chemical bonding of pulsed laser deposited carbon nitride thin films

We studied composition, structure, and growth parameters of amorphous diamo nd-like carbon (DLC) and carbon nitride (CNx) films deposited by pulsed las er deposition in vacuum and in nitrogen atmosphere. The composition (0 less than or equal to N/C less than or equal to 0.4), the structural and the el ectronic properties of the deposited carbon and carbon nitride films were i nvestigated for different laser fluences (1-12 J/cm(2)). Electron energy lo ss spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and micro-Raman spectros copy indicated an increase in sp(3)-bonded carbon sites in the DLC films an d an increase in N-sp(3) C bonded sites in the CNx films with increasing de position laser fluence. Raman spectroscopy also showed the presence of a sm all amount of C=N bonds in the CNx films. Furthermore, we observed that kee ping the nitrogen pressure constant (P=100 mTorr) the increase in the depos ition laser fluence is reflected by an increase in the nitrogen content in the films. All the results have been discussed in the framework of differen t theoretical models. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(0 0)08120-2].