Electron spectroscopic identification of carbon species on CNx films

Carbon species produced during reactive laser deposition of carbon nitride (CNx) films were characterized with Auger, X-ray photoelectron and electron energy-loss spectroscopies. The pi --> pi * and sigma + pi plasmons show t hat the carbon atoms are in sp(2) configuration, and the absence of losses in the 26-30 eV is indicative of the non-existence of spl-hybridized carbon . When the pi loss is applied to N-1s or C-1s photoelectrons, the asymmetri c tail in the XPS spectra is satisfactorily reproduced. With this analysis, the minor peaks are assigned to the inelastic losses, and the two main pea ks to nitrogen, in substitution on sp(2)-hybridized carbon rings, developin g pyridine and pyrrole-like configurations. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.