Postdeposition annealing of pulsed laser deposited CNx films

A study on the modification of the physicochemical properties of the carbon -nitrogen compounds when submitted to a thermal annealing process is report ed. Original films were obtained by ArF laser ablation using organic and in organic targets in a reactive atmosphere of ammonia or in vacuum conditions . The evolution of the film chemical composition and bonding configuration was followed by controlled thermal effusion, Fourier-transform infrared and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopies. The thermal energy supplied to the material during the postdeposition annealing of the CN, films promotes the formation of single CN bonds although the film nitrogen concentration decr eases by the effusion of hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen, and CN radicals. Addit ional experiments at different substrate processing temperatures were carri ed out in order to analyze the role of the temperature on the film properti es during the film processing and during postdeposition annealing. (C) 2000 American Vacuum Society. [S0734-2101(00)02506-9].